“Life is not merely being alive, but being well.”
-Martial, 66 AD,
“The work of the doctor will, in the future, be ever more that of an educator, and ever less that of a man who treats ailments.”
– Lord Horder
I love the holiday season for many reasons. One of which is that it is a time to reflect on the past year, and to begin thinking about goals for the next. The past year has been a busy one for us at The Center for Health and Age Management. Our growth has been a blessing and we are thankful to our patients for allowing us to participate in your health and wellness. As I begin to formulate goals for my practice and my life over the next year, I began thinking about something bigger than what I will aspire to over the next 12 months. I wondered what my legacy will be. As I’ve pondered this thought, I think I have come up with a glimpse of at least part of the answer to that question as it pertains to my practice, living well.
Fall is the beginning of the cold and flu season and this year has been no different. I’ve noticed however that very few of my patients have come in with acute illnesses this year. One of my goals for my patients has always been to maximize health and wellness. Medicine has turned into an industry that defines itself by how well it manages chronic illness at worst and the absence of disease at best. Medicine should be more than this.
My goal for my patients goes way beyond what to me is an unacceptable standard of care. That goal is to provide my patients with the most cutting edge information to not only minimize disease risk, but to maximize their body’s ability to fight disease. Anti-aging medicine is about slowing the aging process that makes our bodies progressively more susceptible to those diseases. It is not just about increasing longevity, but increasing the quality of that longevity. Not just living, living well. My hope is that this will become my professional legacy
If you have seen me as a patient you have heard my recommendations for treating acute respiratory illness naturally but it bears repeating as the cold and flu season is upon us.
Healthy diet and proper sleep are always the first step in improving your immune system. If you don’t sleep well, find a way to do so even if it requires taking a medication for a short time. It is that important. In addition, there are some very important supplements to have on hand when you become sick or better yet take year round. They all have convincing research behind their immune boosting and disease fighting ability. Below is a list of those supplements and the dosages I recommend for living well.
Vitamin C: 500 – 1000 mg 2 – 3 times daily
L-Glutamine: 1 gram 2 – 3 times daily
Zinc – in the form of zinc chelate, glycinate, or citrate: 50 – 100 mg daily.
Vitamin D3: This one depends on your blood levels but 2000 IU is safe for most people but increase to 5000 IU during illness. You can take too much vitamin D3 so make sure you know what your blood levels are before taking high doses for prolonged periods. Have your levels checked annually and aim for 60 – 80 ng/ml.
Green tea: drink throughout the day when sick or healthy for immune boosting power
These are the supplements I have personally used for years with good results. Keep them on hand and you will find that if you do get sick, you will reduce symptoms and recover faster.
I learn a lot from my patients. They tend to be well-informed consumers that have made an effort to educate themselves on matters of health. They eat healthier, exercise more, and take more supplements than the general population. Because of their diligence, they have become a resource for me. I learn what has worked for them to improve their health, lose weight, and live a happier life. At times they also inspire me.
Those of you that know me are aware that I have had a 20 year career of competing in triathlons. The pinnacle of the sport is the iron man distance: 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, followed by a 26.2 mile marathon. I have tried twice to train for this race but each time my body has broken down under the strain of the training. As the injuries have mounted over the years, I had pretty much given up on this life long dream and had resigned my self to training for shorter races and staying in shape in other ways.
That was until a patient came to me who has overcome more injuries than I can imagine, yet continues to train and race with great passion for the sport, despite her pain and limitations.
She made me believe again and inspired me to give it one more go. I don’t know if my body will hold up, truth is I will likely have to walk the marathon portion. I’m OK with that. Life is about the journey, it is about the struggle to attain whatever greatness you aspire to, to living well. On November 3rd, 2012 I hope to obtain mine at Ironman Florida. I encourage you to find what greatness you will strive for in the coming year. I’ll keep you posted on mine.
Until next time, Stay Healthy and Live Well…
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