Is feeling old something that just has to be accepted?
The typical pattern for most adults is vigor and energy that lasts from the teenage years through the twenties. Starting in the thirties, however, you start to notice changes in your body. Stubborn fat bulges appear that won't go away even with diet changes and exercise. Recuperation from physical exercise takes longer. General energy levels decrease. Sleep patterns become disrupted. Muscle bulk steadily declines. Depression sometimes appears. As people age further, specific diseases appear, such as high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and diabetes. Arthritis and osteoporosis (thinning bones) set in.
How do hormone levels change with age?
Science has long known that hormone levels change with age. In females, this is called Menopause, and in males it is called Andropause (or male menopause.) For example, in males, testosterone levels start to decrease in the 30s and continue to steadily decrease until death. In females, lower hormone levels as well as imbalances in hormone levels appear. As seen in the chart on the next page, progesterone levels decrease drastically. Progesterone is an extremely important hormone that protects against uterine and breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men, and promotes strong bones.