Vibrance for Life: How to Live Younger and Healthier
Lorraine Maita MD
Editor: Jodi Brandon
Cover designer: Jodi Topitz
Typesetter: TK
Published in eBook format by Vibrance for Life
Converted by http://www.eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-0-9833-1481-3
Copyright © 2011 Lorraine Maita, MD. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying, without written permission of the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission from the publisher.
Lorraine Maita, MD
51 JFK Parkway, First Floor West
Short Hills, NJ 07078
Limits of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty
The author and publisher shall not be liable for your misuse of this material. This book is strictly for informational and educational purposes.
Warning – Disclaimer
The purpose of this book is to educate and entertain. The author and/or publisher do not guarantee that anyone following these techniques, suggestions, tips, ideas, or strategies will become successful. The author and/or publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to anyone with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. Unless otherwise noted, tables were created by the author after consulting with many OTC multivitamins, the RDA, and studies, as well as nutraceutical-grade multivitamins and books listed in the References.
The publisher and author are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any of the suggestions, preparations, or procedures discussed in this book. The information and advice contained in this book are based upon the research and the personal and professional experience of the author. They are not intended as a substitute for consulting with a healthcare professional. All matters pertaining to your physical health should be supervised by a healthcare professional. It is a sign of wisdom, not cowardice, to seek a second or third opinion.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my patients, mentors, and mother, who taught me a great deal and made me a better doctor. Without them, none of this would be possible, and I am grateful for their support.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my editor, Jodi Brandon, for her insights, dedication and attention to detail; and Jodi Topitz, my cover designer, for bringing an eye-catching life and vibrance to the cover.
I would also like to thank Pam Smith, MD, and my colleagues at the American Academy of Anti Aging and Regenerative Medicine, and Gregory Petersburg, DO, founder of the Living Younger program, for their support, knowledge and expertise, and for making me a believer in the power of anti-aging medicine.
Preface
This book answers some of the questions that my patients ask most frequently. They become motivated when they know why they are doing something, since preventive medicine can sometimes take time before a difference is noticeable. The differences can be subtle and become apparent when comparing the initial complaints with present complaints.
Many books go into great depths on only one aspect of health. I could write a book about every chapter. However, harnessing the synergistic power of a comprehensive approach incorporating diet, exercise, supplements and hormones, and stress management has far greater effects, which is why I prefer to give you some simple steps to take where you will get the greatest impact. This is meant to be a quick and easy guide to get started. It’s the Cliff’s Notes version. What I hope to achieve is to simplify complex metabolic processes and empower readers to get motivated to change. You can improve wherever you are at any age, and doing so does not require a lot of time, cost, or equipment. Sometimes a small change can make a big difference.
While there is no substitute for a detailed, customized approach using innovative genetic and metabolic tests to tailor treatment to an individual’s unique metabolism, these simple measures can dramatically change your life and your health.
It is my greatest hope to help you achieve your health goals, live a vibrant, full life, and experience all of life’s joys.
Introduction
Did you wake up one day, stiff, sore, tired, and forgetful, and wonder what happened to you? Or perhaps, the figure you look at in the mirror is fuller and rounder in certain spots, your skin has lost that youthful glow, and there is something not right. Your libido or energy may be low, or you may have a vague, listless feeling that you have lost something. Where did I put those keys? What was so and so’s name — you know, from where you used to work? What happened to my memory? Could it be Alzheimer’s? And why don’t I have the strength to lift those boxes anymore? There must be something wrong.
You go to the doctor and have some tests run, and you are told that you are just getting old! No, not those words, not me! I don’t want to be old, lose my mobility, my memory, or my vision or other senses. You go through all of the stages: anger, denial, bargaining — yet you feel that somewhere somehow there must be a better way. The bad news is that we are all aging from the moment you are born, and nothing short of death will stop that process.
Take a deep breath. The good news is that you can modulate the process. Aging doesn’t have to be a rapid nosedive into a wheelchair and having a hearing aid, dentures, and poor sight. We are living much longer than previous generations and are determined to make those years count and have the quality of life be a life worth living. We not only want to survive, we want to thrive.
There is so much to think about, and there are so many choices. The air is polluted and we can be prone to allergies. Our food and water are contaminated. Snake oil salesmen play to our fears, promising quick fixes and the fountain of youth or a magic bullet. There is a plethora of supplements and health aids, and it is difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. It can seem so overwhelming.
Even as a medical professional who has dedicated my career to health and healing and preventive medicine, the information overload of products, tests, medications, and programs is daunting. Sorting through to find what is scientifically valid and appropriate for someone can be difficult.
I worked in an emergency room and in hospitals in New York City, and I thought I saw it all. People came back over and over again with the same ailments. It was like the movie Groundhog Day. Even though I worked hard to treat and stabilize people, they would return again and again. I sometimes saw people suffer or die prematurely from something that could have been prevented, and I agonized over what I could do to make a difference.
A turning point for me was seeing a man with most of his fingers cut off and all of his toes cut off still smoking a cigarette. This was the very thing that caused the loss of his digits. It was sad and sobering that, even with the best medical