One of the major movements currently taking place in medicine is referred to as “anti-aging medicine.” While this movement has lead to financial success for a large number of health practitioners, we at South River Compounding Pharmacy and Wellness Center have a somewhat different focus to our approach with aging issues.

First of all, the term “anti-aging” implies an attempt to defeat the process of aging and in fact, many of the modalities that are a part of anti-aging practices do indeed use very expensive and sometimes heroic methods to do just that.

We believe that a more realistic view is to recognize that the aging process is a natural part of living. We choose to work with nature in this process, focusing on maintaining health and quality of life through more fundamental approaches such as, exercise, nutrition and lifestyle management. This philosophy or “optimal aging” results in preservation of mental, physical and social functioning well past the expected time of decline.

There are many approaches that can contribute to the process of optimal aging. Some of the most important are:

• Nutrition – research has clearly shown a strong relationship between diet habits and aging. The standard American diet (SAD) is one of the least healthy diets in the world as reflected in the poor health status of Americans as compared to citizens of other countries. Of special interest is the evidence that decreased intake of simple carbohydrates usually leads to improved health. Another interesting example comes as a result of animal studies and shows that calorie restriction leads not only to optimal aging, but also to dramatic increases in healthy longevity. These are simply a few examples of the relationship between diet habits and aging.

• Stress Management – central to optimal aging is the issue of how we handle stress. This does not mean the avoidance of stress, which isn’t practical or desirable in today’s world, but how we respond to stress. The evidence for biochemical, physiological and psychological damage from poor management of stress in conclusive.

• Maintaining Organ Reserve – this will be a new concept to many readers. Dr. James Fries introduced the concept of keeping our organs: the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, brain . . . etc., functioning with a greater capacity than ordinary living calls for. The reserve then contributes to optimal aging because we are less likely to have organ failure when subjected to greater demand due to illness or injury. Organ reserve is maintained through proper nutrition, use of supplements, exercise, and other wellness practices. This is in contrast to current medical practice, which is only concerned with adequate or average organ function.

• Oxidative Stress – this is a process of deterioration similar to rusting. At the same time as we are being exposed to more and more pollutants and circumstances that create oxidative stress, our diet contains less and less of the nutrients that provide anti-oxidant protection. Supplementation with anti-oxidants is now recognized as essential for optimal aging.

• Hormone Support – Although this topic is covered elsewhere in the website, it is important to mention here because maintaining proper hormone levels is central to optimal aging. Hormone support is important for both sexes and is critical for maintaining body integrity, physical and mental function. Hormone support is more than just hormone replacement. In some cases botanical and nutritional products can be used to support the body’s own production of hormones.

The staff at South River Compounding Pharmacy and Wellness Center is trained to provide for your needs in each of the above areas. We not only have pharmacists trained in natural medicine, but also a full-time nutritionist, massage therapist and a Ph D in counseling. Our extensive inventory of wellness products is considered to be the best available.

South River Compounding Pharmacy
Southside: 2300 Robious Station Circle, Midlothian, VA 23113
West End: 3656 Mayland Court, Richmond, VA 23233
Serving the Greater Richmond, Virginia area, including Chesterfield, VA, Hanover, Henrico, Powhatan