There are numerous vitamins, supplements, and micronutrients that are believed to be important to longevity and health.  More importantly, however, they are important in any caloric restriction diet to ensure that appropriate nuttition is provided to the body.  Your best bet if you wish to augment your anti aging diet with the above items is a supplement containing all the vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients that you need.  This is shown in the first row of the table below.  A number of supplements are shown below the Multi-Vitamin with Minerals.  The picture is hyperlinked to more information on the product.  The supplements related to hGH, DHEA, and Resveratrol are at the bottom of the table and are considered by many to extend lifespan.  However, the anti aging effects of hGH, DHEA, and Resveratrol are disputed by many others.  There are, additionally, many other supplements touted to be important to health, such as green tea extract, CoQ10,estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, melatonin, and pregnenolone, just to name a few.  Read carefully before you buy because that vast majority of claims are unsubstantiated. 

Vitamin, Supplement, or Micronutrient	Dietary Source	Function	Dietary Supplements
Multi-Vitamin with Minerals	Flexible daily servings for all ages – one bottle for the whole family!  Overall highest potency chewable multivitamin-mineral available.  All known vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.  Great taste from pure, natural fruit juices and non-hyper/hypoglycemic sweeteners.  High potency, highly absorbable chelated minerals.  High levels of calcium, magnesium and folic acid.  Vegetarian formula, free of yeast and other common food allergen.	Antixoidants, Vitamins, Minerals LEARN MORE
Vitamin A	animal food sources; Beta carotene, present in carrots, broccoli, and many other leafy vegetables, is converted to vitamin A during normal metabolic processes	vision and bone growth, protects muscle from free radical damage LEARN MORE
Vitamin B Complex	Except for vitamin B12, the B vitamins are generally found in whole, unprocessed foods.  B12 is present in meat products.	metabolism, skin tone, immune function, cell growth and division, prevents anemia. LEARN MORE
Vitamin C	rose hips, gooseberry, red pepper and citrus fruits. Linus Pauling, Nobel Prize winner, touted vitamin C as an anti cancer and longevity agent, but his studies were not statistically controlled	best known for its antioxidant properties LEARN MORE
Vitamin E	avacado, nuts and seeds, and green leafy vegetables	antioxidant, heart health, cancer prevention LEARN MORE
Vitamin K	green leafy vegetables, avocado, and kiwi.	blood coagulation, skin health LEARN MORE
Selenium	an essential micro-nutrient for animals, animal food products	cellular peroxidase function, antioxidant. LEARN MORE
DHEA	produced in humans, elevated by exercise and by caloric restriction; levels decrease as aging occurs; converts to testosterone in the body, so the 7-keto form is used in some dietary supplements	immune function; anti aging effects are disputed LEARN MORE
Resveratrol	red grapes, mulberries, and blueberries,	heart health; anti aging effects are disputed LEARN MORE
Omega 3	fish, flax, and meat	heart, brain, and nervous system health LEARN MORE
hGH	As we age human growth hormone (hGH) levels decrease.  GHR-15, human growth hormone releaser, is reported to positively impact overall health and reverse some signs of aging.  GHR-15 elevates hormone levels naturally by stimulating the pituitary gland to produce your own growth hormone and this may augment your anti aging diet.	Anabolic–builds lean muscle mass.  Anti aging effects are disputed LEARN MORE	Contains NO hGH; Stimulates your body to produce more of its own hGH

While there is increasing hype about anti aging diets today, many forget the important role that exercise plays in any diet, let alone an anti aging diet. Your diet puts fuel into your body; your exercise burns it in a focused and productive manner to yield a leaner, trimmer you. It is vital that each of us find an activity that fits us, and that we begin exercising today.  In other words, your weekly routine needs to include a healthy diet of exercise.

It is for the above reason that exercise is an additional factor to consider in any anti aging diet.  As a young man, I exercised for fun when I wanted to and was not all that serious about the effort.  As a middle-aged man, I exercise for health on a regular basis even when I don’t want to and am serious about the effort.  The difference between my younger and older perspectives is the wisdom that comes with age, the observation of the dehabilitating effects of age on my father (including diabetes, Parkinson’s, limited mobility, and dementia), and the sobriety that possessed me after his death at the age of 85.

If you do not exercise regularly, find an activity that suits you and commit yourself to do it. Take it easy, start simply, and consider activities that can be done in a group, such as walking, running, or Wii. Consider your overall level of health before you start and consult with your doctor as needed.  As you age, consider moving from higher impact activities to lower impact activities.  Focus on a few activities and become proficient in them; cross-train as needed.

Below are a number of potential activities that you can consider in your quest to holistically apply anti aging diet and exercise to your daily routine.  The "Related Products" column lists information, equipment, and supplies relevant to the activity in question.

Activity	Skill Level	Impact	Benefits	Cost	Related Products
Basketball	Low to Medium	High	Cardiovascular, Coordination	Medium
Bicycling	Low	Medium	Cardiovascular, Coordination	Medium
Bowling	Medium	Medium	Flexibility	Medium	Coming Soon
Canoeing	Low	Low	Upper body conditioning	Medium	Coming Soon
Exercise Machines	Low	Low to Medium	Flexibility, coordination	High	Coming Soon
Golf	Medium	Low	Flexibility, Coordination	High
Martial Arts	Medium to High	Medium	Conditioning, Concentration, Coordination	Medium	Coming Soon
Racketball	Medium	Medium to High	Cardiovascular, Coordination	Medium	Coming Soon
Running	Low	Low to High	Cardiovascular	Low
Soccer	Medium	High	Cardiovascular, Coordination	Medium	Coming Soon
Tai Chi	Low to Medium	Low	Balance, Concentration, Coordination	Low
Walking	Low	Low	Low Level Cardiovascular	Low
Weights	Low	Low	Conditioning	Medium	Coming Soon
Wii	Low to Medium	Low to Medium	Flexibility, Conditioning, Cardiovascular	Medium	Coming Soon
Yoga	Medium	Low	Flexibility, Concentration, Coordination	Medium

The older I grow the more I appreciate the value and edification of good relationships.  Relationships are an additional factor to augment your anti aging diet.  Good relationships have been shown to relieve stress and boost the immune system whereas isolation or bad relationships increase stress and decrease immune system effectiveness.  The writer of the Proverbs was correct when he stated:  "Two are better than one and a three-fold cord is not easily broken."  Everyone among us needs the support that relationships provide.  So be sure that each day you work to increase your diet of relationships.

Relationships are an important additional factor in any diet, let alone your anti aging diet.  Isolation can lead to depression and result in poor eating habits which can then worsen depression.  Proper rest, exercise, dietary supplements, stimulating relationships, pondering the meaning of life and your life purpose, or a combination of these factors can break the cycle of depression and get you back on the road to proper balance in your life.

Many routes exist to increase the number of relationships that you have.  Finding something that interests you and joining a like-minded club or association of people is just one way to do this.  Joining a church is another.  Saying "hello" to people you meet each day is still another.  Look beyond yourself and you may well find yourself.  As discussed under the "Spiritual Life" post, pondering the nature and character of God is a good place to start if you need a boost to look beyond yourself.  If God is love–and He is–and if He did actually send His only son Jesus to provide a way for us to relate to Him–and He did–then maybe He wants us to learn more about His love and pass it on to others through healthy day-to-day relationships.

Below are a number of hyper-linked images that provide further information on building healthy relationships.

	Marriages may be made in heaven, but they must be nurtured here on earth. Dr. Chapman explains how people communicate love in different ways, and shares the wonderful things that happen when men and women learn to speak each other’s language. LEARN MORE
	Designed for college students, young adults, singles, and dating couples, this book teaches the basics of healthy relationships including friendship, dating, sexuality, and relating to God. It is accompanied by a 48 page workbook. LEARN MORE
	How do you cope with impossible people? The author offers clear and direct answers for dealing with relationships that give so little but demand so much. LEARN MORE
	Modern changes in the ways we interact with one another have led scientists and laypeople alike to take renewed interest in the workings of interpersonal relationships. This volume, first published in German and later revised for an American audience, takes a contemporary, interdisciplinary approach to the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. In five clearly defined sections, including those covering familial, romantic, and professional relationships, distinguished contributors address numerous examples of human interaction. This is an ideal text for graduate students in courses on human interaction and social psychology. LEARN MORE

Numerous studies have found a correlation between spiritual beliefs and longevity.  Thus spiritual life is the final additional factor that we are considering along with anti aging diets.  In retrospective studies that stratified individuals by their frequency of attending religious services, the higher the attendance the lower the death rate.  In some retrospective studies, the impact of spiritual belief on longevity was greater than the impact of smoking or regular exercise.  These results have been challenged, but even after other factors are controlled for, such as ones sex, lifestyle, and diet, the data strongly indicate that people’s spiritual life positively impacts their longevity.  So you would be wise to increase your diet of spiritual things.

There are numerous hypotheses why this is so.  Suggesting that a more healthy lifestyle (better diet, less smoking and drug use) or that the quality or quantity of relationships are the cause seems to be lacking in that these factors can be controlled for in retrospective studies.  A more likely explanation may be related to the positive emotions and less stress that result from a person’s abiding belief in a God who cares for His people and controls the events in their lives for their good.

So where do we start in this regard?  Those who possess religious values and are serious about their spiritual life probably do not find the above revelations all that surprising.  Those who are ambivalent or even religiously hostile might consider these facts to be unimportant or even poppycock.  Given this diversity of religious belief, how do we get a handle on truth?

This issue takes us back to the "What is Truth?" posting.  Truth is not based on what I believe or what you believe or what most people believe, or even what the brightest scientists believe.  Religious truth is not established by anecdotes or scientific data.  But there are two generalized areas that point to the existence of God.

• We exist and the universe contains a vast amount of information.  The progenitor of all of this is God.
• If the Biblical account of Jesus of Nazareth is true, then He was crucified, dead, and buried and on the third day rose again; this substantiates His claims of deity.

It is up to you to decide, but do not too quickly dismiss Jesus Christ’s claim to be God.  Dust off your Bible, or if you don’t have a Bible, buy one listed below.  Read John 3 three times, each time asking God to open your eyes, heart, and mind to His truth.  Peruse the other books below and find one that addresses the concerns or questions that you have.  Find and attend a church that believes the Bible, teaches it, and displays God’s love. 

 Below are a number of hyper-linked images that provide further materials on spiritual life.

	The #1 Best-selling study Bible in the best-selling NIV translation. Study features have been fully revised and updated. Over 20,000 in-text study notes, a library of study resources at your fingertips. Like no other Bible, the Zondervan NIV Study Bible , places an entire resource library for Bible study in your hands. Over 6 million people have made it their study Bible of choice. Make it yours as well. It’s one choice you’ll always be glad you made. LEARN MORE
	The majestic language of the King James Version combined with over 20,000 notes and an abundance of study tools reflecting the forefront of conservative scholarship, this Bible is a veritable resource library designed to help you grasp the Scriptures like never before. It’s packed with theological, archaeological, historical, geographical, cultural, and linguistic information. Simply put, it’s the ultimate King James study Bible. LEARN MORE
	If you have deep and honest questions about Christianity and are willing to think deeply about issues surrounding Christian faith, then this book if for you.  It brings together Lewis’s legendary radio broadcast talks in which he set out simply "to explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times". Rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity’s many denominations, "Mere Christianity" is Lewis’s term for the essential Christian message–the theological core on which diverse Christian traditions can stand together. LEARN MORE
	Simple yet comprehensive, Bruce & Stan’s "RM" Guide to the Creation vs. Evolution Debate offers a wise and witty discussion of the scientific difficulties with the theory of evolution: modern scientific evidence pointing to creation and intelligent design; the Christian approach to science; how Genesis relates to the latest scientific findings; and how all these areas affect how we live our daily lives. This helpful guide will challenge readers to think clearly and critically about the facts and opinions of science and how they impact our understanding of the Bible. LEARN MORE
	Finally, a readable, understandable book that explains theological concepts and brings them into focus for everyday living. In his most recent book, Dr. Frank Moore covers the spectrum of theological concepts and brings it by the "digestible" handfuls into your living room. Don’t be turned off by the word theology. Dr. Moore has left all the big words in the fat books. LEARN MORE
	Provides a health plan based on the Bible, offering a holistic approach to good health. LEARN MORE