Seven Anti-Aging Tips

• Eat a diet low in fat, high in complex carbohydrates. The standard advice from the US government is to consume 5 fruits and vegetables and 3 servings of whole grains daily for vitamins and minerals and the other healthful micronutrients in plants. Drink five to eight 8-oz. glasses of water. Get no more than about 30-35 percent of daily calories from fat, with about 20 percent of that from unsaturated fat (e.g., 1 percent milk, olive and canola oil); 15 percent from protein; and the remaining calories from carbohydrates, with an emphasis on complex carbohydrates like oatmeal, whole wheat bread and wild rice.

• Build endurance and strength with exercise. Regular aerobic exercise is a "must-do" for anyone committed to slowing the aging process, agree experts. Hundreds of studies show that exercise combats the loss of stamina, muscle strength, balance, and bone density that increases with age. The American Heart Association advises doing a single set of eight to 15 repetitions, using eight to 10 exercises, two to three times a week for a comprehensive strength-building program. If you are not a beginner, that's about a 10-minute routine.

• Maximize Your Intake of Antioxidants. The evidence is "incontrovertible" and bears repeating, says Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg of Tufts University. Free radicals contribute to the onset of age-related diseases and antioxidants "neutralize" free radicals. Everyone should "take a combination of antioxidants" through diet and supplementation, he asserts. Blumberg advises eating dark-colored vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, squash, and spinach for carotenoids and blue and purple berries for flavonoids. Because foods contain many classes of antioxidants that work synergistically, they are the superior source of antioxidants, says Blumberg. But because we don't always eat as we should, Blumberg advocates taking daily supplements of the "classic" antioxidants: 200-250 mg of vitamin C; 100-400 IU of vitamin E; and a mixed carotenoid supplement of 6-10 mg. "I always tell people that taking antioxidants is 'like driving with a seatbelt,'" says Blumberg. They can protect you're life, but they are not "a license to drive recklessly."

• Use Renova to Reduce Wrinkles. Unless you have been hyper-vigilant about shielding yourself from the sun since you were knee high, the signs of aging skin — fine lines, wrinkles, brown spots — are likely to emerge by the time you enter your fourth decade. "Ninety-five percent of wrinkles are due to sun exposure," says Doris Day, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center. Happily, there is a real wrinkle eraser. Renova is the only FDA-approved prescription cream proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, fade brown spots, and smooth skin tone. The vitamin A derivative exfoliates the skin and increases the production of collagen. Renova "works really well as an anti-wrinkle cream. It even works in some people who have early signs of sun damage and early signs of skin cancer," says Day. It comes in a concentration of 0.02 percent and 0.05 percent so just about everyone can tolerate it. Using Renova will cost you about $10 to $15 a month.
• Cutting-Edge Options for Aging Skin. Turn back the clock on aging skin. You have a wide spectrum of options that fall short of surgery to restore your youthful appearance, ranging from exfoliation to dermabrasion to laser resurfacing. For details on each one and how they work, visit our Plastic Surgery Center.
• Restore Your Hormones to Youthful Levels. Loss of energy, libido and stamina are the symptoms that usually drive patients into the waiting rooms of anti-aging doctors. They're also the "classic" symptoms of declining hormone levels and the reason hormone-replacement therapy is the no. 1 weapon in the arsenal of anti-aging medicine. Production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone in women and testosterone in men decreases rapidly after age 35, says Nadu Tuakli, M.D. of the Anti-Aging and Longevity Institute in Baltimore. Anti-aging physician Richard LeConde, who prescribes testosterone for his female patients, notes a dramatic improvement in their well being not seen with estrogen and progesterone alone. It definitely "produces an awakening in men," but most of the women for whom I add testosterone "refuse to give it up."
• Human Growth Hormone: The Ultimate Anti-Aging Therapy? Though controversial and only within the reach of those willing to shell out up to $300 a month, human growth hormone (HGH) is the "best treatment we currently have for preserving vitality until the end of your normal genetic lifespan," says LeConde, who at age 52 has been injecting himself daily with HGH for the past 5 years. The 30-gauge, one-quarter inch needle he adds, is a "very low obstacle" for his patients, most of whom are over age 50 and report reduced body fat, increased muscle tone, enhanced sexual performance, elevated mood and firmer skin from HGH treatments.

HGH has been approved by the FDA to treat adult growth human deficiency but not as a routine anti-aging therapy. That will take tens of years because "everyone is a candidate for HGH," says LeConde. In the meantime, "those of us over 50 can't wait for the FDA to approve one of the safest, most effective interventions we have."