According to Dr. Juan Remos, a physician specialized in anti-aging and founder and director of the Wellness Institute of the Americas in Miami, “many of the problems affecting us, if not most of them, are a consequence of our own mistreatment: poor diet, sedentary life, and indifference towards fundamental principles, like the alignment of the body with the mind, good relationship with our partner, healthy sexual practice, DNA protection and protection against environmental toxins”.
Dr. Juan Remos (Alexia Fodere)
Fortunately, nowadays, we are giving more importance to vitality, healthy sexual energy, fresh and youthful appearance, good mood and a good immune system. These are probably the main reasons for the growing popularity of the anti-aging movement, which is promoting a radical change in medicine. This development (already a revolution), owes its impressive success to the number of products (Viagra, energy drinks, Botox, hyaluronic acid DNA therapy, etc.) available today in the market to “stop”, “palliate”, “delay” or even “reverse” (as many of them promise) the ravages caused by the passage of time. “Aging is irreversible and unavoidable, but feeling young and maintaining the health and strength of yesteryear is possible at any age,” says Dr. Remos.
On the other hand, he adds, the average life span has been extended considerably.It is difficult to think that what is now considered a “young” person (48 years), at the beginning of the 20th century not only would have been considered a real “geezer” if not already the limit of life. In those days, people would have been astonished to see us today running and riding a bike well past sixty years. This ‘longevity’ is indisputably one of the reasons for the momentum and prominence of this new branch of medicine known as Wellness, since as life is prolonged it becomes increasingly necessary for humans to maintain strength and vigor, and stay useful, active and pain-free.
“There is no point in living more if the quality of life is reduced,” says Dr. Remos. The oldest person in the world is the Japanese Misao Okawa, 115 years and 149 days old, and the person who set an officially registered record was Jeanne Calment who lived to be 122 years old. Born on February 1875, she lived until August 4, 1997. If they had known how to overcome the effects of time with today´s anti-aging treatments, they surely would have led a better life and enjoyed more their later years.
Dr. Juan Remos (Alexia Fodere)
Thanks to years of research, the new science of anti-aging – also known as Wellness – is helping prevent and, in some cases, eliminate many of the undesirable effects of age: decrease of vital energy, tiredness, symptoms of hormonal imbalance, sexual decline, headaches, loss of skin collagen, joint pains, loss of vision, depletion of the immune system and depression. While these are undoubtedly scientific discoveries available to regenerate the human body, giving us a unique advantage over past generations, according to Dr. Remos, some intangible factors remain to be achieved in order to enjoy the fullness of life.
“Anti-aging is a method that applies the principles of the old Roman philosophy, mens sana in corpore sano (healthy mind in a healthy body): to enjoy a full life, we have to reach a balance between body, mind, and soul.” If you care too much for your body but neglect intellectual growth, you will not learn how to manage emotions or anxiety; you will not evolve spiritually and will be unable to achieve balance. “Physical age is not a limitation”, says Dr. Remos, who also stresses that wellness has to come from within. “As President John F. Kennedy used to say: “Add life to your years, not years to your life”.
Dr. Juan Remos (Alexia Fodere)
“In our Institute, we set health goals and help our patients achieve them”, he explains. “The program starts with detoxing from all the garbage that enters the body daily and continues with genetic protection through the process of methylation (a chemical reaction that neutralizes harmful agents) and inflammation control. Later, we create a protocol for anti-oxidation through vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; we modify the diet of patients who need to make a change (and most do), develop a physical activity program, teach stress management, encourage spiritual growth and manage the brain’s chemistry through chemical analysis and mood modulators called neurotransmitters,” he explains. In his view, wellness is not only a human right but also a duty: “the maintenance of health implies a respect for the body”.
Dr. Juan Remos (Alexia Fodere)
Just in the United States, poor nutrition contributes to between 310,000 and 580,000 deaths per year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This figure is 13 times greater than deaths by firearms and twenty times higher than those produced by drugs in this country.
The following list of the 15 leading causes of death in the US, provided by HHS contains the diseases for which poor nutrition, inactivity, and stress are key factors: heart disease, cancer, vascular brain accidents, diabetes, liver diseases/cirrhosis and blood pressure.
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THE 15 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH IN THE US |
| HEART DISEASE 709,894 |
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| CANCER 551,833 |
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| VASCULAR BRAIN ACCIDENT 166,028 |
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| CHRONIC PULMONARY OBSTRUCTIVE DISEASE 123,550 |
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| ACCIDENTS 93,592 |
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| DIABETES 68,662 |
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| PNEUMONIA AND INFLUENZA 67,024 |
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| ALZHEIMER 49,044 |
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| NEPHRITIS 37,672 |
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| SEPTICEMIA 31,613 |
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| SUICIDE 28,332 |
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| DISEASES OF THE LIVER / CIRRHOSIS 26,219 |
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| BLOOD PRESSURE 17,964 |
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| PNEUMONITIS 16,659 |
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| HOMICIDE 16,137 |
“The true bubonic plague of our society is stress,” says Remos. If we want to fight against it, it is essential that we learn to manage environmental stimuli and create pauses in our lives, incorporating personal protocols and keeping them. For this cutting-edge physician, nothing is more important in life than good health, as well as a body that harmonizes with soul and spirit to support that lifestyle. He has devoted his own life to reach that goal for himself, and for all those around him. ■
