A good question I am frequently asked by my patients is "at what age should I start focusing on preventative health measures including diet, lifestyle and aesthetics?"
The answer is now!
In your early 20s your body starts the aging process which, for most people, manifests itself by your late 20s/early 30s.
Focusing on your personal health and wellness from both the inside and outside at a young age will allow you to prevent disease onset, connect deeper with your body and age more gracefully.
In my quest to find health and wellness in myself and to be able to fulfill my desire to bring about health and wellness to my patients I found that I had to change my approach to the healthcare system and approach my patients from the perspective that the younger you start the better your chances of preventing chronic illnesses that are plaguing North American society such as diabetes type 2, hypertension etc.
I have been able to create a practice of medicine where I combine the art of Aesthetic Medicine and the universality of Integrative Medicine to allow my patients to be able to live as optimally as they choose.
Traditional medicine has taught us to approach healthcare professionals such as your doctor once your body has been affected by disease or illness - but observations and understandings of the human mind and body shows evidence that focusing on health, wellness and disease prevention is the most optimal way to live your life.
Shifting the gears of my practice in medicine has allowed me to explore the more holistic approaches to healthcare and I have found that patients are overall more fulfilled and excited to be able to gain more energy, vitality and understanding of their bodies.
Merging wellness and aesthetics together allows my patients to live the best possible way and as any other biohacking treatment, Integrative Aesthetic Medicine, allows us to age more gracefully by using technology and science to manipulate and prepare our bodies to adapt to our rapidly changing environments such as aging, pollution, genetics and stress.
The key to a better health is to start young, be actively involved in your own health and wellness and be constantly aware of the newest science and technology that helps us live in the most optimal fashion.
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Here are 6 simple ways to start the new year with intentions of health and wellness at any age!
1. Stop and breathe - breathing and being able to find stillness in our minds and bodies despite our busy world allows us to decrease stress in our bodies - stress leads to inflammation and inflammation leads to disease. Meditation and breath work have been shown to help control active diseases and help prevent
2. Stimulate collagen - we start losing collagen production in our early 20's - collagen is an important part of the health and architecture of the skin - stimulating your immune system both by external manipulation and healthy eating will ensure that your biggest organ remains in tact for as long as possible - regularly getting procedures such as micro-needling, radio-frequency or my personal favorite: radio-frequency with micro-needling will ensure more collagen stimulation
3. Start yourself on magnesium supplementation - if there is 1 supplement that most people should be on to notice the biggest change in the shortest period of time then magnesium is the one. We are all deficient in magnesium and supplementing can help with so many states of imbalance in the body including poor sleep, anxiety, bowel function and more.
Not all magnesiums are created equal with some having better absorption than others: consult with your integrative medicine practitioner before adding new supplements to your daily routine
4. Focus on a more plant based diet that incorporates more whole foods and less processed altered foods - Science and the obesity epidemic worldwide has shown us that eating a more plant based diet is the most optimal way to live - sometimes making radical changes can be more difficult than imagined so I suggest starting with 1 meatless day per week and gradually build up a foundation of plant based.
5. Optimization of nutrition including a visit to your integrative medicine practitioner where you can work together with a provider to achieve your health goals and possibly even learn ways to optimize that you didn't.
6. A little neurotoxin (such as Botox or Dysport) goes a long way - neurotoxins help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, underarm sweat but studies are now underway that show that it may help in conditions such as depression and anxiety
And remember - it's important to engage in dialogue with your provider to see how you can make positive changes in your life to ensure better health and vitality!

WRITTEN BY

Dr. Rahi Sarbaziha