Dr Myers’ Secrets to Healthy Aging

Today is my 53rd birthday! You wouldn’t believe the surprise on people’s faces when they find out I’m 53. I get asked all the time how I keep my youthful appearance. So, my gift to all of you on my birthday is to reveal my secrets of healthy aging. 

Eating various nutritious foods and including physical activity in your daily routine can go a long way toward promoting healthy aging. Yet, the secret to healthy aging involves whole body health from the inside out. Your skin is what people see. However, your skin can also tell you a lot about what’s going on underneath the surface. 

In functional medicine, we view the body as a group of systems working together instead of individual specialties to be addressed one at a time. With that in mind, healthy aging doesn’t just mean having a youthful appearance, and here are my secrets of healthy aging. 

The Secrets of Healthy Aging

Sun exposure, smoking, an unhealthy diet, alcohol, poor sleep patterns, and stress contribute to early aging. You’ve heard me say it before. Your gut is the gateway to your health. The first secret to healthy aging begins in your gut. Here are my secrets to healthy aging: 

1. Take Care of Your Gut Health

Nearly 80% of your immune system lives in your gut. If your gut isn’t healthy, your immune system isn’t healthy. This leaves you susceptible to infections, autoimmune diseases, and inflammation. 

Your gut is naturally semi-permeable to let teeny-tiny boats (micronutrients) pass through your intestinal wall and into your bloodstream, and it’s how you absorb your food. Certain external factors, including food, infections, toxins, and stress, can break apart the tight junctions in your intestinal wall, leaving the drawbridge open.

A properly functioning digestive system is critical to good health. Problems in our gastrointestinal (GI) tract can cause more than just stomach pain, gas, bloating, or diarrhea; they can be the root cause of many chronic health problems, including autoimmune disease.

To keep my gut in tip-top shape, I take Leaky Gut Revive® and Probiotic Capsules 30 Billion daily to rebuild my delicate intestinal barrier and repopulate my gut with good bacteria for optimal digestion and immune function. 

Additionally, I ensure I’m getting plenty of fiber, so I use Prebiotic Fiber Complete™  to support digestion, promote regular bowel patterns, and encourage the growth of helpful bacteria.

2. Eliminate Gluten or Dairy

I recommend that everyone eliminate gluten and dairy from their diets. I’ve seen firsthand, in myself and working with thousands of patients, the power of food to reverse chronic illnesses such as autoimmune diseases. Gluten and dairy are two of the biggest culprits behind the skyrocketing rates of chronic illness and autoimmune disease we are facing today, and removing them from your diet is the single best step you can take to restore your health.

Dairy and gluten are highly inflammatory foods in our modern diet. Gluten contributes to leaky gut, which is the precursor to autoimmune disease. Once your gut becomes leaky, larger proteins (such as gluten), toxins, microbes, and partially digested food particles, can escape through your intestinal wall. Your immune system reacts to fight off these “invaders.” This leads to a chronic inflammatory state as your gut remains leaky and the invaders keep coming. Leaky Gut Revive® is my No. 1 tool to heal a leaky gut. 

Another great tool is Complete Enzymes which includes DPP-IV, a protease enzyme that breaks down gluten and Lactase to help break down lactose. I carry a bottle of Complete Enzymes just in case I’m accidentally exposed to either. 

3. Tame the Toxins

Even if you live a “clean lifestyle,” you’re still likely being exposed to toxins. There are thousands of chemicals out there, and we’re just beginning to understand how they work on the body – not to mention how they work in conjunction with one another. 

We know that a heavy toxic burden puts you at greater risk of developing an autoimmune disease. One of my secrets to healthy aging is reducing toxic exposure where you can. We breathe in toxins, eat, drink, and absorb them in our skin. Here are a few steps to reduce your body’s toxic burden. 

• Use HEPA air filters: The air inside your home can be up to five times more polluted than the air outside. That’s why I use Air Doctor HEPA air filters to keep the air in my home clean and free of toxins.
• Install a water filtration system: Your water quality is directly related to your health. I use Aquasana water filters throughout my home to remove heavy metals, plastics, and other unregulated pollutants commonly found in city water.
• Glutathione: Your liver works hard to rid your body of the hundreds of toxins you encounter daily. Your body naturally creates a powerful detoxifier called glutathione to help mobilize the toxins in your tissues. However, I like to supplement with extra glutathione to excrete heavy metals, free radicals, mycotoxins, and more!
• Sunlighten Infrared Sauna: You’ve probably heard me rave about how much I love my Sunlighten Infrared Sauna. Infrared saunas are a powerful tool to help your body work up a sweat to flush out toxic substances by penetrating up to three inches beneath your skin. Infrared saunas also help improve circulation and promote skin purification.

4. Reduce stress

Stress isn’t just a feeling. It’s an actual release of hormones that your body produces when it’s met with a challenge. The number one stress hormone is cortisol. In stressful situations, cortisol tells your immune system to gear up for a challenge. Your immune system responds by producing inflammation, and cortisol signals your immune system to calm down when the danger has passed.

This system works well when you encounter acute stress that happens suddenly and then passes. But too many of us are dealing with chronic stress: constant sleep deprivation, poor diets, long hours at work, problems in our relationships, and the list goes on and on. One of my secrets to healthy aging is finding ways to relieve stress. Some of my favorite ways to relieve stress include: 

• Meditation and breathing exercises
• Swimming with my daughter, Elle
• Relaxing and detoxing in my infrared sauna
• Take a warm bath with homemade lavender bath salts
• Take ZenAdapt™, an adaptogen blend that supports optimal cortisol levels to promote a balanced stress response.

No one can avoid stress altogether, so learning to relieve it is crucial to healthy aging. Any activity that you find relaxing will help you combat stress. If you can get outdoors to do it, that’s even better because being in nature has added stress-relief benefits. In fact, even just the sounds of nature can make a difference.

5. Get Optimal Sleep

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1/3 of Americans don’t get enough sleep. Sleep is an essential function that allows our bodies to recharge, refresh and be alert for the next day! It’s also crucial for our brain health. The alarming part is that many Americans struggle with a lack of sleep each night.

Ideally, you spend at least 1/3 of your life asleep, yet so many people struggle to fall and stay asleep, also known as insomnia. Insomnia is linked to reduced REM sleep, which is the deepest of the stages of sleep.¹

To support a healthy sleep pattern, I use Rest and Restore Max™, a physician-formulated blend of ingredients to maximize optimal sleep and promote a natural sleep pattern. Not only does it contain the same ingredients as Rest and Restore™, yet it also features three additional essential ingredients to help those who have particular difficulty falling and staying asleep – melatonin, valerian root, and 5-Hydroxytryptophan.

6. Supplement with Collagen 

As you get older, your collagen production begins to slow down and causes your skin, hair, and nails to lose their youthful appearance. Collagen is the most important and abundant structural protein in your body and keeps your skin, bones, connective tissue, cartilage, and joints healthy, strong, and flexible. Unfortunately, it is challenging to get enough collagen through diet alone. 

Unfortunately, many of the collagen powders on the market will never be adequately absorbed by your body because they get made in a form that your body cannot absorb. The truth is that our body cannot absorb collagen in its natural form. 

Collagen must be processed or hydrolyzed to be digested, broken down, and reach the bloodstream. When collagen proteins become hydrolyzed, they break down into easy-to-digest particles called peptides that your body can absorb.

After doing months of research, I formulated my Collagen Protein powder and Spectrum 5 Collagen™. Both collagen powders are hydrolyzed for easy absorption in the bloodstream and come from natural sources. Collagen Protein contains 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised bovine collagen. It supports a healthy gut lining and intestinal permeability, promotes vibrant hair, skin, and nails, and facilitates healthy bones and joints. 

7. Eat a Diet Full of Whole Foods

The food you eat plays a significant role in premature aging. Eating foods for healthy skin, such as avocados, blueberries and strawberries, dark chocolate, and leafy greens, is a great way to support your skin. 

Unfortunately, nutrient deficiencies are one of the underlying causes of autoimmune disease and its progression, which can lead to premature aging. I always recommend eating a diet of organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and wild-caught seafood to ensure you get enough nutrients your body needs. Unfortunately, technological advances that provide us with so many wonderful conveniences have diminished the nutritional quality of our produce.

Because of the declining quality of our food, I recommend that everyone takes a high-quality multivitamin. It’s critical to get your body’s full spectrum of nutrients. I have specially formulated my complete multivitamin to ensure you get everything you need for optimal health. The Myers Way® Multivitamin contains the highest quality blend of vitamins and minerals designed for optimal absorption and bioavailability. In fact, The Myers Way® Multivitamin was the first supplement I formulated. I poured over a decade of research into selecting the nutrient forms that work best with your body. Unlike many other multivitamins on the market today, The Myers Way® Multivitamin has optimal levels of selenium, zinc, and iodine to support thyroid health, and contains 100% of the folate you need each day. 

8. Take Care of Your Skin

Until now, I’ve told you about my secrets of healthy aging without mentioning skincare. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and the best way to support your skin is from the inside out, which means you must regenerate your extracellular matrix. That’s precisely why I formulated Radiance, packed with seven targeted micronutrients that act as superfoods for your extracellular matrix.

Of course, you also need to nourish your skin on the outside by keeping it hydrated and nourished. There are so many products on the market, and many of them have ingredients that can do more damage than good. That’s why I created Amy Myers MD® Beauty. 

These high-performance, doctor-designed formulas are nontoxic and rich in the purest forms of bioactive botanical ingredients, so you can experience healthy skin without sacrificing results! These products are the essential secrets of healthy aging, and I use them every morning and night. 

Use A Face Wash With Vitamin C

I begin with a Replenishing Vitamin C cleanser to gently cleanse my face without stripping my skin of its natural oils. This supports my skin’s natural balance and restores beneficial oils to promote optimal moisture recovery. Vitamin C is an anti-aging powerhouse, and promotes a firmer skin texture, supports hydration, and facilitates a healthy inflammatory response.

Use a Serum with Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is a hydrating superhero that your body produces naturally. It binds to collagen to keep essential moisture below your skin’s surface to keep your skin dewy, taught, and youthful. I use Age-Defying Hyaluronic Acid Serum to hydrate my skin, promote cell growth, support healthy aging, and promote proper pigmentation.

Keep Your Skin Hydrated

I always finish my skincare routine and lock in moisture using a Hydrating Ceramide Cream. A key ingredient in Hydrating Ceramide Cream is ceramide, a waxy lipid in the skin’s outermost layer. These lipids are essential in maintaining the skin barrier. When you moisturize with ceramides, it soothes dryness, itchiness, and scaliness caused by a weakened skin barrier. Moreover, moisturized skin has a better texture and fewer lines and wrinkles.

Bonus Secret of Healthy Aging: Use a Probiotic Mask

The Purifying Probiotic Mask is a physician-formulated, third-party tested face mask that is the perfect follow-up after using the Replenishing Vitamin C Cleanser. The probiotics in the Purifying Probiotic Mask work alongside kaolin & smectite clay to gently exfoliate your skin, reduce puffiness, and clean away excess sebum build-up. I recommend using the Purifying Probiotic Mask 1 to 2 times weekly as part of your skincare routine for optimal results.

Not only am I giving you my secrets to healthy aging for my birthday, I’m also giving you a huge deal on my skincare products. When you order any beauty product from my birthday collection, you’ll get 53% off to use on a second collection item of your choice! Or get a full routine and  save 53% on the Essential Beauty Kit or Essential Beauty Kit Plus! 

Just because you get older doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice radiant and youthful-looking skin. Even at 53, I feel youthful and vibrant. Using my secrets to healthy aging will give your skin a youthful appearance and leave it feeling smooth and luminous.