In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon sailed to present-day Florida in search of the Fountain of Youth, a spring that would reportedly restore youth to those who drank from its waters.

Today, the site where de Leon came ashore has been diminished to a tourist destination, but the quest for the promise of the Fountain of Youth has intensified.

Menopause: An Adventure | Male Menopause

From Botox injections to rigid diets that promise six-pack abs in six weeks or less, the search for longer, healthier lives continues. New procedures -- along with smart nutrition and exercise -- show some good results.

Anti-Aging Medicine

"Most of anti-aging medicine is just about the way we live and incorporating preventative medicine into your everyday life," says Dr. Jennifer Landa, an AMA Board certified doctor of obstetrics and gynecology and member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging. Landa is a physician who practices what she preaches.

"I eat a healthy modified Mediterranean diet with plenty of protein, vegetables and healthy oils. I also stick to an exercise regimen including both aerobic exercise and weight training. Additionally, I take several nutritional supplements that are helpful. Finally, I take bioidentical hormones," she says.

Dr. Alicia Stanton, the chief medical officer for BodyLogicMD, which specializes in bioidentical hormones, started her quest after she had a spinal cord tumor removed 10 years ago. She was paralyzed and had to learn to walk again. She went back to her practice as an OB/GYN, but suffered from chronic pain.

She found that acupuncture, osteopathic care, massage, nutrition and hormones were able to return her to a pain-free life.

Bioidentical Hormones: Help Or Hype?

Bioidentical hormone therapy consists of custom-mixed formulas containing various hormones that are said to be identical to those your body produces naturally.

Perhaps their greatest advocate is Suzanne Somers, whose books promote using it to prevent and reverse the aging process.

The therapy does carry some risk, however. The North American Menopause Society says some products are well-tested brands, but that is not the case for recipes made by a compounding pharmacist.

Advocates insist that, if properly balanced and given under the care of a trained doctor, the therapy can be an ally in the war against aging and the problems now thought of as the inevitable results of getting older.

And one of Stanton's patients says the regime is better than traditional methods.

"Standard hormone therapy was an absolute nightmare," says Deborah Ravenwood. "Conventional medicine offered me nothing helpful. Bioidentical hormones brought me the balance I was seeking without the side effects."

Even Stanton offers some words of caution.

"Bioidentical hormones are not a miracle cure. They simply help replace the hormones the body is not making in adequate amounts at any given time. The combination of balanced hormones, balanced nutrition, exercise and stress management are critical in maintaining optimal health," she says.

And her patients realize that nothing will really bring them back their youth.

"I like the 'pro-aging' concept, which encourages supporting and enhancing optimal health and energy. My aim is to maintain health, prevent premature disease and to look good for my age, rather than trying to compete with my daughters and look years younger," says Candace Burch.

Fat Leads To Inflammation, Death

According to anti-aging doctors, exercise and nutrition are crucial. Most recommend a modified Mediterranean diet with plenty of protein, vegetables and healthy oils.

Exercise helps to increase lean muscle mass that is lost during aging and decrease fat that tends to build as we age.

"Fat is a metabolically active tissue that increases inflammation in the body. Inflammation causes most of the diseases that cause us to age and die," Landa says.

"I found when I eliminated or at least reduced sugar intake, cravings decreased. And bloating decreased when I limited or stayed away from breads and pastas," says patient Cheryl Spino.

"You cannot maintain hormone balance without proper nutrition and exercise. The hormones are all tied together like a symphony. Your diet affects your insulin levels which, in turn, affect the rest of your hormones," says Stanton.

Aging All In Your Head?

Doctors and anti-aging advocates also agree that mental attitude has a lot to do with aging. But it does have limitations.

"Although a positive mental attitude can help people feel younger, they need the body to function properly as well so they can act as young as they feel," Landa says.

"You create your environment by your perceptions. If you perceive yourself as old, you are. I've met some very old 45-year-old people, and if that is their identity, then nothing I can tell them will make them young. But age is not all in your head. There are some things you can't control," says Stanton.

Get An Early Start

"It's never too early to start an anti-aging program." Stanton says. "My sons, ages 7 and 11, are on their own program, which focuses on nutrition, exercise, stress management and appreciation for the beauty in life. If they can learn these things now, they will reduce their rate of aging significantly."

Doctors say that the most important thing you can do when you are young is to limit refined carbohydrates and sugars, which impact insulin resistance and wreak havoc on your hormones.

Stress management is also a key to staying youthful and healthy.

"Bringing stress and your emotional life under control allows your body to do the work it needs to do to be healthy," says Spino

"Give yourself permission to be first every once in a while and stop being so critical of yourself and those around you. It reduces stress significantly. The less stress you have, the more energy you have for exercise, healthy food choices and accomplishing what is most important to you," Stanton advises.

Patients take that to heart.

"Every woman should make an informed choice about her body. Listen to what people have to say from their experiences and then make your own choice. Educate yourself and experience different things until you find what works for you in a safe, healthy manner. Once you find it, don't allow others who disagree with you to make you second-guess yourself. Live your life with passion and balance, and you will live well," Ravenwood says. Other Links:

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