The phrase “use it or lose it” could not be more accurate in regards to the human body and aging. As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass, our joints get all creaky and either we move around a lot less, or stop moving altogether because it doesn’t feel good. The sinews and tendons grow weak, the fluids dry up, and a dangerous cycle is started. This cycle is all too common in our older population in the US.

Many physicians today believe that the causes of many of the physical changes we manifest as we age, such as osteoporosis, loss of muscle tone, and organ deterioration, cannot be tied to either inactivity or age. This means that they believe at least some of the changes attributed to aging are really caused by disuse. Male weight trainees in their 40s and up often have physiques that shame men half their age. And the same holds true for women. Weight training has formed almost as many stunning female physiques as it has for males.

Your body will continuously adapt to exercise until you die, and weight training causes a certain type of adaptation that virtually erases the usual sagging of advanced age. There is apparently something about weight training that goes beyond mere jogging or cardio allowing older adults to retain less fat and more flexibility.

The Centers for Disease Control reported in 2003 that strength training “can be very powerful in reducing the signs and symptoms of numerous diseases and chronic conditions, among them: arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, back pain and depression.” Those benefits apply to all ages. A study in New Zealand showed a 40% decrease in falls by women 80 years of age and older after basic strength training.

A basic guide would be to start with compound basic exercises, using light weights, three days a week. Start with doing 8 to 10 exercises with 8 to 12 repetitions. Excellent information on basic strength training can be found in any library or online, as well as how to set up a routine. A great resource on the subject is the book Getting Stronger. Weight Training for Men and Women by Bill Pearl and Gary Moore.

Another resource you should consider is a supplement called creatine. Hundreds of studies over the last 10 years have proven that creatine monohydrate increases strength and muscle size in conjunction with weight training. This compound is particularly effective in older males

A study by the University of Saskatchewan, in 2004, found that giving creatine monohydrate supplements to weight training older adults, for 12 weeks, increased muscle mass and strength more than weight training alone. Just a little tip to help you get an edge over the twentysomethings in the gym. Creatine supplements have been proven safe and effective for years now. You can buy them at your local health food store, or online if you prefer a more reasonable price.

You don’t need a gym membership or expensive equipment to get started. You can perform all the basic exercises with a good pair of adjustable dumbbells. not skimp on these though; you get what you pay for. You will want them to range from 5 pounds to 50 pounds to start off with, depending on your starting strength levels. As always, talk to your doctor before you begin any exercise program.

As to my beginning question: “Are you too old for weight training?” the answer is a qualified no! It’s up to you whether you live a healthy and active life well into your advanced years, or you can get in the car and try on one of those rolling chairs down at the local “Scooter Store”. Your choice; no excuses. The sooner you start, sooner you get results. In no time at all you can be well on your way to improving your appearance, your physique and your outlook on life, as well as doing great things for your internal health in general. Look for my upcoming guide to essential antioxidants and how they can literally extend your lifespan.

A low carb diet plan greatly restricts the amount of carbohydrates you consume, as compared with a traditional North American diet, or even compared with a low fat diet. While our bodies would usually burn stored carbohydrates for energy, low carb eating forces the body to burn more stored fat instead. When this happens, your body produces chemicals called “ketones”. Ketones result when your kidneys convert fat to soluble waste. Getting your body to reach this point, called ketosis is one of the goals of a serious low carbohydrate diet.

There is interesting scientific research behind the development of this diet. Dr. Robert Atkins first introduced the concept of eating a low carbohydrate diet to the general public in the 1970s. He noticed that primitive people consumed a diet of mostly meat, vegetables and some fruit.

Because this diet was in existence for thousands of years before the development of agriculture, Atkins concluded that the reason most people had difficulty losing weight and keeping it off is that we are eating contrary to the way our digestive system is set up. In other words, our bodies do not support eating wheat, barley and other grains and sugars.

In the 1990s the diet was rediscovered with a new book from Atkins titled The Atkins New Diet Revolution. Since the reemergence of the Atkins diet, other low carb diets have been developed that are variations of it. The Zone Diet, the Stillman Diet, the Hollywood Diet, the Ketogenic Diet and the South Beach Diet are all based on the idea of eating fewer carbohydrates. They all advise eating more protein and limited carbs and inducing the body to burn its own fat.

Low carb diet plans differ somewhat in the amount of carbohydrates they allow, but all advise cutting out all white or starchy foods. The most strict is the 20 gram per day carb limit of the initial stage of Atkins, plus some of the other diet plans. The 20 grams is generally derived from salads and non-starchy vegetables, plus the trace amounts of carbs in sauces, dressings and cheeses.

In the first stages of a low carbohydrate diet, dieters are not allowed to have any milk, fruits, grains, cereals, pasta, breads or “high glycemic index” vegetables such as potatoes, peas, corn and carrots. The missing carbs are replaced with ample amounts of protein.

This is a very low amount of carbohydrate when compared with the large amounts of pasta and grains advised by traditional low fat diet recommendations, so this diet has become quite controversial. Butter is also included, which is another reason for the controversy over low carbohydrate eating plans. The butter is recommended because fat slows down the absorption of carbohydrates into the body and helps to maintain an even blood sugar level.

The whole idea behind Dr. Atkins original principal is that it we gain weight in our Western world because our blood sugar levels are allowed to go too high by eating too much high starch food. Control the carbohydrate levels and you control weight much more easily. Much research has shown this to be true. Of course opposing research has been done too, so the controversy continues to some extent, although it is generally acknowledged by all now that the high carb recommendations of the past were incorrect.

The great difficulty of any severely restricted diet is that most people can end up regaining much of their lost weight because of difficulty adhering to the restrictions over the long-term. This can ultimately result in rebound weight gain and is the reason that the modified versions of Atkins diet have evolved.

The Atkins diet itself though, does gradually re-introduce modest amounts of carbohydrates into your diet as you complete your weight loss, to avoid the extremes of losing and then regaining weight. Is it right for you? Only you can determine this by trying it for a week. Carb cravings will subside within 3-5 days after starting the diet.

After extensive experimentation, doctors have concluded that resveratrol demonstrates the ability to reverse the effects of obesity in mice. In addition, they observed that mice placed on a diet of resveratrol supplements also exhibited higher endurance levels and longer lifespans than mice on a non-supplemented diet.

In a controlled test environment, ordinary mice will normally run approximately one kilometer on a treadmill before collapsing in exhaustion. However, mice that have been given a resveratrol supplement will run twice as far before showing evidence of tiring. In addition, subsequent tests also show that the mice on the resveratrol program demonstrate heightened muscle control and strength and have a significantly reduced resting heart rate when compared to the ordinary mice.

After the success of resveratrol supplement testing on mice and other animals, doctors at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in Illkirch, France have now completed initial human experiments that demonstrate that similar results can be obtained in human test subjects that are placed on a program of high quality resveratrol supplementation.

The key to resveratrol’s effects on the body are in the substance’s ability to work at a cellular level to increase the production of mitochondria. Mitochondria are the organisms in the body that generate energy. The extra mitochondria in the treated mice resulted in the ability to burn more fat and to optimize muscle functions.

Dr. Ronald M. Evans, a scientist at the Salk Institute and an expert on the hormonal control of metabolic functions, stated that the report by the French genetics team had “shown very convincingly that resveratrol improves mitochondrial function” and wards off metabolic disease. Evans characterized described the study as “very important, because it is rare that we identify orally active molecules, especially natural molecules, that have such a broad-based, positive effect on a problem which is as widespread in society as metabolic disease.”

A drug that can prevent degenerative disease, promote weight loss, prolong life, and reshape an individual into a highly trained athlete sounds like the stuff of science fiction. But doctors are convinced that their work into the effects of resveratrol and resveratrol synergy have led to some surprising advancements in the area of anti-aging. They now believe that the body’s ability to utilize sirtuins, enzymes that protect and energize our systems, declines with age. This is the process that is reversed by resveratrol.

The growing evidence supporting the benefits of resveratrol has enthused scientists who do research on the aging process, several of whom are already taking resveratrol supplements. Dr. David Sinclair, a scientist at the anti-aging drug research company Sirtris, has been taking resveratrol supplements in liquid and capsule form for over three years. He claims that half the members of his laboratory do the same and that he is encouraging use of the supplements to family and friends. There are a range of views on appropriate resveratrol dosages, but this involves detailed debate around ingredient purity and potency.

Quality resveratrol supplements are designed to maximize the efficicencies of formula and dosage.