This is a “sponsored post.” ChromaDex compensated FOF with an advertising sponsorship to write it. Regardless, we only recommend products or services that we believe will be helpful for our readers. All insights and expressed opinions are our own. —Geri Brin

A high powered lawyer at a prestigious firm, my 56-year-old friend Wanda doesn’t feel fully awake until she’s had her first cup of coffee in the morning. She also swears she’d never make it through a long night at the office without guzzling at least one giant mugful.

Coffee might be her quick picker upper, but when Wanda started relying on it throughout the day to give her energy, she realized she wasn’t doing her body any favors. Instead, she felt irritable and anxious, and many nights she couldn’t get to sleep. 

Interestingly, of the 80 percent of adults in the United States who consume caffeine, those between 50-and 64-years old consume the most, according to The Food and Drug Administration. Wanda has plenty of company! 

An overdose of caffeine – think about those sugar-packed drinks in every supermarket across the country –  is no one’s idea of healthy energy. It may get you going in the short term, but have enough of it over the long haul, and it can take its toll on your heartbeat, ability to sleep and nervous system. That’s exactly what Wanda was experiencing. 

Sure, it’s convenient to get a quick shot of energy from a can or a mug when you’re exhausted.  But, it’s far wiser to support your own natural energy levels by incorporating these 10 common sense practices into your daily lifestyle. That way, your body can store energy to call on when you most need it, let’s say during a late night at work or an afternoon at the playground with your toddler grandson.

Chronic stress – from a high-pressure job or financial problems, for instance – can cause many types of physical and emotional symptoms, such as tiredness to lack of energy and focus. Determine a way to help reduce your stress, whether it’s seeing a therapist or taking up meditation.

Taking on too much, professionally or personally, can sap your energy. Surely, not every single thing on your “must-do” list has to get done soon, or ever, for that matter. Streamline the list asap! 

Relaxing can provide physical and emotional benefits, such as relieving depression and lowering your heart rate. Laziness is another story. Don’t use energy for days or weeks on end and you’ll actually become more and more fatigued, not to mention raise your health risks. Even if you exercise lightly three days a week for 20 minutes each time, you’ll feel more energized after six weeks, according to a University of Georgia study. Regular exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues, boosts strength and endurance, and helps your cardiovascular system to run more efficiently. You’ll probably sleep better, too!  

We guess you really don’t need another reason to stop smoking, but here it is, anyway: Smoking actually saps your energy by making it harder to sleep. The nicotine in tobacco speeds your heart rate, raises your blood pressure, and stimulates brain-wave activity associated with wakefulness. When you stop smoking, you sleep better and energy returns (provided, of course, you’re not mistreating your body in six other ways). 

While it’s ideal to sleep seven to eight hours a night, sleeping soundly for four hours is far better than tossing and turning for eight. Sleep deprivation has been associated with obesity and related health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes. It can lower your energy level by making you feel fatigued during the day. And, it can impact your immune system, raising your susceptibility to colds and flus and lowering your energy levels for days at a time, according to www.sleepfoundation.org.  

Quality sleep lets your body restore many functions it needs to stay healthy, such as temperature regulation, a strong immune system, steady hormone levels, and good appetite. All of these processes play a role in your energy level. 

Even if your weight is ideal and you exercise regularly, it’s smarter to consume small meals and snacks every few hours than three big meals every day. This gives your brain a steady supply of nutrients and can lower your perception of fatigue, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Foods with a low glycemic index (their sugars are absorbed slowly) may help you avoid the lag in energy that usually occurs after eating quickly absorbed sugars or refined starches. These foods include whole grains, high-fiber vegetables, nuts, and healthy oils such as olive oil. High-carb foods have the highest glycemic indexes. Proteins and fats have glycemic indexes that are almost zero.

As we said at the start, caffeine does help increase alertness, but you must drink it judiciously to get its energizing effects. 

No denying that a glass of velvety red wine or a super dry vodka martini can make you chill. But avoid drinking at lunch, when the sedative effect is especially strong. And, if you want or need to have energy in the evening, cut out the 5 pm cocktail. Of course, we don’t have to tell you to drink in moderation, do we?

Water is the only nutrient that has been shown to enhance performance for all but the most demanding endurance activities. So, unless you’re training for a triathlon, drink it. Not everyone needs eight glasses of water a day, but everyone absolutely needs it for a trillion reasons, including energy. Feeling fatigued is one of the first signs that you’re dehydrated. 

We know, just the thought of sitting in chemistry class again gives you hives. Don’t worry, you don’t have to do that. But please read these few paragraphs about how our bodies make energy, why our energy production naturally ebbs as we age, and a simple thing we can do to help reverse that process.

Dr. Charles Brenner, a Stanford-educated PhD (you’ve got to be impressed with that credential!), has uncovered the pathway between a molecule called nicotinamide riboside (NR), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), which he argues is the single most important molecule in every single cell of our bodies. 

“We all absolutely need NAD,” Dr. Brenner said emphatically. It performs a number of critical functions, such as enabling our cells to convert the fats, proteins and carbohydrates we eat into the energy we need to help us stay in top shape. It also activates sirtuin genes, which regulate cellular aging and the chemical and biological processes that help us maintain healthy and fit lives,  Dr. Brenner reported. 

NR is a form of vitamin B3 that helps our cells to produce NAD. Unfortunately, our levels of NAD substantially decline as our bodies slow down with age. 

Aging is the biggest risk factor for many of the diseases that kill us. Doing cardio and weight-bearing exercises all week, consuming a diet of nutritious whole foods, getting adequate sleep, and staying away from smoking and drinking are all important. “But cells damaged by the inevitable stresses of life, such as aging, look for ways to replenish their NAD, which helps keep them running smoothly,” Dr. Brenner explained.  

An NR supplement actually can reduce the effects of aging on our cells, starting with decreased energy production.

Dr. Brenner is the Chief Scientific Advisor behind TRU NIAGEN^®, the only NR supplement directly from ChromaDex, the worldwide patent-holder and innovator behind it. When you take TRU NIAGEN, you’re getting the real benefits of Dr. Brenner’s important discovery, without the side effects of some other supplements.

I’ve been taking TRU NIAGEN^® for about three years. I  feel really good, and while I’ve lost some hair as I’ve aged, I  haven’t lost my signature energy. While many claims in the booming nutritional supplement market seem downright absurd, I am living proof that it’s smart to take TRU NIAGEN^® since it supports my desire to age the best I can!

to age the best you can with Tru Niagen®

This is a “sponsored post.” Percepta compensated FOF with an advertising sponsorship to write it. Regardless, we only recommend products or services that we believe will be helpful for our readers. All insights and expressed opinions are our own. —Geri Brin

I look hipper when my brilliant stylist turns my aging hair from grey to red, and rejuvenated when my dedicated dermatologist treats my aging skin. Now an exciting new supplement is helping me fight my aging brain. After taking two Percepta capsules every morning for one month, I absolutely know my mind is clearer and sharper. I’m back to remembering dates without looking at my calendar, recalling phone numbers without writing them down, and can actually point out each of the 50 states on an outline map. 

I realize that you might disdain my firm decision not to “age gracefully,” at least physically. But, please consider my advice to try Percepta for at least one month if you have even the slightest concern about future memory loss. Because there’s nothing graceful about losing your mind. Although this article may not be the breeziest you’ll read all week, it explains what makes this supplement a game-changer in the study of aging. And why taking it should be a “no brainer.” 

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Simply put, Percepta is a natural plant-based supplement that’s more powerful than any other for targeting out-of-control brain “plaques” and “tangles,” the real reasons we lose memory as we age.  Losing my mind petrifies me!

“We’re all walking around with a bunch of plaques and tangles in our brains, starting in our early to mid-20s,” said Dr. Alan Snow, one of the two neuroscientists behind the new supplement. “We now know they’re there, but no one knows with certainty why they accumulate and cause memory loss in people as they age.”

THE MEMORY LOSS TRILOGY

Harmful protein fragments that settle between nerve cells in the brain, plaques are destroyed by the immune system in a healthy brain. In some people, however, the immune system actually produces more harmful plaques and neuroinflammation, and kills healthy brain cells. This prevents our nerve cells from talking to each other and prevents us from forming coherent thoughts or sharp memories.  Twisted fibers that live inside the cells, tangles normally support essential structures that carry nutrients and other important substances from one part of the nerve cell to another. In brain aging, this  protein may be abnormal, the structures collapse and the cells die.

Newer research has also uncovered the link between neuroinflammation and memory loss, “although we don’t know the cause of the inflammation,” Dr. Snow added. “We think some people might have problems with brain inflammation later in life. Others can live to be 100 years old and have brains filled with plaques and tangles, but their memories stay basically intact.  They don’t have inflammation in the brain.” Dr Snow calls the combination of plaques, tangles and inflammation “the memory loss trilogy.”

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THE POWER OF CAT’S CLAW ON THE AGING BRAIN 

Percepta is made with PTI-00703® cat’s claw, a natural plant extract from a wild, woody vine located at a high elevation in the Amazon rainforest. “I’ve been working in the drug development field for brain aging for over 30 years and have never seen a more potent inhibitor of plaques, tangles and inflammation than the cat’s claw that we discovered,” Dr. Snow said confidently. 

Dr. Snow tested this exceptional cat’s claw on mice that had been genetically engineered to grow plaques in their brains as they aged. A major ingredient, newly discovered by the Snow research team, decreased plaques in older mice by 52 to 58% and in younger mice by 74 to 83% over a three-month period. The reduction of brain plaques also led to a 58% improvement in short-term memory, almost back to normal.

THE PERCEPTA DISTINCTION 

The Inca civilization actually used cat’s claw for medicinal purposes. Today, dozens of brands market cat’s claw capsules, liquids and powders for everything from fighting viral infections to stimulating the immune system. But the Percepta® cat’s claw, and the exclusive process to extract and concentrate it into a powder, are superior to any other, asserted Dr. Snow, who tested brands from 18 different companies worldwide. A second ingredient in Percepta is MemorTeaTM, a specific oolong tea extract from the mountains of China that acts more potently on plaques than black and green tea. 

Percepta holds 50 global patents that cover cat’s claw for brain health, including cognition, short term memory, focus, concentration and executive function. 

“Exercising, sleeping well, and reducing stress have everything to do with helping to clear out the plaque load that accumulates in your brain so it will function better. One-third of memory loss cases can be prevented by lifestyle changes,” Dr. Snow stressed.  And make sure to add Percepta to your smart schedule. Each two-capsule dose works for about 24 hours, which is how long it takes for plaques to turn over in our brain. “Most people see an increase in memory, focus and/or concentration within a few weeks,” Dr. Snow said.  “One woman with brain tangles from multiple concussions had memories she hasn’t had in 13 years after she started taking Percepta.”

and use code FOF10 (all caps) for 10% off one pack of Percepta for your optimal brain health!

This is a sponsored post. Salix Pharmaceuticals compensated FabOverFifty with an advertising sponsorship to write it. Regardless, we only recommend products or services that we believe will be informative for our readers. —Geri Brin

Her illness first erupted with stomach cramps and pains that would last for weeks at a time. Debilitating, uncontrollable diarrhea followed. Dawn Cobb was 44 and married with three young children. She had always been healthy.

She had colonoscopies, CAT scans, lactose testing, and stool tests, but everything checked out okay. Diets to still the diarrhea didn’t help either. Dawn stopped eating nuts when the doctor thought she might have diverticulosis. She didn’t!  

Dawn’s life was in turmoil. The cramps and pain were bad enough, but never knowing when she’d have a surprise attack of diarrhea, Dawn stopped taking long walks with her friends and other activities that would prevent her from quickly getting to a bathroom. There was no pattern to her symptoms. Periodically, she’d even feel totally fine.

“I owned a retail shop at the time and I literally would bring changes of clothes or have to run home in the middle of the day,” Dawn said. “If I was going out to play tennis, I had to be really careful about what I ate that morning. I could just be sitting at home after having a cup of coffee and ruin my couch cover. I never knew what was going to happen.”

Dawn lived like this for 11 years, trying vainly to find a solution. “You can’t sit back and just accept that this is going to be your way of life. Doctors think you’re stressed, that you want attention, but you can’t let them think that you’re crazy. You have to know this isn’t right. Your body should not be doing this,” Dawn said.

Finally diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), Dawn at least knew she wasn’t crazy. But even if she had a name for her disease, there wasn’t a solution that worked for her, so she continued enduring her horrific symptoms for another five years. She also suffered in silence, not telling anyone–including her family–about her illness. I barely shared details about my episodes with my doctor, and she was a woman,” Dawn said.

When symptoms got out of hand about two years ago, and Dawn “just couldn’t take it anymore,” her doctor discussed different treatment options, one of which was surgical intervention. Seeming drastic to her, Dawn went to another gastrointestinal (GI) doctor for a second opinion. That’s when she learned about XIFAXAN® (rifaximin), a two-week treatment that received FDA approval in 2015 specifically to treat IBS-D in adults. Dawn told her long-time doctor about it, who agreed to write a prescription. Patients can be retreated up to two times if symptoms come back.

“XIFAXAN ultimately worked for me,” said Dawn, now 62 years old. Dawn responded to her initial course of treatment, but did experience recurring symptoms. She was retreated, and she hasn’t needed to go back to her GI doctor since. “My doctor had mentioned I may have side effects like nausea but I had no nausea at all. I have been able to do things like walk four miles, not petrified that I’ll make it back without an incident. I no longer walk onto a plane afraid of what’s going to happen if the bathroom is occupied,” Dawn explained. “I tell everyone about XIFAXAN. I want other women who suffer with the same symptoms I had, but don’t talk about them, to find out about it. This is my experience with XIFAXAN. If you’re experiencing IBS-D symptoms, talk to your doctor to see if XIFAXAN is right for you.”

To learn more about IBS-D and how XIFAXAN treats it, we spoke to Dr. Caterina Oneto, a gastroenterologist in New York City.^∗ 

^∗Dr. Oneto is not giving medical advice. Patients should talk to their healthcare professionals about what is right for them.

FABOVERFIFTY:   WHAT CAUSES IBS-D?

DR. ONETO:  “IBS-D is a complex and heterogeneous disease, and we don’t have a complete understanding of its cause or causes. Several factors seem to contribute to it, including an imbalance of the gut microbiota, visceral hypersensitivity (abnormal pain within the inner organs), motility abnormalities (uncommon intestinal contractions), psychosocial stressors  (the mental, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions of what it means to be healthy), and environmental factors.”

WHO IS MOST AFFECTED BY IBS-D?

“IBS affects about 10 percent of the population in the United States, and of those patients, about 60 percent have a diarrheal component.

“IBS is more common in women; in fact, 60 to 80 percent of participants in most IBS clinical trials are women, generally 25 to 50 years old. But you can get it when you’re older.”

BESIDES THE SYMPTOMS DAWN COBB EXHIBITED (E.G. STOMACH CRAMPS AND PAINS THAT WOULD LAST FOR WEEKS AT A TIME AND DEBILITATING, UNCONTROLLABLE DIARRHEA), ARE THERE OTHER SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH IBS-D?

IBS-D symptoms can vary widely from one person to the next. However, the two most common are abdominal pain and diarrhea, which is what Dawn experienced. Having frequent and unpredictable diarrhea can be quite disruptive to a person’s personal and professional life and sometimes patients even avoid leaving their homes because they’re afraid to have ‘accidents.'”

WHY DID IT TAKE 18 YEARS FOR DAWN COBB TO GET AN OFFICIAL DIAGNOSIS?

“Sometimes patients don’t seek medical attention for their IBS symptoms. If they’re suffering from diarrhea and abdominal pain they may try to restrict their diet or use over-the-counter drugs. Or, they may accept their symptoms and tell themselves they just have a ‘sensitive stomach’. Patients who seek medical attention for their symptoms may just get antidiarrheals or antispasmodics, but a formal diagnosis will not necessarily be made.”

HOW IS AN IBS-D DIAGNOSIS MADE?

“The diagnosis of IBS-D, in most cases, can be made by taking a good history and performing a physical exam. When evaluating a patient with diarrhea and abdominal pain, it’s important to ask the right questions to determine if other symptoms are present, such as weight loss, rectal bleeding, anemia, and a family history of gastrointestinal cancers, IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) or celiac disease.  These symptoms should make the clinician question the diagnosis of IBS and consider further evaluation that may include lab tests, imaging (like an ultrasound or CT scan) and possibly a colonoscopy and/or endoscopy.”

WHAT IS XIFAXAN AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

“Approved for the treatment of IBS-D in 2015, XIFAXAN is an antibiotic that works on the gut microbiome, a possible factor in IBS-D. Unlike other antibiotics prescribed to combat issues such as sore throats, sinus and urinary infections, XIFAXAN is minimally absorbed into the bloodstream, but stays within the GI tract to inhibit the growth of bacteria. This makes it a well-tolerated medication with a side effect profile similar to placebo. In clinical studies, the most common side effects associated with XIFAXAN for IBS-D were nausea and increase in liver enzymes.”

WHAT IS THE COURSE OF TREATMENT AND SUCCESS RATE?

“XIFAXAN is taken by mouth, three times a day, for 14 days. In clinical trials, some patients achieved lasting relief up to six months (relief ranged from 6-24 weeks; average of 10 weeks) after only one course of therapy.

“Those patients whose symptoms return can be retreated up to two additional times. Many patients appreciate XIFAXAN because it lets them control their IBS-D symptoms without taking daily long-term medications.”