NourishDoc: Hello, everyone. I am Amita from NourishDoc, a platform for your natural and holistic therapies. In today’s session this morning, we are going to be talking about an exciting topic; the topic is anti-aging medicine. So joining me will be Dr. Darvish, a naturopathic doctor specializing in anti-aging and regenerative medicine; there you are. Good morning. How are you?
Dr. Nooshin: Good morning. How are you?
NourishDoc: I’m amazing. Thank you so much; we are all staying home in California, so that’s good.
Dr. Nooshin: That’s great. Well, thank you for having me.
NourishDoc: Absolutely. I’m just telling your viewers that our topic is fascinating; all of us want to look great, and we don’t want to age; how can we maintain our vigor for the eating process? So that is our topic, anti-aging medicine, and regenerative medicine, with Dr. Nooshin. So maybe you can tell us a little bit about yourself before we go into the questions.
Dr. Nooshin: Sure. I’m a naturopathic physician licensed here in Washington, and I’ve been practicing for over 25 years. In the last 15 years, I’ve become increasingly involved in regenerative medicine, an extension of naturopathic medicine, which is looking at the root cause of illness and believing and understanding that the body has the capacity and the wisdom to regenerate and heal itself.
NourishDoc: Got it. So let’s talk about whether there is a difference between anti-aging and regenerative medicine or whether it is still a similar kind of concept here.
Anti-Aging Medicine vs. Regenerative Medicine
Dr. Nooshin: I think it’s an extension of anti-aging medicine, so I’m board-certified or in anti-aging medicine and regenerative medicine, and or I should be sports certified, and so anti-aging medicine was the first opening to regenerative medicine. Anti-aging medicine uses hormones; much of the focus is on looking good and feeling good, but regenerative medicine goes beyond that. It’s looking at what we can do to regenerate the cells and the organs in our body, so it’s even a more profound process than just anti-aging. I think anti-aging is not a good term because we cannot anti-age. Still, we can slow down the aging process, and by doing that, we’re stimulating the regenerative systems in the body.
NourishDoc: Got it. So let’s talk a little about a person like us, like what can all of us do to rejuvenate and revitalize our bodies and ourselves, especially in COVID times. I mean, this is sad that you see so many people suffering. So what can all of us do?
How can you slow down the aging process?
Dr. Nooshin: Well, cellular regeneration can slow down or degeneration; I should say deterioration can slow down. As we do that, we’re slowing down the aging process. It’s a process called senescence, and so if we can slow down the damage to our DNA, we’re going to slow down the aging process, and that is the key and what the things that we can do the basic things like getting to bed in time and eating clean food, organic food, lack of that’s void of pesticides and chemicals which are by the way very damaging to our DNA, drinking pure water, getting enough oxygen and exercise some of these essential things and avoiding toxins that often cause damage to our cells like alcohol and chemicals and body care products that are full of chemicals. So there are a lot of things that we can do to slow down the damage to our cells. Still, aging continues, and stress is a significant component of that aging process that damages us. When we’re stressed physically and emotionally, we will age faster. You see, some of these spiritual gurus look young. It’s because science is now showing that meditation can slow down aging. We know that meditation can transform the DNA; things like vitamin D and B12 can slow down the aging process; B12 can regenerate the myelin sheath, the sheath around the nerves.
NourishDoc: That’s unbelievable. I mean, all these have studies like clinical trials and studies.
Regenerative Medicine Studies & Research
Dr. Nooshin: You know, many studies on this are coming forward. But now we’re moving into regenerative process regenerative medicine, which is, by the way, the fastest growing segment of the medical industry right now because everybody wants to anti-age slow down the aging process; we’ve got so much work to do our purpose is so much greater than we ever thought we’re coming to that realization. So we want to extend our life, we want to make it an optimal living, we don’t want to be suffering as we get older; we’re watching some of our parents as they suffer. We’re hoping that we don’t get there. So what can we do to shift that despite the number of stresses that are coming at us like the work stress the family stress, the electromagnetic frequencies, and cell phones and computers those are all very damaging to ourselves, so if we can at least do things that we have control of like the food and the sleep and meditation and prayer and so forth then at least we’re combating the intense stressors that are coming to us to some extent but then some therapies are being studied more and more like peptide therapy and stem cells and exosomes and platelet-rich plasma and all of these different types of what we call regenerative therapies that stimulate the body to heal itself? The difference between what we practice and how I practice typical regenerative medicine is that I look at the root cause of illness. So, for instance, if you have a toxic exposure like mold and you try to give that patient stem cells or exosomes, you’re not going to get very far, your success rate is not going to be very high because that invading agent that toxin is still causing damage to the cell. So we have to remove the mold exposure; we have to clean up the body from the mold, give the body the nutrients it needs, make sure that the body is being fed excellent food and clean water and sleep and all that, and then give it the stem cells give it the exosomes give it the platelet-rich plasma give it the peptides then we get to see how much better that individual becomes our success rate goes way way up.
NourishDoc: Got it. So let me ask you one thing you talked about you have to remove it, so all of us have some toxins because we are surrounded by toxins, no matter what we do. So what is so if someone walks in, and what would you tell them to detox? First of all, you talked about how you have to remove the mold, so what are the high-level tools from a naturopathic point of view that you will use? Would you also use some like a supplement or some herbs or a combination of what you talked about the food or like in Ayurveda they have all these Panchakarmas, so help us educate like what are the tools that as a naturopathic medicine doctor you would do?
Factors Affecting Aging
Dr. Nooshin: Well, I’ve had a little bit more extensive training, a lot more extensive training than the average naturopathic physician out there, and so one of the training that I’ve and experiences that I’ve gained is that we have to treat the body at the right time with the right tools. So identifying what the first toxic insult to the body is and what’s the priority in the body is essential; it’s like having a combination lock; you have to put the numbers in that combination in the correct order first to figure out what the numbers are and then put them in the right order. If you throw the numbers at them, it will not shift. It’s the same thing with our body if we’ve got mold toxins, if we’ve got emotional drama, if we’ve got heavy metals if we’ve got a chronic virus, whatever that may be, if we’re not addressing it in the correct order, then we’re not going to get very far, and that is where the art comes from, the art of medicine comes in figuring out what’s first what second what’s third and sometimes you treat the first thing. Because it was such a big block, it allowed the body to suddenly open up, regenerate, heal, and do what it needed to reverse the disease or the symptom. So and that’s if you’re thinking of it that way. We are using tools that may be involved in releasing the emotions, so there may be some; you’ve heard of the emotional freedom technique and the tapping technique; there are various types of emotional release techniques that we use, some that I have personally developed myself so homeopathy, there may be some things that we need to do to address the emotions if that’s the first thing if it’s the mold I may use IV therapy because if it’s very deep-seated, I may need to use phosphatidylcholine, for instance, to help the body eliminate the mold. I may use some supplements; I may use food; no, it’s not one fits all; everybody is individual, and that’s the beauty of each one of us is we are so beautiful and so perfect in so many ways that we need to acknowledge that and meet that individual at that level of where they are at.
NourishDoc: That’s beautiful. So interestingly, that comes another question like how in functional medicine, they have all these testing, then they test you first and then figure out okay, this is your deficiency. So do you also use some kind of those?
Combining Best of Western & Eastern Medicine
Dr. Nooshin: Yes. So we use a combination of western-eastern natural bioenergy medicine functional medicine anti-aging medicine so what that means is that a patient may come in I’ll do a physical exam I’ll take a history I’ll do some blood work maybe i need to do some imaging but at the same time I’m doing some nervous system testing i may do computer testing i do functional tests through functional medicine labs i may do hormone testing i mean our tools are so vast that we can pick what’s the right thing for this individual and it’s this balance of the science and the arts it’s the balance between the right and left brain that is so magnificent and so i have so much passion for it I’ve had this passion to have this balance between this harmony between the science and spirituality between the right side and the left side of the brain between the arts and the sciences and if we can ideally incorporate that, integrated into healing then individuals are just transformed and that’s really the bottom line is to transform lives from within.
NourishDoc: Absolutely. So is there a secret sauce? I mean, you talk about so many things; it is? What do you do to talk about the secret sauce of slowing the eating process by eating right by cleaning ourselves? I guess that’s all part of the secret sauce. You are the enabler; you are the sort of like the guru that’s leading their disciples.
Dr. Nooshin: I like to think of it as the hollow reed; what the reader is do was to read it. Hence, it’s that pen that the ancient pen that they used to write with, and the hollow reed is allowing the flow of love and energy to come through me to the patient, the wisdom that is in the universe to come through me to the patient the knowledge that’s in the universe to go through me. So it’s I like to think of myself as a hollow reed.
NourishDoc: So I think it’s fantastic; your work fascinates and educates people on how to take care of themselves. Then they will, like you said that the body would heal itself and regenerate the cells, and a lot of women I’m not that I want to call anyone or generally. Still, as we start aging, there’s a whole concept of at least a few years back of botox and all that stuff and but we fail to understand as human beings that if we take care of ourselves like you’re talking about your emotions, the release of emotions the food the lifestyle we will start we would look fine we would look good like the yogis you’re talking about. Okay, so let’s talk about this. Can you talk about your routine like daily routine? I think you’ll be a fantastic example for all the viewers starting from the day when you wake up.
How Meditation Can Help
Dr. Nooshin: No, it’s not too much, but because I focused on allowing what comes to me for that day, I’m not the type to have a routine where I’m just boom boom because sometimes that routine is for me can be very stressful. But typically, I get up, meditate, and pray before I get out of bed. Sometimes if I have a chance, if my day starts a little bit later, I may meditate for up to two hours. Now it’s an entirely different discussion; I will meditate and not because I necessarily am timing myself. But I’m allowing the universal knowledge and secrets to come to me. So I will lay there and have my hand on different parts of my body; if I’m feeling stressed, I get up. Let’s say I’m feeling the tension in my neck. I’ll put my hand on my neck. Then I will hold it there after I’ve said a few prayers. As a Baha’i, I feel very, very blessed because we have praise that has been revealed. So they say a prayer or two, and I put my hand on my neck, or my abdomen, or wherever I feel that tension, and then colors will come to me or images will come to me, or history from the way back childhood will come to me, or maybe an ancestor will come to me. I allow that image to be there until there is some message sometimes that comes to me, like a voice that will come to me or nothing, or sometimes it just needs to be acknowledged. Then I let it go, or it naturally lets go. Then I feel like my gosh, my neck is much looser and able to move more accessible, or the tension in my abdomen is gone. Then I focus on my body again, and then I’ll see, oh yes, I’ve got pressure around my liver in the right upper quadrant. So I’ll put my hand there and do the same thing. Sometimes it’s focusing, for instance, on my dad, who’s passed away. I’ll focus on him and see what message he has to give me, or I’ll focus on a question; I’ll have a question that I’m pondering, and I’ll post that, and I’ll hear a voice. I’ll say be patient; for instance, for now, time will come, the time will come, go; things like that allow me not to be stressed with the day-to-day drama.
NourishDoc: No, I think it’s beautiful; does anyone have any questions or comments? I see many people like a stream of people who have joined, so you’re welcome, and someone is requesting to join the live; I’m sorry, we need to have a separate session so people can join us and ask all kinds of questions. If you have any questions, you can put them in the comment, but it’s beautiful. I mean, two hours of meditation is a long time.
Dr. Nooshin: Yes, typically I do 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes maybe, but sometimes it goes up to two hours, and then I’m always having if I eat that morning because sometimes I’ll do intermittent fasting but not every day but maybe two or three times a week and then I may go and go for a walk or do some exercise not for very long perhaps 20 to 30 minutes I’m always drinking a couple of glasses of water first thing in the morning and then my food begins after that and it will be all whole foods organic I don’t eat any chemicals I don’t drink any alcohol I’ve never smoked I’ve never drank in my life I don’t have a desire to drink, I’m a good sleeper thank goodness I go to bed early. I try to get at least eight hours of sleep, and then, as I get older. The amount of stress is coming on me. I noticed that my hormones were acting up. So depending on the day, if it’s a stressful day, I may take some bio-identical hormone therapy, and that’s usually cream form. Then I have a purpose; my purpose driving me to work is that I want the best for everyone. Whoever walks into my office, whoever steps into my room, I want to be a source of service to them, and that is my intention every day. That and I ask the universe for the creator to help me in helping whoever walks into my office. So I think that sense of service is a massive anti-aging for me, and I think it’s for everyone they have a service to help others. If they intend to make others happy, then it reflects onto us. We feel more comfortable and enlightened, and as a result, the DNA gets a chance to heal itself, and the aging process slows down.
Lifestyle Factors And Anti-Aging
NourishDoc: Yes, happiness has a lot to do with it, and there have been a lot of studies that have been done on laughter yoga, the telomere, the length, it keeps decreasing, and then it kind of you can maintain it, or that’s what starts on the clinical studies and are you a vegetarian also?
Dr. Nooshin: I’m vegetarian, and I’m a pescatarian. I will eat fish a couple of times, maybe three times a month, but I’m mostly plant-based.
NourishDoc: Well, I think many of you have given us the secret sauce.
Dr. Nooshin: Well, the secret sauce is being joyful. Honestly, it’s being optimistic and being a source of service to others. Whatever you can do that creates well-being and slows down the aging process and, of course, in all these other stem cells and exosomes and everything else we use, is a bonus. But you cannot depend on that stuff; it has to start from the roots from the grass root level, beginning when we’re babies and even in the womb. Hence, as mothers, it’s vital that we’re happy and taking care of ourselves before we even get pregnant.
NourishDoc: That’s right, and there’s a lot of research now it’s coming up, our mothers didn’t have to prepare for being pregnant what I’m saying yeah like I don’t remember my mom saying oh I’m going to have a baby, let me prepare for it just happened we just walked up right popped out I should say that, and now in our generation, they say oh six months before you have to detoxify you have to prepare for the baby to come I mean it’s completely different.
Dr. Nooshin: Well, it’s a different society; we live in a different world, our parents didn’t have all the chemicals and the electrical and the electromagnetic frequencies and the pesticides and herbicides and dental amalgams and medications, I mean, every baby that pops out, they give them Tylenol. So I mean, we didn’t have they didn’t have any of that, and their body started naturally. It continued naturally with very low toxic stress to their system. They worked in groups; all the women always gathered and helped each other. Now we find women are clashing with each other head to head versus coming together and working together. I think that the other aspect of anti-aging is building a community around ourselves, building a community that is nourishing to us that we love just for the sake of love and nothing else.
NourishDoc: Yes, I think beautiful what you’re saying unique session to everyone who’s been watching; please help us share these sessions; we are trying to bring these fantastic sessions every day, and I think this is one of the fascinating sessions that I have done with you and thank you so much for being with us.
Dr. Nooshin: Thank you so much for having me.
NourishDoc: Yeah, absolutely, and we’d love to have you again on educating us a little bit more on maybe a different topic but more of the science, but this is a good intro; it’s a fantastic intro, but you said, and you shared your example of what you do, and that’s I think itself is so amazing. With that, I’d like to wrap up this session for everyone; let us know your feedback, and thank you so much, Dr. Nooshin, for being with us.
