— Mel Brooks as the 2,000-Year-Old Man
We live in utterly fantastic times. Groundbreaking advances in longevity research are giving us the opportunity to add several healthy decades to our lives. And genetic engineers are poised on the brink of breakthroughs that could open the door to human life spans lasting several centuries.
As science moves ever closer to unlocking the secrets of immortality, there is much that we can do now to take full advantage of our maximum life span—the 120 years that nature has allotted each of us. And that's what this book is about.
During my 25 years as a medical doctor practicing holistic medicine, I have come to develop a profound respect for the body's innate ability to heal itself. For this reason, I have intentionally shied away from the more toxic aspects of traditional medical practice, such as drugs and surgery, and instead focused on treatments that support the body's own healing mechanisms. My "prescriptions" to patients routinely feature dietary recommendations, nutritional supplements, acupuncture, herbs, homeopathic remedies, and other natural, complementary modalities.
This type of practice has been tremendously gratifying to me. But I've drawn even greater inspiration from the deepening realization that nature has provided each of us with a set of built-in mechanisms for continued good health far beyond the days of our youth. I call this Renewal.
Renewal is, literally, nature's gift to us. It is only through Renewal that we continue to exist. Renewal enables the body to constantly protect and repair itself so it can withstand the various kinds of damage—both avoidable and unavoidable—that it is subjected to on a day-to-day basis.
During our younger years, we are more than generously endowed with this Renew-ability. We may sleep too little, eat too much (or subsist on junk food), exercise sporadically, smoke and drink . . . and overall, we feel fine. The payback comes as we approach middle age: We find ourselves slowing down a bit, forgetting things, feeling more aches and pains, getting tired more easily.
Popular culture has drummed into our heads that once we turn 40, it's all downhill. Perhaps we feel a sense of helpless panic as we watch our parents age, then notice our own gray hair and wrinkles. In time, we may be faced with the difficult task of caring for a loved one who has been diagnosed with heart disease or cancer or who has suffered a heart attack or stroke. We look around and realize that far too many people—three in four Americans, in fact—are dying from these debilitating health problems. And we begin to feel vulnerable.
Renewal effectively debunks all of the popular "myth-conceptions" about aging. Our later years need not be a time of prolonged suffering and decrepitude. We can grow old—a lot older than is commonly believed—and remain healthy and vital until the end. We do this through Renewal.
During our youth, we were more or less given a free ride. And thank goodness for that. Had our health depended primarily on our good judgment, we might not have survived for this long. Now we are older and hopefully wiser, and we are being offered the key to continued good health. Whether or not we use the key is for each of us to decide. It does require some effort, some discipline, some changes in lifestyle. But the rewards are manifold, especially when you consider the alternative.
One of the unfortunate consequences of poor nutrition, exposure to toxins, lack of exercise, and emotional stress is that they cause our bodies to wear out prematurely—often decades too soon. They do this by undermining Renewal. We must give our built-in Renewal systems the support they require. As long as we do our job, they'll do theirs, working hard to keep us going strong for a good long time.
The Renewal Anti-Aging Program, which I outline in the pages that follow, can benefit people of all ages. It is based on Renewal Theory, a revolutionary new view of the aging process. Rather than reluctantly accepting the inevitable decline of our bodies, we can welcome the opportunity to participate in their ongoing regeneration.
I've developed the Anti-Aging Program based on extensive analysis of the available longevity research as well as my years of experience as a practicing physician. I follow the program, as do my family and a number of my patients. All of us have been quite pleased with the results. We feel healthier and more alive than ever, and we're on track for achieving maximum life span.
The Anti-Aging Program does recommend some rather strict changes in diet and lifestyle. To make them as easy as possible, I've tried to give you lots of options and choices. Still, if you ever feel overwhelmed or discouraged, remind yourself of these two things: First, meaningful change comes slowly because it must be woven into the fabric of your life. Second—and you'll be seeing this message throughout the book—the extent to which you follow the Renewal program determines the extent to which you'll benefit from it.
So when should you start the Anti-Aging Program? Right now. The sooner you begin, the better the results. And never think that you're too old for this sort of thing. Positive changes can produce positive results at any age.
Think of this book as your body's preventive maintenance manual, with specific instructions on what you can do to support your internal Renewal systems and stretch your life span. By putting these instructions to practical use, you can prevent your body from wearing out prematurely or succumbing to the ravages of degenerative disease. And you can guarantee your survival to a truly ripe old age.
If you are in average health now, there is no reason why you can't achieve maximum life span. I sincerely hope that as you read through the following pages, you will become convinced—as I have—that aging is not synonymous with disease and degeneration. May you embrace every one of your years as a time of renewed vitality, enduring well-being, and ongoing discovery.
October 1998