At age 61, I never thought I would be at my peak health with virtually no complaints or major health concerns.  In fact, growing up, I thought the 60’s was a declining age group from a health and wellness standpoint.  I could not have been more wrong.  In fact, in the past 10 years I have completed over 30 triathlons, 8 half marathons, 2 marathons and numerous smaller competitive runs.  My cholesterol, blood sugar and weight are all normal and better than they were when I was in my 30’s and 40’s.  

Does this sound impossible?  It’s not.  I am speaking to you as an individual, probably very much like me, and also as a physician who treats patients with the same principles with which I treat myself and my family.  We all have barriers to a healthy life.  Work, family, health issues, energy levels, weight problems and daily stress affect all of us.  The key is to find ways to improve health, wellness and fitness despite these barriers.  I remember the moment that I made my decision to get on the path of better health.  I was 50 years old, overweight and had elevated blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.  On top of all of this, I was the head of a very busy medical practice, and had all of the stressors that went with that job. 

I began my 10-year journey of better nutrition, exercise, improved sleep and hormone balancing, and now find myself actually enjoying life to its fullest.  While my roots are in traditional medicine, there are things that traditional medicine does not address.  After furthering my education in functional medicine, I learned that to be truly healthy we must address root causes of illness rather than to simply treat symptoms and disease.  

It is this journey that helped me achieve an age-defying lifestyle.  We all can improve our health and wellness, regardless of age, gender and physical condition.  It requires effort, desire and a knowledgeable physician who can put together a functional and individualized plan for you.  Each of us has a unique body and unique needs, therefore the approach to optimal health must also be unique.  I accomplish this in my practice through detailed history-taking, testing, diet modification, appropriate nutritional supplements, exercise, adequate sleep and hormone balancing.  It is important to address issues like hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, skin and hair problems as well as gut disorders, among other chronic problems of aging. 

 Not everyone wishes to run marathons, but I do believe everyone wants to look and feel their best.  It’s never too late to begin your age-defying lifestyle journey.