Botox, collagen injections, cover-up creams. These artificial “fixes” might help you to look younger as you age. But the effects soon fade. So why not focus on natural, scientifically proven ways that can actually help you to stay young longer, from the inside out. Sound too good to be true? Take these five simple steps to slow down the aging process and make them healthy habits in your life, and you’ll not only see but also feel the results for yourself.
- Drink Lots of Water—You may not realize it but 60 to 70 percent of your body is water. And while we think of water as the one liquid that we literally can’t live without, we fail to recognize the anti-aging effects that come from drinking lots of water every day. Water hydrates every cell in our bodies, including skin cells. And just as the withered leaves of a plant become fuller and healthier looking when it receives adequate water, the same healthy results happen with well-hydrated skin. But the benefits of drinking roughly 64 ounces of good pure water throughout the day are more than skin deep. Water is also essential to deliver nutrients to the cells throughout our bodies and to remove toxins that can cause cellular damage that can lead to illness and accelerate the aging process.
- Exercise Regularly—We’ve all heard this one before, but the fact is that regular exercise helps to slow down the aging process. As we age our bodies tend to lose lean muscle and gain fat as our bones grow weaker and our cognitive abilities wane. Regular aerobic, weight bearing exercise helps to increase lean muscle mass and decrease fat. It also helps to increase bone density and oxygenate our brains to boost mood and memory retention. In fact, studies show that walking just 10 minutes a day can dramatically reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s as we age. And exercising for at least 45-60 minutes a day, 5 days a week can help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, reduce the risk of Type II diabetes, and help you maintain youthful energy, mental clarity and stamina as you age.
- Eat Healthy Foods—This is another health tip you’ve heard all your life, and for good reason. Years of nutritional data have shown that a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and moderate with regard to red meats will help you to live a longer, healthier, more active life as the years go by. That’s because fresh fruits and vegetables contain phytonutrients and other natural compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown to support a healthy immune system, reduce the risks of cancer and heart disease, and turn back our body’s aging clock.
- Supplement Your Diet—It’s common knowledge among experts that depleted soils, harvesting too early and other factors and farming practices have left the foods we typically think of as naturally healthy nutrient deficient. As a result, it’s the common consensus of nutritional experts that we need to supplement our diets in order to get everything our bodies need. If you’re wondering how to keep up, you can follow experts like this Nu Skin review who update their social accounts with their latest findings on health and nutrition trends. Among the dietary compounds that can promote staying young that we should consider taking in the form of high-quality supplements from reputable companies are Omega-3 fatty acids. Studies show that Omega-3’s can help to stabilize mood, maintain bone strength, and help reduce inflammatory responses throughout your body that manifest themselves as visible signs of aging. Omega-3’s are found naturally in salmon, walnuts, and seeds, and it’s recommended that we take in a minimum of 2 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids daily. Since this isn’t always possible through diet alone a high-quality fish oil supplement is recommended.
- Get Adequate Sleep—Daily stresses are known to cause physical changes in our bodies that can speed up the aging clock. Whatever the cause, stress results in the release of those two well known “stress hormones”, adrenaline and cortisol that elevate our heart rates and our blood pressure. Sleep provides a necessary period of rest and rejuvenation for our bodies by breaking the stress cycle. As we sleep our bodies can rebuild our skeletal matrix and make other needed repairs. And the sleep cycle allows our minds to process problems and transform events into memories, filing them away where they can be easily retrieved. The key to receiving all of the benefits that sleep has to offer is getting enough of it.
According to the National Sleep Foundation there are a number of questions you can ask yourself to help determine if you are getting the amount of sleep that you need. If you find yourself drinking coffee throughout the day to stay alert, then the chances are that you’re not getting enough restful sleep.
Aging is inevitable. But if you form healthy habits in your life right now, such as those discussed above, chances are you’ll not only live longer, you’ll live younger. And you’ll enjoy a rich vibrant and fulfilling life for many years to come.
