Age related muscle loss, known as “sarcopenia”, affects 25 percent of the U.S. population over age 65. Sarcopenia cannot be detected by calculating BMI (Body Mass Index—a ratio of height and weight) or looking at a person. A person can appear obese or look very slim and still have muscle loss. The research shows that whether one is under or overweight, too little muscle decreases quality of life and increases the risk for chronic diseases. The ultimate loss with sarcopenia is the loss of functional independence and the tendency toward physical disability. Although sarcopenia is common, it is a very reversible and preventable condition.

What can you do to prevent muscle loss or re-gain muscle that has already been lost:

1. Move: The old saying is true, USE OR LOSE IT! If you want to maintain muscle you must use it. All types of exercise work. If you are home bound or a TV aficionado, lifting soup cans with your arms does the trick. If you can walk or do water aerobics that would work also. The biggest thing is to find something you can do, enjoy doing and do it.

2. Eat Protein: It is harder for the body to make protein from scratch than to use it from food. Ensure you are getting appropriate amounts of protein each day to make/maintain muscle. Protein foods include animal products (beef, chicken, turkey, seafood, fish, eggs, and dairy) and vegetable sources (legumes, nuts, and seeds)

3. Digest Protein: Once chewed, protein must be digested to do any good. Digestion begins with stomach acid. By the time we turn 65 our stomach acid production has decreased 75 percent. By adding lemon/lime juice or vinegar to meals we can help increase the acidity of the stomach and digest proteins better.

Consider Essential Meal: If fat loss is important, your appetite is low, or there is a meal you tend to forget to eat on a regular basis, Essential Meal is a great solution to ensure adequate protein intake to prevent muscle loss.

Maintaining muscle mass as time goes by is one of the most important things a person can do to ensure healthy aging. Here are a few fun facts about muscle health!

• If muscles are not used regularly, the gradual loss of muscle mass begins in the third decade of life.
• It has been estimated that muscle mass decreases 35 percent to 40 percent between 20 and 80 years of age unless active measures are taken to prevent this.
• Factors that accelerate muscle loss include stress, lack of exercise, smoking, insufficient protein intake, blood sugar imbalance, and excessive intake of alcohol.
• A diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables has been found to help prevent muscle damage and loss of muscle mass.
• A minimum of 30 minutes of resistance weight training three times per week is recommended to help prevent muscle loss associated with aging.
• Whey protein is one of the most absorbable forms of protein available and contains amino acids that directly nourish muscle tissue. A serving of whey protein taken in the morning has been found to be especially helpful in promoting muscle health and maintenance through the day.

Anti-aging is a buzz word in holistic communities. How do we turn another calendar year older and have our bodies act, feel—and most importantly—look like we are in our 20’s or 30’s? But do we really want to re-live our 20’s and 30’s or are we just trying to avoid the negative images of aging?

We never want to end up with:

• Wrinkles
• Low energy
• Frailness
• A chronic disease (i.e. heart disease or diabetes)
• Memory problems such as dementia or Alzheimer’s

There are many ways to decrease the risks negative symptoms of aging and one of them happens to be by using Coenzyme Q10. The main function of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is as an antioxidant in making energy (specifically in the form of ATP, the energy molecule) in the body. If we imagine that ATP is gasoline that the body makes for energy, the role of CoQ10 will become clear. To make gasoline with CoQ10 our body spends 2 gallons of gas to produce 38 gallons. Without CoQ10 our body spends the same 2 gallons of gas but only makes 8 gallons. The added energy provided by CoQ10 allows each individual cell to do their job better, but it also helps energize the body as a whole. A little extra energy goes a long way when we are trying to accomplish a multitude of things or just trying to survive the day.

Much of the CoQ10 is made and used by the muscles. It helps keep them alive and working. When our muscles have energy they can exercise more effectively and stay stronger as we age. Many studies have noted that those who maintain lean muscle mass as they age resist the negative side effects of aging particularly frailty, falling, and poorly working heart muscles.

As an antioxidant CoQ10 is a great tool to protect against skin damage and correct damage if it has already occurred. Skin damage is an important risk factor in increased wrinkles. Oral use of CoQ10 has the benefit of being available to your skin on an as-needed basis. Topical CoQ10 products must be reapplied several times a day, like sunscreen. Those who eat an antioxidant-rich diet and take antioxidant supplements have less damage seen on their skin even if sun exposure is more than optimal.

Last but certainly not least, CoQ10 protects against neurological damage caused by oxidative stress (what antioxidants protect against) including where the energy of the cells has been produced without CoQ10. Following our gasoline example above, this means that brain cells had to live too long on 8 gallons of gas instead of 38 gallons. Can you imagine running on low gas for years? Maybe it’s time to be able to fill up the tank again!

Since the weight management webinar earlier this month, I’ve been taking care to follow my own advice (shocking idea, I know!) and make sure I get enough protein.  Truthfully, it hasn’t been easy as I spend much of the day chasing my 10-month old son who has a fascination for all things hazardous around the house and it’s easy to forget to feed myself regularly.  So, after committing to eat enough protein, I dug my bottle of Marilyn Farms Protein Power out of the cabinet and at least once (sometimes twice if I need it) per day have started drinking a scoop or two mixed into a glass of diluted pomegranate to help boost my protein intake.  In researching whey protein I came across some interesting benefits, which I wanted to share with you.  Enjoy!

• Whey protein contains a type of amino acid called “branched chain amino acids” that specifically build and repair muscle tissue, which makes it especially beneficial after a workout.
• The amino acids in whey are required to help the body generate glutathione, which is one of the most (if not the most) potent and important antioxidants in the body.
• Since it is from an animal source, whey contains important immune compounds that boost our immune function.
• Whey protein contains many of the same compounds found in human breast milk, which is why it is commonly used in infant formula.  This makes it an excellent protein supplement for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers who aren’t getting enough protein in their regular diet.

Whey protein is one of the richest sources of leucine, an essential (meaning the body can’t make it) amino acid that has been linked to improving body composition by helping the body to increase muscle levels and burn body fat.

In three short weeks, I will be teaching a webinar (online seminar for you non-webbies) on blood sugar. This subject is so huge that I could probably teach on it for eight hours straight. When I realize that I only have an hour of your attention I get into editing and prioritizing mode.

When most of us think of blood sugar, we think of diseases – like diabetes since it can be a life and death issue for a person dealing with the illness. But there is so much more to blood sugar than that! It is a topic that applies to every single one of us living in today’s world of processed foods and readily available junk who need to learn how to make choices that keep our bodies balanced.

Many health practitioners believe that erratic blood sugar is the cause of accelerated aging and disease. I know for a fact that the fatigue so many of us deal with daily (though it has been good business for coffee shops) has a lot to do with a lack of blood sugar control. Uncontrolled blood sugar is also a major impediment to maintaining a healthy weight and preserving muscle mass.

Needless to say, it will be an hour jam-packed with information, along with my super funny and sometimes lame jokes. There is nothing stranger than the feeling of telling a biochemistry joke (yes, the best jokes of all!) while staring at my computer and knowing that 50+ people are on the other end of that computer and I can’t tell if they’re laughing or crying. Oh well, I just hope I don’t talk too fast. Click here to register for the excitement, or go to marilynfarms.com and click on the promo piece next to the specials.

If any of you out there have ideas for future blogs or webinars, please share by adding a comment below!