To most people, summer means cookouts, trips to the beach, and long, hot days. Another idea closely associated with summer is the swim suit. We all know summer as “bikini season,” so are you taking the right actions to look and feel your best this summer? It all begins with putting the right foods into your body. Everyday our minds are polluted with “eat this, eat that” propaganda.

So what are the right things we should be eating? The answer is, everyone’s bodies are different and one diet and nutrition plan might work better for some and not others. However, there are certain foods that are best for all body types.

In the summer, we have to be aware of dehydration, sun exposure, vitamin deficiencies, and excessive snacking on those chips, ice cream and other delicious but deadly backyard cookout foods.

According to Woman’s Day, the foods that fight dehydration, skin sensitivities, vitamin and mineral deficiencies are watermelon, oranges, yogurt, celery, green tea, green leafy salads and berries.

Loading up on fiber, and foods bright in color (fruits and green leafy veggies) and staying away from the “white foods” (rice, potatoes, bread) is something that will keep you slim, fit, and energized this summer. Also, water is the best thing you can drink during the summer- and year round, it keeps the body hydrated and flushes out the system.

WebMD suggests if you’re trying to lose weight and look good in that tiny yellow polka dot bikini, chilled soups, watermelon, grilled veggies, salads, low/zero calories beverages and fruit based desserts are the way to go.

As far as exercise- one of the most popular summer time activities is swimming. Go for a swim with the kids and keep your body in motion (while remembering to apply plenty of SPF.) If home is near the beach, go for a walk or light jog on the hard sand early in the morning before it gets too hot and humid.

Gut health affects not only the immune system but other major organ systems as well, including the cardiovascular and neurological systems.

The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) is hosting a Gut, Brain, and Autoimmune Disorders: The Role of Food symposium in Los Angeles August 16-17, 2013. This two- day course will educate medical professionals on the relationship between food and disease manifestations and how to improve their patients’ well-being. To find out more information, visit a4m.com.

When it comes to Arthritis, most people think of grandmas and grandpas having achy pains in their hands and knees. However, over 300,000 American children suffer from Juvenile Arthritis. The term Juvenile Arthritis (JA) includes several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases affecting kids 16 years old and younger.

The Arthritis National Research Foundation is asking people to wear blue during the month of July with a goal of raising awareness and research to find cures of JA.

Juvenile Arthritis is a condition where the child’s immune system attacks the body’s joints. If this disease goes untreated, it could result in death.

Symptoms include swelling, tenderness, and stiffness of joints causing limited range of motion. This condition can cause long term damage to joint cartilage and bone. This leads to joint deformity, impaired use and altered growth of bones and joints.

Research shows no known cause of Juvenile Arthritis. Most treatment plans involve a combination of medication, physical activity, eye care and healthy eating.

Medications used to treat JA can be divided into two groups: those that help relieve pain and inflammation (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, corticosteroids and analgesics) and those that can alter the course of the disease, put it into remission and prevent joint damage, a category known as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and a newer subset known as biologic response modifiers (biologics).

Each child responds to his or her treatment plan differently, so there’s no set course of attack for JA.

A4M’s upcoming Gut, Brain and Autoimmune Disorders:  The Role of Food Symposium’s opening lecture will address Autoimmune Disease:  Leaving the Era of Reaction and Entering the New Proactive Era of Prediction.  Additionally, The Fellowship in Anti Aging, Regenerative and Functional medicine offer several presentations that relate to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases conditions and how to diagnose and treat.

For more information on this program or anything A4M offers, please visit http://www.a4m.com/anti-aging-conference-los-angeles-2013-aug.html

When a lot of people first hear the term “anti-aging,” more often than not, they think about Botox, implants, and plastic surgeons. Which, in some cases might be accurate but more so aesthetic medicine than anti-aging. However, when it comes to anti-aging medicine more appropriate associated terms could be longevity, preventive, life extending, alternative.

Anti-aging doesn’t necessarily mean taking pills and injections to look and feel younger, it’s about a lifestyle change. A healthy lifestyle not only keeps one looking young and feeling great, it waves off age related diseases like diabetes, heart disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s. Going for a walk instead of watching TV, having a serving of veggies instead of fries, and spending more time with friends and family could cut inches from your waist, add years to your life, and keep you off any unwanted emotional down spirals. Anti-aging also means researching ways to prevent or halt age related diseases in their tracks.

The anti-aging medical model aims to both extend lifespan as well as prolong health span- the length of time that we are able to live productively and independently.

Of course, some of the science aspects to anti-aging medicine may at times, get controversial with topics involving stem cell research and gene mutation, so on and so forth. So, as we see, anti-aging has a broad spectrum of associated ideas that are scientific, evidence-based and well-documented by peer-reviewed journals. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to “what is anti-aging?”