In the western world people say that age is just a number, but according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), age actually matters when it comes to your health.
According to TCM everyone has two forms of life essence–the kind we inherit from our parents (called Jing) and the kind we get from things like the food we eat and the air we breathe (called Qi). As kids we are full of Jing energy making us grow stronger as we head towards maturity. Then, as we age and live through life, our Jing energy starts to decline.
For Women:
According to TCM a woman's Qi becomes balanced by 21 and she reaches her physical peak by the age of 28. After 28, her body will start to decline slowly and after 35, her yang energy will start to go down, decreasing energy and fertility. She should start building chi to strengthen yang by regular exercise, drinking plenty of tea and water and taking a good Multi-Vitamin and mineral combination. After 42, the yang energy takes a big hit making her feel generally a lot more tired and weaker. It is best to add ginseng (Trigger Immune Formula) to her exercise, tea, water and multi-vitamin regimen. Usually by 49, in TCM the Ren and Chong meridians will become weaker and she will start experiencing menopause. At this time, a good place to start may be to add black cohosh and dong quai (Flash Ease Formula), two herbs noted for their ability to support the female glandular system, to her regular daily regimen along with staying active and drinking plenty of tea and water.
For Men:
According to TCM a man's Kidneys reach full development by the age 24. Between the ages 28-32 he will reach his peak physical condition. After 32, his body will start to decline slowly and he should start building chi to strengthen yang by regular exercise, drinking plenty of tea, water and taking a good Multi-Vitamin and mineral combination. After 36, his yang energy will start to slowly decrease. It is best to add ginseng (Trigger Immune Formula) to his exercise, tea, water and multi-vitamin regimen. Once he turns 40, the kidney energy will start to get weaker and drinking plenty of water and exercise is very important. He can help balance the kidney energy with the Chinese Kidney Bone Combination (KB-C). The older he gets, the weaker the Kidney energy becomes. After age 48, most men are showing visible signs of aging including graying hair and balding. Drinking tea, water and exercising is more crucial. He must keep himself physically active using his muscles to keep them strong. By 56, the Liver energy will start to decline alongside the Kidney energy and the muscles will get even weaker and the body will become less flexible. A good formula to consider is the Chinese Liver Formula (Blood Stimulator). It is also important to be asleep by 11pm since the liver energy replenishes between the hours of 11pm and 1am. If you are awake during that time your liver energy cannot adequately replenish. As he's reaching 60, the body’s vital (Yin) energy is getting low and he will really start feeling the effects of aging. A good Chinese Increasing Yin Formula (HY-C) is good to help nourish and build Yin energy.
This natural aging process affects your metabolism throughout your life. Your metabolism is responsible for taking the energy and nutrients from your food and turning it into something your body can use. Your Jing essence (which comes from the Kidneys) is a major driving force in this process. They need plenty of life energy, or Qi, to function the best they can.
What Does This All Mean?
To have a powerful, fast metabolism, you need powerful Jing essence and strong Qi. As we get older, both of these things decrease naturally, which lowers our metabolism.
That is why it is extremely important as you age to boost your metabolism by staying active, maintaining muscle mass, eating lots of clean protein and reduce sugars, taking herbal supplements, drinking lots of tea and water and getting plenty of consistent sleep.