Tips to aging gracefully
Most of us complain about getting older and one thing’s for sure aging is inevitable and it doesn’t come alone. Aging has it’s pros and cons. But when it comes down to it we should appreciate that we actually get to experience old age as many never get the chance.
We should be proud of our accomplishments and appreciative of all the experience, wisdom and insight we’ve accumulated over the years. On a less positive note is that growing old usually means looking and feeling old. And that’s the part that gets most people down.
But we have many choices open to us that can help ward off some of these aging issues.
Natural anti aging skin care
When it comes to our looks there are lots of options with anti-aging skin care systems, creams, serums, procedures and even natural face lifts. So it’s easier to look younger these days. But what good is looking young if you feel old and decrepit and can’t do the things you really want to do?
If you’re proactive in your approach to aging, you’re sure to increase your chances to grow old gracefully and beautifully. Taking care of yourself at any age is important so always keep in mind that prevention is better than a cure. When you follow this rule it will help keep you at your best.
It’s also good that health professionals are shifting their practices toward how to prevent disease and inflammation in the body.
How to stay young
In a very interesting BBC documentary called ‘How To Stay Young’ they did a study of 3 people in the UK. Their ages being in their 40’s and 50’s. All three lived very sedentary lives. Non of them did any form of exercise and didn’t pay attention to their eating habits.
Basically they spent a lot of time on the couch watching TV and ate and drank what they fancied. And one of the women didn’t look overweight at all.
They were each taken through a series of tests which produced a score for each test they did. All of those test results were fed into a special machine. And given those numbers the final result represents what age that person’s body is.
They were all totally shocked to see their results. Each one of them showed that their body was equivalent to a person 25-45 years older than their own actual age.
Lose fat gain muscle
Tests were done to check their present body mass, strength, vitals etc. The male participant who I
believe was under 50 years of age was showing that his body age was that of a 90 year old. And the other two participants showed theirs as 75 and 78 year old bodies.
It was explained that two of the biggest contributors to aging were excess fat and muscle loss. And that they also contribute to lack of balance, blood pressure and cholesterol issues.
Hearing that your body has aged 25-45 years older than your age would be a real shock and should be a wake-up call for anyone! However, the good news is that they were told it was possible to reverse it. And if they wanted to and were committed they could improve their health situation by making lifestyle changes.
How to reverse aging
They put each of them on a 3 month program that they agreed to follow. And after the 3 months they ran the tests again with updated results. They all managed to reduce their score by 8-12 years. Yes, they still had a ways to go to have the body of their actual age. But it was proof that it could be done and they were doing it.
And this should be a good lesson for us all. It’s never too late to change!
If you neglect your health and don’t do what you need to do in order to live a healthy life, you increase your risk of dying earlier. A 50 year old person that’s a couch potato can have the body and mind of a 75 year old or even older.
Make life count
A poor diet and inactivity is the main cause of being overweight and for the loss of muscle. These are key issues in the aging process. But as proven in the study this can be reversed with proper care, eating and exercise.
And it’s interesting to know that even if you look slim you can still be carrying the fat on the inside of your body. It goes unnoticed but it’s putting your health at risk.
You can add life to your years by defying the aging process
About the benefits of exercise
Workouts are great for burning fat, feeling lighter, being more flexible and building muscle as well as helping with balance. Working out also reduces stress, improves posture, strengthens the cardiovascular system, helps digestion, and slows down bone loss.
Weight-training is also an excellent way to build stamina and leaves you less vulnerable to injuries. Building muscles tones your body and boosts metabolism. Also you can use light-weight dumbbells and do bicep curls, squats, calf-raises and lunges. Try to do 3 sets, 10 repetitions, 3 times a week.
Exercises for your brain
Your brain needs to be exercised regularly too. By stimulating your brain it helps keep you focused, increases concentration and memory abilities. Also your lifestyle habits have an impact on whether brain cells stay active or not.
It’s seems possible that dementia may have a genetic component but you can improve your odds by making sure you use your brain and keep your mind sharp. Here are some things that will help you:
- Reading
- Do crosswords, Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles
- Take up some hobbies
- Learn to play a musical instrument
- Take a course on something you have an interest in
- Learn a foreign language
- Go to concerts and the theater
- Play scrabble
- Stay connected to others
The importance of family and relationships
It’s no surprise that relationships and strong social connections are extremely important to healthy aging and longevity. An ongoing 80-year-old Harvard study finds that happy relationships are a better predictor of good health and increased life span than other factors.
Having social interaction helps to reduce stress and loneliness. And this reduces the risk of heart disease and also boosts the immune system.
Eat healthy foods
Incorporating fiber in your diet is a great way to fight chronic diseases. It keeps cholesterol and blood 
sugar levels in check. Plus, it helps you consume fewer calories during the day because it fills you up. And slows down the digestive process.
Also it’s important to reduce sugar intake. By doing so it maximizes your energy levels and reduces inflammations in the body. Processed sugars can be found in high-fat, processed foods. Also avoid drinking sodas at all costs as they are sugar laden and rich in phosphoric acid. This leads to muscle loss, osteoporosis, as well as kidney and heart problems.
Hydrate with water
Drinking ample quantities of water throughout your day helps hydrate your skin as well as improves circulation. Also it increases energy and boosts brain function. Ideally you should drink 8-8oz glasses of water daily.
Also as a part of your meals make it a habit of adding fruits and vegetables also drink a large glass of water with meals.
Get your beauty sleep
Sleep is restorative and very necessary to function properly. It helps build a more vibrant body and brain. And lack of sleep can create a lot of problems including weight gain, low energy, lack of focus and even make you more accident prone.
While the exact number of hours of sleep required varies from one person to another most people do well with 7-8 hours sleep. This is required to help repair and regenerate new cells. Also what doesn’t help is that there are a number of sleep disorders that affects millions of people.
And these sleep disorders make it very difficult for so many people to get the quality of sleep that’s required.
Reduce stress in your life
It’s important to bring stress levels under control because if you don’t it can escalate to anxiety, panic attacks and even depression. Also chronic stress results in reduced functioning of the immune system and cardiovascular diseases.
Stress and anxiety are all related to what’s on our mind, in other words our thoughts. Having constant negative thoughts create a negative environment which will end up affecting your health if not resolved.
The good new is, you do have the ability to change your thoughts and focus on more positive things. You learn to control your thoughts and not let them control you. If you find yourself stuck in negativity a good place to start is with gratitude.
Start with being grateful for what you have and not what you don’t have. Give it a try, to begin just think of 3 things you are grateful for, do it morning and night. And you will begin to experience more positivity in your life.
Practicing gratitude daily
If you’re in a negative mind space you may even struggle to find anything to be grateful for. But even if 
you start off with being grateful for a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in or having food in your cupboard.
You’ll soon realize you do have things to be grateful for and that you are better off than maybe millions of other people. The more you do it the easier it becomes and the more things you’ll find to be grateful for.
To alleviate stress there are also a number of other things you can do that will help. Deep breathing is excellent, go somewhere quiet and start taking some deep breathes and just focus on the present moment. Most of the things that people stress about are things from the past or unknown things in the future, so just practice being in the NOW!
.Other stress relievers and ways to calm the body and mind are…
- Mindful meditation…Studies show that meditation decreases anger, anxiety and depression. This is for the mind and body resulting in an improved mood, better energy, posture, and increased flexibility.
- Yoga… It has the power to oxygenate cells and rid them of harmful toxins. It also keeps your muscles strong and your joints flexible. And the many poses of yoga are designed to work both the inside of your body as well as the outside. Also yoga helps boost the immune system and protecting the body from diseases.
Quit bad habits
Most people’s exposure to smoke has decreased with the non smoking laws in place however many non smokers were exposed for years. And chronic exposure to cigarette smoke is linked to a number of age-related diseases. These include hardening of the arteries, pulmonary fibrosis, and other diseases.
Smoking also speeds up the aging process because it has such a detrimental effect on your skin and teeth. There are other habits besides smoking that you may need to quit like eating junk food, living on take out fast foods.
Also they say a glass of red wine can even be good for you and maybe that’s so, but remember everything in moderation. If you have the need for it maybe one drink per day for women and two for men is just enough to reap its benefits. And remember overindulging leads in premature aging from the inside out.
These are tips on how to live well hopefully you will benefit from them!
