Just because you keep having birthdays doesn’t mean that you have to look or feel your age. There are marathon runners, models, yogis, body builders who are well into their 80’s and beyond! So how do these super agers do it? How do you keep mentally and physically healthy as you get older?
Here are our top 9 tips.
1. Sunblock! You have to wear it. Believe it or not you get more damage from UV rays than from the process of aging itself. So make sure that you wear some daily, and that you get a good natural sunblock free of parabens, phthalates, and other chemicals that can actually erode your skin. And don’t forget to re-apply! Even super high SPF sunblocks only really work for 2-3 hours so take sunblock with you when you leave the house on sunny days.
2. Keep your brain sharp by learning new things! And here’s the fine print. You have to learn something that challenges your brain. Vegging out in front of your favorite Discovery channel show isn’t going to cut it. Just like with working out, it has to hurt a little to work best. Your brain has to actually feel like it’s working. So learn a new language, learn to tango, how to sail a boat, or whatever floats your boat!
3. Avoid sugar. It gives you wrinkles, yes seriously. Sugar attaches to the collagen in your skin creating appropriately acronymed compounds called “AGES”, accelerated glycation products. This makes your tissues less elastic, and more brittle, which is bad news for your skin, blood vessels, kidneys and basically almost every part of you. So be good to yourself and pass on the donuts next time.
4. Take Ubiquinol. It’s a more active and absorbable form of Coq10, that helps your body make ATP, which is the energy that your cells produce. You may have already noticed this happening, but after you turn around 30 your energy production starts to drop, and suddenly you can’t stay out until 2am anymore. We’re not saying that it’s healthy to stay out until 2am, but Ubiquinol can help you get the energy back that you had when you were younger. And bonus, it’s also a super potent anti-oxidant, which keeps your cells from taking on oxidative damage that lead to aging effects.
5. Aim to eat nutrient dense foods. Nutrient dense foods are foods that are packed with nutrients despite having few calories. The reason that most Americans are sick and unhealthy is because they are doing the opposite, eating low nutrient high calorie food. And they are missing the wonderful nutrients available to us in whole foods. Nutrient dense foods are like nature’s doctors. They nourish and take care of our bodies on every level. So make sure that your food is full of nutrients, not calories!
6. Pump iron. After age 30 inactive people can lose 3-5% of their muscle mass every decade, so you have to use it or you will lose it. And studies have shown that resistance training actually reverses gene expression of aging. Yes, you heard that right, you can actually reverse, not just slow, but actually reverse the aging process on the DNA level by weight training. So get on it!
7. Get enough sleep. About 7 hours is the sweet spot for most people, with either more or less producing reduced benefits for longevity. Sleep isn’t only about getting rest, when you’re sleeping you regulate your hormones and metabolism, which keep your body running at optimum. Growth hormone initiates cellular repair, and it’s produced while you are getting deep sleep. Sleep is an absolutely essential, non-replaceable component of health. If you’re having trouble sleeping it’s important to find the underlying cause of the issue and treat it.
8. Eat foods that have healthy Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, such as salmon, avocado, and flax seeds. These fatty acids make up your cell membranes, essentially the “skin” of your cells. So getting a healthy intake of these will help your skin retain moisture. Also, they help your body maintain the correct hormone balance, as you get older which prevents premature aging.
9. And of course, get acupuncture! Acupuncturists are trained to detect imbalances, and health issues in the body, by looking at your tongue, feeling different aspects of your pulse, and looking at a wide variety of other signs and symptoms. If health issues are treated early on, future illnesses and disability can be prevented.
