What Is AGING?
Those panic attacks a person suffers after seeing a single grey hair on their head, the stiffness and cracking sounds of the body or suddenly waking up at night, are just some ethereal signs of aging. Aging can also be regarded as a life saving process, and not as failure of body organs or your system. It is not something to be afraid of; rather, it is something to take pride in.
People often tend to calculate aging through the number of years a person has lived, but in reality that is not how you do it. A person can be 45 and more youthful and healthier than a person who is at the age of 25.
At a younger age, it always seems like there is little or no age difference between two individuals, but when we look at a group of people in the same age bracket of 65 years and over, there are a lot of major differences when you compare their physical conditions. Some individuals at the age of 65 are more energetic and youthful, while others might be dull and lazy. The basic reason behind this is the lifestyle that each individual leads.
In order to gain a better understanding of this, studying the causes of aging can help.
Causes of Aging
1. Lifestyle:
Our lifestyle has a great impact on our overall aging process. A poor, lazy lifestyle may lead to aging earlier than usual. A person’s sleep schedule, foods that they eat, beauty products that they use and their drinking habits all contribute a lot to the symptoms of early aging of skin and the rest of your body too.
2. Genes
Most of the time, it’s not poor lifestyle but the genes of an individual that are responsible for the aging process. Some people have a gene or DNA that is programmed to age their skin and body sooner than later. But by maintaining a healthy lifestyle this can be easily nullified.
3. Free Radicals:
These are basically the unstable molecules of chemicals present in your body that prey on healthy cells and damage them. This whole process may trigger aging. Free radicals are also a known cause of forming cancerous cells in a human body.
4. Stress:
Stress can be the root cause of a lot of aging symptoms. This can be due to work pressure and can lead to issues like hair loss, high blood pressure and can also make your body insulin-resistant.
So, stressing out about a situation is only going to worsen it. Trying to incorporate some stress relief exercises like breathing in and out can help control the situation. It is one of the most effective ways to deal with a stressful life.
Rejuvenate
Rejuvenating is a means of reversing the aging process. It makes your skin more youthful and healthier, and you will be more hydrated. This can simply be achieved by following a good lifestyle. Rejuvenation can do wonders when it comes to fighting aging. A healthy skin care routine and detox diet can help a lot in the process of rejuvenation.
Youth, Better Health & Beautiful Skin; Why People Want It?
There is no denying that everyone wants to look beautiful and youthful throughout their life.
Youthfulness, better health and fresh skin are confidence boosters. Better health is something that is necessary to live a life free of anyone’s support. Also, a healthy person tends to age slower than usual.
Proven and Beneficial Ways of Staying Forever Young There are several proven and beneficial ways to keep your body young and the heart happy. A few of them include:
1. Exercise/Workout:
Regular workouts and exercise reduces the risk of arthritis, blood pressure, heart diseases and cholesterol. All of these factors contribute to early aging. By using the gym regularly, you can avoid all of these factors. It is not necessary to commit to a hard core training when your body doesn’t allow you to. But by doing simple yoga postures or aerobics, your need for a body workout can be fulfilled.
2. Proper Sleeping Schedule:
You need 6-7 hours of proper sleep every night on time. This means you should be in bed by 9:00 or 12:00 a.m. and wake up at around 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. A famous proverb says: “early to bed, early to rise makes a person healthy, happy and wise.”
A poor sleep schedule can lead to poor body functioning, which means that the human body will be tired and left sleep deprived. This will eventually result in anger issues, poor health and bad eating habits as well.
3. Avoid Alcohol:
Alcohol and drinking habits are among the major factors contributing to early aging of the body.
In order to stay young forever, avoid drinking on a regular basis. Replace your alcoholic drinks from smoothies and fresh juices.
4. Use Sunscreen:
A lot of the time, people think of sunscreen as optional and mostly try to avoid it. They fail to realize how harmful UV rays are for the skin. UV rays tan the outer layer of your skin but also make it age faster. They increase the aging process and make fine lines and wrinkles appear on your face much earlier than they ordinarily would.
There are some foods that can slow down the aging process when consumed. These foods include:
– Berries
– Walnuts and Almonds
– Green Tea
– Prunes
– Lemon Juice
– Tomatoes
– Eggs
The nutritional value of these foods and how they contribute to you staying young forever is discussed in chapter IV.
History behind REJUVENATION 101
Facial rejuvenation is the latest trend as it is increasing day by day. Many people opt for it to avoid aging and to look younger. Rejuvenation is basically a cosmetic treatment that involves different steps. It is essential to follow these steps properly in order to achieve desired results.
The two types of rejuvenation are surgical and non-surgical.
Surgical Rejuvenation targets the depths. It can correct facial symmetry by altering the skin.
Non-Surgical rejuvenation is more of a shallow treatment. It focuses on wrinkles, freckles and hyper pigmentation.
However, it is always better to avoid any surgical methods and live a natural and organic life. This will automatically enhance the beauty and freshness of your skin.
Myths about Aging
There are numerous myths that are linked to aging. A lot of the time people believe these myths and start thinking of it as an aging process. These myths are not the real cause of aging, and we can discuss broadly what these myths related to aging are:
Myth: If You Didn’t Exercise In Your 20s, 30s, 40s; It’s Too Late To Start In Your 60s, 70s, 80s
It is never too late to start working out. A study was conducted where people at the age 70 plus are given a workout plan. By the end of their workout program, it was observed that their muscles are stronger than before.
Myth: Getting Older Makes People Depressed
Depression is not something that is found in older people only. These days it can be easily found in people of any age. As depression is becoming more common day by day, treatment is also more widely available now, and is becoming advanced.
It is easy to treat depression only if people admit that they need help. The depression gets worst because people refuse to get it treated and it further develops memory and learning problems.
Myth: You Lose Your Creativity As You Age
Creativity actually offers great benefits for older people. Painting, gardening and doing other creative arts lets you stay active and sane. It helps older people divert their attention away from the thoughts they may have concerning their body aging. A study had a group of older people join a choir. It was noted that the older people felt less depressed, more active and happy by the end of the study.
Myth: Your Brain Shrinks with Your Age
The hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory was said to be smaller in older people as compared to younger people. Later, a study was conducted where Dr. Lupien scanned the brains of people in the age bracket of 18-84. The results showed that people from 18-24 years of age had smaller hippocampuses than of the ones in some adults. Hence, it was concluded that the shrinking of the hippocampus was not due to ageing but due to stress.
Myth: Your Joints Become Creaky and Ache More
Your joints don’t get creaky when you age. There are a lot of young people who face this issue of creaky joints too. The core reason for creaky joint is lack of exercise. As scientists say, that even by developing a simple habit of walking daily, every morning, this problem can be nullified.
If older people follow an exercise routine they can avoid all the myths that are related to aging.
Misconceptions and Myths
The desire to look young has always existed since the dawn of human civilization. Going back in history, there were plenty of myths regarding anti-aging. Let’s discuss a few of these those misconceptions at some length:
1. Black Magic:
Back in the 18th century, there were people who believed that they can gain youth by performing black magic. They would sit inside of graves or stand on one leg throughout the night to please the dark lord. In some extremes, people would even sacrifice certain animals. For example, the mythic animal, the unicorn. People used to believe that by consuming a unicorn’s blood they would stay forever young.
None of which is true. Neither does the unicorn exist nor does any such thing as staying forever
young.
2. Ancient Times:
The ancient Greek, Egyptians and Indians had their own misconceptions regarding ageing and staying forever young. The Greeks and Egyptians thought that using soap for bathing would make their skin age earlier than usual. So they would use baking soda for bathing.
The Greek used to think that the use of olive oil instead of typical moisturizer would make their skin healthy and dewy. This can be considered useful because recent studies also claim that the lesser use of chemicals on your skin helps in preserving youthfulness.
On the other hand, Indians used sandalwood. They would use it to clean and moisturize their skin. Even today, sandalwood is used in various skin treatments. Indians would always mix sandalwood with other ingredients to make creams and skin care remedies. Studies have shown that sandalwood in its purest form is more effective.
3. Consuming Virgin Blood for Immortality:
There was a time in the late 17th century when people believed that consuming the blood of a virgin human would make them immortal. These were people who desperately had the desire to stay young and live forever. They would sacrifice humans for the sake of youthfulness.
At that time, people used to think that the witches were real, and that it was these witches that consumed virgin human blood to stay young forever.
All these misconceptions and superstitions are now largely forgotten, and thankfully nobody goes out for the search of unicorns or to sacrifice humans to drink virgin blood. These misconceptions were created by people who were desperate to gain youthfulness.
Modern Time Anti-Aging
As the time passes, the anti-aging techniques have evolved drastically. Still people are as concerned and even obsessed about their age as they were before, although the desires are not as creepy as they used to be. However, the side effects of these anti-aging treatments have gotten worse. Below are some most famous anti-aging treatments that this generation often opts for without giving a second thought to its harmful side effects.
1. Facial Laser
2. Botox
3. Plastic Surgery
Mind Over Matter
There is a negative connotation attached to aging. People view aging as a bad thing, and are downright afraid of it. However, aging is a natural process. Naturally, you don’t want to look older than you are. Most people today, thanks to the modern sedentary lifestyle and pollutants, experience premature aging, which can be a bad thing. But, aging itself is not to be feared.
In fact, aging is a beautiful thing. As you age, you become more experienced. The cells in your body are storing all the experiences and memories you go through in life. Over the years, you will do many great things and consume many good nutrients. Your cells will retain all these things and nutrients, and multiply their capacity, thereby enhancing their impact on your health and appearance.
Simply put, adopting a positive lifestyle and eating right can help you keep the effects of aging at bay. However, the opposite is also true. Aging is a bad thing only if you have predominantly bad experiences and your nutrition is poor.
Fortunately for you, these factors are controllable. In other words, aging is within your control. A majority of people perceive aging as a natural part of their life, one that they usually aren’t prepared to deal with. The reason you don’t need to fear aging is you can control the way you age.
Coming back to the point, ask anyone about what they feel about aging and the reaction will be negative 9 times out of 10.
Aging: The Negative Stereotype
People, old and young, are afraid of aging. As they grow old, the fear only intensifies. The main reason for this negative stereotype is the prevalence of health problems related to aging. The list of medical issues is extensive, including loss of mobility, dementia, inability to focus, and impaired memory. Obviously, no one would want to experience any of these conditions.
That said, as mentioned, all these consequences of the aging process are preventable. The key is
to take good care of yourself. In a way, it’s all mental. Your mind can help you change the way you age, making it a natural progression of your life rather than something inevitable that you
are dreading.
The Incentive to Get Younger
There are many reasons why you might want to hang on to your youth. You want to escape the health problems related to aging, while at the same time, reliving the best time of your life. When you were younger, you would have more energy and more vigor, being able to do anything you desire.
However, the techniques and methods people resort to in a bid to get younger can cause additional stress. They place so much strain on themselves to look and feel younger that it only serves to accelerate the aging process.
Stress-related aging is probably the worst way to age. You will age faster, and at the same time, face all the negative things associated with the process. Not to mention, your quality of life will be restricted as you age.
A study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences showed that adjusting to aging can be a stressful experience for people if they feel their mortality is compromised with each passing day. Having a positive outlook, on the other hand, can affect your ability to age gracefully, ensuring that you enjoy a decent lifestyle even as you grow older.
How to Fix These Problems
Luckily for you, it’s all in the mind. Taking control of your mindset and leading a healthy lifestyle can help you put off the negative effects of aging. Moreover, you can fix most of the problems mentioned above by following some simple steps, including.
Exercise More
Believe it or not, working out for 30 minutes a day, three days a week, can help you stay fit and in shape. When your fitness and health are at optimum, you will enjoy life more and be able to counter the impact of aging.
You should work out more than you currently do. We will look at this in one of the chapters below. Keep in mind that you don’t have to become a gym rat to benefit from the positive effects of exercise. You can simply take up jogging. Jogging is a great workout for your mood and cardiovascular health, two factors that help you fight off aging.
Moreover, when you perspire while exercising, your body releases toxins. These toxics can cause health issues and weight gain, and hence expelling them is crucial.
Eat Right
You are what you eat. This adage has become a cliché but it holds true. Eat healthy and you stay healthy. Eat sugary and fried foods, and your health suffers and you gain weight. Your diet needs to feature the necessary nutrients that keep you healthy.
The nutrients you need to increase your intake of include fiber and protein. Consuming foods rich in these nutrients helps your body detoxify itself naturally. You can ward off diabetes and cardiovascular diseases by watching what you eat. These problems can cause premature aging and hence preventing them is important.
In addition to eating health and nutrient-rich foods, you need to cut down your intake of ‘garbage’. These include fast food, sodas, desserts, and any other type of food that is high in calories and sugar, and low on nutrition.
Empower Your Mind
As mentioned above, your cells store experiences and memories, negative and positive. Negative experiences and poor nutrition contribute to premature aging. You have to empower your mind, changing your mindset towards aging.
This includes removing the negative emotions you feel when you think about growing old. You need to accept the fact that you will age. There is no way you can prevent aging, but you can control the way you go about.
When you embrace aging, you won’t face any stress because of it. Keep in mind that it is the stress associated with aging that leads to health problems and other harmful effects. Therefore, empowering your mind is crucial so that aging becomes a positive experience for you and you are able to transition without hassle.
The bottom-line is that it’s all in mind. Control your mind and adapt your mindset to accept aging as a part of life and you are better placed to tackle the process.
The Powers Within You
“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” ― Mary Kay Ash
The purpose of this guide is to enlighten you to the power of your mind. Your ability to adapt your mindset to achieve your goals is the key to enjoy a fulfilling life. However, people face limiting beliefs, particularly in the context of aging.
The negative stereotyping of aging has led to a multitude of myths and misconceptions about aging going around. Many people tend to believe that these myths are in fact true and hence, they give up before they even start.
Understanding Limiting Beliefs
In the previous chapter, we highlighted the fact that your cells store memories and experiences.
These stores of information become the foundation of your perceptions, and these perceptions in turn fuel your belief system.
When presented with a viewpoint, the way you perceive it determines whether or not you accept it. If you do, it becomes a belief. In the case of aging, if you assume that aging is a negative process and you can’t do anything about it, sooner or later this becomes a limiting belief. You feel paralyzed when you think about taking any action to overcome this limitation.
This reason is why it is critical that you should not fear aging. Fear is a negative emotion after all, and once you attach this emotion to any experience, it transforms into a limiting belief. You start believing you can’t, even if you know you can.
As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” Your belief will fuel your perception of the situation at hand. By attaching a positive mindset to the concept of aging, you can empower your mind and your body to take the necessary actions to make the transition smoother, while countering the negative effects that it brings along.
It is important that you realize that your beliefs are not proven facts. As stated, your perception towards something transforms into belief, and thus, by altering your perception, you can overcome limiting beliefs.
Adopting a ‘Can Do’ Attitude
Believe you can do something is important. Without this mindset, you won’t be able to achieve the goals you desire. However, you can’t discount the power of a limiting belief. Limiting beliefs are there for a reason. Since these beliefs are shaped by your experiences, their primary purpose is protecting you.
That said, the intention behind the limiting belief might not be relevant to your current situation.
Remember, it’s all in the mind. You have to convince yourself that the limiting belief you are holding is no longer providing any benefit to you. Some people believe they can’t start working out because they are ‘too old’. Some people blame external factors for their behaviors, such as eating junk food.
By letting go of your limiting beliefs, you create room for new affirmative beliefs. Here are some steps you can follow to complete this process:
Question Your Existing Beliefs
As mentioned, limiting beliefs are there for reason. They hold you back from taking actions that can potentially result in devastating consequences. However, sometimes, limiting beliefs run their course and end up causing more harm than good.
Case in point, you have to start eating right if you want to achieve the anti-aging benefits we are outlining in this guide. Now, you might feel it is impossible for you to change your dietary preferences all of a sudden. In this situation, your limiting belief is holding you back from making a positive change.
Therefore, you need to sit down and evaluate if your limiting belief is doing you any good. More importantly, you should come up with ideas that steer you in the direction of your goals, and then assess if any new beliefs are more in line with what you require.
Define Your Goals
Empowering your mind by adopting a new belief is only possible when you have an end goal in sight. Hence, you need to define the goals you want to achieve. Do you want to counter the negative effects of aging? Do you want to achieve control over the aging process? When you answer these questions in the affirmative, these become the goals you wish to achieve.
Your new belief should allow you to focus your mindset towards a positive outlook when it comes to aging and moreover, help you overcome the limiting beliefs that are keeping you from doing so. By believing in something, you are taking a leap of faith. Your mind and body will perceive your belief as the way to go. If you believe what you are doing is right, you can expect your physical, mental, and overall health to improve.
Overcoming Social Stigmas
This point will keep recurring through the guide, as society’s perception of aging is the reason most people are unable to take steps to counter its effects. Just because everyone says aging is negative doesn’t mean it is. You have plenty of examples to look in terms of people who have defied the odds.
Off the top of your head, you can think of two prominent names of 70-year old superstars with incredible physiques that can put youngsters to shame: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester
Stallone. It may seem like they missed the memo everyone else received about aging being a negative process.
As the adage goes, age is a just a number. Arnold and Sly have proven that, and if they can, so can you. Society cannot dictate who you are. You are in control of your beliefs, your behavior, your choices, and your life. You can be who you want to be, and no one should tell you otherwise.
You Are Too Old To…
This is a statement you will keep hearing regularly as you age. People will tell you that you are too old to do this and too old to do that. Again, age is just a number when you overcome limiting beliefs and maintain a positive mindset. Don’t let people’s words weigh you down. Of course, if they offer constructive criticism, use it to improve yourself.
You have to carve your own path in life. Doing so will give you the motivation and strength to achieve what you desire. Learn to ignore what others say and power on. Harness the power of your mind to achieve your goals!
Knowledge Knows NO Limits
A common limiting belief people have is that it is too late for them to learn something new. You can, in fact, learn at any age. Knowledge knows no limits and it is simply up to you to challenge yourself to learn something different.
Often, limiting beliefs compel you to make excuses. These excuses are lame and hold no validity.
Yet, you are unable to convince your mind that you can overcome the hurdle and thus, don’t even make the required effort.
What you need to realize is that practice makes perfect. If you do something constantly, you will get better at it over time. Your body and mind adapts to what you learn, regardless of your age.
It is possible that as you grow older, learning new things takes more time than before. However, that does not mean you cannot learn anymore.
It’s Never Too Late to Learn
Bring to mind the time when you were learning to drive a car. You would have probably taken your dad’s car around the block a few times, and then, with the passage of time, started driving over increasing distances.
The reason why your dad asked to start slow or take baby steps is because it takes time to develop muscle memory. Once your body and mind get used to the habits necessary for driving, you don’t have to actively think what to do next. You react to a given situation on the road without burdening your mind.
You can transpose this process to learning anything you want, regardless of what stage in life you are at currently. You shouldn’t assume that just because certain behaviors are too rooted in you that you won’t be able to challenge yourself to take on new habits.
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way
When you have limiting beliefs clouding your mind, you are likely to make excuses rather than making the effort to learn. You have to motivate yourself to make a positive change. Adjusting your mindset to overcome your limiting belief is the first step. The second, and more important, step is taking the desired action.
Often, people hold themselves back from trying something new. The fear of the unexplored can be off-putting. Even if you want to try something, this fear can hold you back, to the point that you are scared of taking any action.
What you need to understand is that your capacity for learning influences your mindset towards aging. You are officially OLD when you stop learning and working out. Follow the tips we provide over the course of this guide and you will stay YOUNG. Isn’t that what you want?
Did you know that grandaunts in China can perform quick calculations on their feet? They don’t have to resort to using a calculator when playing mah-jong, or when negotiating in the market.
The reason is that their brains are active all the time, always ‘moving’.
If they can, why can’t you? The same principle applies to your mind and body. By keeping your mind and body ‘moving’, you too can perform at peak levels. Even though you are starting late, but wouldn’t you rather give it a shot? After all, you don’t want your senses and mobility to weaken as you age, do you?
How to Get Started
The best way to start ‘moving’ is by adopting a light workout routine. We will cover exercise and workouts in a later chapter in greater detail. Now, you might be tempted to go all in, putting in the hard yards and spending a lot of time exercising. However, that can backfire.
Even youngsters, when they start working out, are advised to take things slow. They warm up before their workout, and gradually increase their intensity once their body gets used to the rigor.
You have to do the same. Start lightly and when your body is ready for the strain, increase the difficulty level of your workout.
Do note that it won’t be smooth sailing throughout. You will feel that the workout is difficult.
Your muscles start to ache on a daily basis. You might even find yourself running out of breath.
Hence, you may feel that your age is catching up and you should no longer persist with the workouts.
You have to overcome this defeatist attitude. Every time you feel like giving up, you should ask yourself the following questions:
• Do you want to live younger?
• Do you want to regain your youth and vigor?
• How badly do you want your glory days back?
Answering these questions will give you the motivation to keep pushing on. Again, if others can do it, why can’t you?
These ‘others’ include some well-known names as well. Julianne Moore is 53 years old, Nicole Kidman just turned 50, and Naomi Watts and Sandra Bullock are both 49. These lovely ladies don’t look a day over beautiful, and the reason for this is that they keep ‘moving’. They persist, they learn, and they work out regularly.
What You Gain
Putting in the effort to work out is worth your while. It’s a foregone conclusion that you won’t be as vigorous as you were during your younger years, but the experience and wisdom you have gained over the years will compensate for that. You would still be better off than you are now.
Adversity is a part of life. Every person faces challenges. Even the most privileged people on the face of the planet, including kings and rulers in the past, dealt with difficulties. The reason they managed to preserve their thrones and achieve greatness is because they had the will to overcome hurdles.
Facing the challenges that life throws your way head-on is the way to go. Your fight or flight response to any situation determines the kind of life you will live. Fight and you have the chance to win. Flee and you will definitely end up losing. The choice is yours!
The Nourishment of Your Soul Begins With What You Eat
Moving on from the power of the mind, you need to fuel your body if you want to live younger.
As mentioned, you are what you eat. Eat right and you will live right. Eat young and you will stay young, even as your body ages.
The key to making your diet work in your favor is to focus on nutrition and nourishment. Finding the right balance is important. You don’t want to starve yourself in a bid to reduce your calorie intake. At the same time, you cannot eat food that doesn’t provide the adequate nutrition.
Luckily for you, this balance is easier to achieve than it may seem at first. Healthy eating doesn’t mean eating bland, tasteless concoctions that you can hardly shove down your throat. You need to be moderate. Consume everything in moderation and you are good to go.
There are some simple principles you can follow when deciding what to eat. You want to look and feel younger and therefore, you have to pick food items that complement your goals perfectly. Here are a few tenets you should adhere to:
- Load your plate with items that are rich in nutrients. The best sources of nutrition are whole grains, nuts, lean protein, seafood, and the good ol’ fruits and veggies.
- Opt for variety instead of eating the same foods over and over. Moreover, with variety, you provide your body with a wider range of minerals, vitamins, and other good stuff.
- Watching your diet alone isn’t going to do the trick. You need to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which includes a proper sleep and exercise routine, to derive the maximum benefit from your nutrition.
What to Eat
Knowing what to eat is crucial for balancing your diet. Here are some foods with proven anti aging benefits:
Oranges
Starting with the citrus family, oranges are a great source of hydration, while being rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C is an integral part of the collagen production process, and as you know, you need collagen to prevent the signs of aging on your skin. You can also try pink grapefruits for some variety.
Salmon
Salmon is loaded with healthy omega-3 fats. These fats help prevent the risk of cancer. Not to mention, salmon is tasty and you can eat it grilled or with brown rice.
Lean Beef
Lean beef is a great source of protein. Protein is another important building block for collagen.
You can also opt for chicken if you don’t want to eat the same type of meat every day.
Whole Grains
Whole grains, oats in particular, have a low glycemic index. You can consume large quantities of these items without causing your blood sugar to rise dramatically. Not only this, foods that are high on the glycemic index can lead to wrinkles and other skin ailments.
These are just a few of the foods you can try for anti-aging benefits.
What Not to Eat
Knowing what not to eat is perhaps more important than knowing what to eat when it comes to anti-aging. As mentioned, you need to strike the right balance between nutrition and nourishment. A vital part of this is cutting out foods that can cause weight gain and are loaded with sugar.
The first thing you need to stop consuming is fast food. Pizzas, fried chicken, and burgers are delicious, no doubt, but they can wreak havoc on your system. They contain elements that cause blood sugar spikes, and their calorie count is beyond the number you can burn through regular exercise.
The same goes for junk food. Don’t reach out for a bag of crisps when you get the munchies.
Stuffing your face with candy and chocolates is also a strict no-no. Fast food and junk food, both, can make you feel lethargic and exhausted. Your productivity will be compromised, and that’s not good for anti-aging.
The Risk of Lapsing
Along the way, there is a risk that you lapse and fall back on old habits. The old behaviors that are rooted in your personality and lifestyle can overpower your will to eat healthy. You need to be disciplined if you want to enjoy the benefits of eating right.
This includes giving up unhealthy habits that can sabotage your efforts to look and feel young.
Abstain from drinking alcohol, and don’t smoke or use drugs. The temptation will always be there, particularly when you are giving up certain foods that you are otherwise used to eating.
This point is where you should pause and take a deep breath. Remind yourself of the reason why you started making an effort to improve yourself. Understanding this will enable you to control cravings and urges.
We are living in a time where healthy snacking is not just possible but a tastier option as compared to many of the food items you like eating. Today, you can find a burger made using ‘meatless meat’, which tastes great. Look for alternatives to the snacks and foods you like and you will find healthier options.
Principles of Clean Eating
Here are some rules that you need to follow to bolster your diet:
-
- Toxicity can lead to a host of health problems and also cause you to look older than you are. You need to detoxify your system from time to time, and including antioxidants in your diet is the ideal way to do so. Consuming foods rich in antioxidants will keep your skin taut, supple, and free of blemishes. The best options are foods that contain large quantities of vitamins C and E. Green tea is another great antioxidant provider, helping you cleanse your system.
- Your food intake should comprise primarily of macronutrients. You have to find the right mix of carbs, proteins, and good fats. There is some trial and error involved here, as you need to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Some tips you can follow include reducing your carb intake and focusing on complex carbs. Also, cut down your intake of fats other than omega-3 fatty acids. This will ensure you get adequate nutrition and nourishment, and at the same time, feel full and content.
- Did you know that older people tend to drink less water than youngsters? A key cause of premature aging is lack of adequate hydration. Drink sufficient amounts of water throughout the day. Lack of water can cause skin problems and impair your cardiovascular health. Also, your body will not be able to absorb the nutrients you consume if you aren’t sufficiently hydrated. Hence, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Moreover, you should include fruits and veggies with high water content in your diet.
Following the tips provided here will ensure you can stick to a balanced diet that helps you stay nourished and provides you the nutrition you require. Since there are sufficient options in terms of foods that offer the nutrition you need for anti-aging, it is a good idea to stay away from supplements and other auxiliary sources of nutrients.
First Step Towards Achieving Greatness And Beyond…
Develop a habit of daily exercise and you are halfway there. Everybody knows that exercise and working out is good for health. But little do they know that it can contribute greatly towards maintaining youth or even regaining it. Working out daily keeps the body active. It also helps in maintaining good mental health.
Scientists made a study and found out that people who have a workout routine are more active and youthful as compared to those who lead a moderate lifestyle that doesn’t include daily exercises. Just because a person has reached the age of 40 doesn’t mean they are 40 physically as well. There are a lot of people who work out regularly and their physical appearance are much younger compared to their fellow aged people.
However, working out regularly is good for the mind and body but starting a vigorous workout routine from zero can cause body aches and other tiring issues. So, start working out slowly and gradually.
Benefits of Regular Workout and Exercises
A routine exercise can benefit every human being in various ways. It will keep the mind and body young and youthful. Some of the benefits that a person can gain by exercising regularly are pointed out below:
• Working out regularly will allow the mind to think better and function actively. A workout routine will make the mind younger and sharper over the years. It will also help in making prompt and good decisions.
• Exercising will make the human body a little tired than usual, which further assists in sleeping early at night. As the saying goes, early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, happy and wise!
• It will get your blood pumping, which eliminates risks of high or low blood pressure. A workout regime will make sure that every part of the body gets blood that it needs to function properly.
• Exercising regularly will give the human body a regular dose of fresh oxygen. Also, sweating will detoxify the body by removing all the toxic chemicals that are hidden inside the body.
• A healthy routine workout will also prevent arthritis as well. Working out makes the joints and bones stronger, therefore decreasing the risk of arthritis by 60% – 70%.
• Finally working out helps in preventing various other diseases as well. Such as: diabetes, cholesterol and scoliosis.
Now that we have known the numerous benefits of exercising, let’s see what exercises should be included in the regular workout routine.
Weight Lifting
The stereotype that weight lifting is done by wrestler and body builders only has come to an end.
Weight lifting can be done by normal people who also who want to stay fit. It has been proven that weight lifting exercises have increased the number of cancer survivors.
Strength training significantly helps in maintaining the youth and prevents the body from any physical problems that are related to aging. It makes the muscles stronger, fastens the metabolism system, makes the bones robust and helps in maintaining an attractive appearance.
Yoga
An easy way to maintain youthfulness is practicing yoga. Yoga not only strengthens the muscles but also makes it flexible. There are many yoga poses that helps in preventing the body from aging and keeping it young.
Some of the yoga postures that keep the mind and body in shape are:
• Warrior Pose: It focuses on the calves and knee joints. Makes the joints strong and prevents the risks of falling. Do this pose daily five times and notice a significance difference in your life.
• Forward Bend: This yoga pose strengthens and stretches the overall muscles of the body. Flexibility is a crucial factor when the human body reaches the age of 35 plus. This yoga pose will definitely increase your flexibility.
• Tree Pose: Strengthens abdominal, arms and calves’ muscles. It increases the balances of your body as well.
• Seated Twist: This yoga pose increases the strength of your lower back and makes it flexible. By doing this yoga posture daily, your back and upper body muscles will improve flexibility.
Try incorporating these yoga poses in your daily lifestyle and begin to notice a big change in your mind as well as your body.
Did you know that the increasing technology innovations has contributed to the advancements in daily workouts as well? The new as of now are of face yoga is followed by a lot of people in recent times. Face yoga basically involves facial exercises that help in preventing fine lines on the face and smooths the wrinkles. So there is no need of getting botox and other surgical treatments. Face yoga is way cheaper than all the surgical treatments, the results might be slow but are non-harmful and lasting.
High Intensity Aerobics
Researchers have found out that high intensity aerobics training not only slow down the aging process but it can also reverse the aging. Ordinary aerobics can be easily done at the ease of home but for high intensity aerobics training going to the gym is important. Getting a trainer is another important thing for this exercise.
High intensity aerobics can increase the protein levels in the body because it revolves around a high protein diet. This means that the body energy will increase eventually.
It is suggested to incorporate this high intensity workout exercise to your daily routine so that the mind and body can stay younger because this exercise is associated with age reversing benefits that it should be given an importance.
It is also observed that high intensity workouts have faster results that last longer.
Running/Jogging
A new research has found that jogging every day for 30-40 minutes is beneficial for slowing down the aging process. Jogging reduces the shortage of telomeres in the human body. Telomeres are like a protective cap at the end chromosomes which are like threads in the DNA. The shortage of telomeres causes non productivity of new cells.
Jogging 5 days a week will also increase the metabolism as well as the stamina of the body. It is essential to have a running or jogging routine for the production of telomeres in the human body.
Remember that any exercise routine isn’t going to stop the aging process. It will only slow it down. Following these workout plans will keep the human body strong and healthy for longer period. Start from meditation and small workout plans and gradually shift to high intensity workouts.
Know that no workout routine will help you if you have a poor diet. Make sure to incorporate a healthy diet with your workout routine. It will give more fruitful results.
The Secrets to Looking Forever Young…
In the previous chapter, we emphasized the importance of working out to boost your cardiovascular health and stamina. Once your body is used to the rigor of regular exercises, you can step things up and focus on shaping and toning your physical body.
The range of exercises you need to try out for shaping your appearances revolves mainly around weight training. You can stick to your previous routine so that your stamina doesn’t slip, while at the same time, incorporating weight training into the mix.
The Importance of Toning and Shaping
You are as old as you feel, but your appearance also plays a part. Some aspects of your physical appearance can make you look older than you are. These include flabby arms, saggy cheeks, loose skins, and bat wings.
It is likely that you have seen the old lady in your neighborhood with the saggy and flabby physique. Needless to say, her physique betrays her age. You have to take the steps necessary to prevent and overcome these ‘abnormalities’.
Including weight training and strengthening exercises in your workout will help you build muscles. As a result of this, you can cut down fat, tighten your skin, and lose the extra padding around your waist. You have to be mentally prepared for the effort you have to invest to take up weight training.
More importantly, you should be aware of the risk of plateau-ing. When you start weight training, it is likely that you will see quick results. You start losing fat and body starts toning up. However, there will come a time when your body stops responding to your workout.
The reason for this is simple: your body has gotten familiar with the workout. This is where you need to jazz up your routine and opt for different exercises. You should have a Plan B in place even before you start weight training, which is Plan A. When Plan A no longer bears results, you can opt for Plan B. This could mean changing the exercises you do or adjusting your routine.
The More You Sweat, The More You Burn
No one likes to perspire. However, when you are performing strengthening exercises, the more you sweat, the more calories you burn, and the more your body will tone up. You can think of sweat as your body fat crying. The tears roll out in the form of sweat bullets.
The effort you are investing in weight training will go a long way towards helping you attain youth longevity. The recipe for our Elixir to Longevity is Cardiovascular Exercises + Weight Training + Toning Your Physical Body.
And you can draw your inspiration from the people around you. Surely, you would have met someone your age who looks more like their kids than you. You can see that these methods and techniques work. You don’t have to resort to supplements, surgery, or starvation to live younger!
Why You Should Work Out Outdoors
It has always been advised by doctors and other physical activists that training outside in fresh air is always better than indoor gyms. There is a lot fresher oxygen outdoors. The indoor gyms are mostly packed and air conditioned which prevents the body from sweating while working out. It can be very harmful for the body.
The increasing technological advancements have limited the children and even adults from leaving the houses. Everything is available at the ease of home even there are websites that deliver the groceries at the door step. This has affected the physical activities and outdoor activities in a very negative way.
Incorporating outdoor activities in your daily lifestyle can reduce the aging process by 60%. It has been observed that people who go out and play outdoor games have better metabolism and energy.
Reasons to Work Out Outdoors:
• Studies have proven that working outdoors reduces the risk of blood pressure. The fresh air and oxygen present in the environment significantly helps in reducing stress as well.
• Exercising outdoor greatly helps in fighting insomnia. Working out outdoor will provide your body and mind with fresh air whilst assisting you in falling asleep easily at night.
• Outdoor workout will increase the exposure of body to the sun. Sunlight has numerous benefits present in it for the human body. It is considered a great source of vitamin D, but do make sure that you put on sunscreen before going out in the sun.
• The most important thing about outdoor activities is that it is free of charge. Any park or staircase can easily serve as the workout prop or platform.
• Outdoor workout offers variations. When you work out outdoors, it is easy to practice a variety of different techniques. Doing so would not make a person bored like regular gym workout does.
• Different environment will keep the mind healthy and bring more excitement in the workout sessions.
There are a lot of outdoor activities that can help in slowing down the aging process one of it is discussed in chapter 3 i.e. “Jogging”. Its discussed in detail that how jogging significantly helps in slowing down the aging process.
Some other outdoor activities that can slow down the aging process and help in staying fit and young include:
Cycling
It helps in keeping the lower back, abdominal, and calves muscles strong. Cycling causes the body to sweat which drains out all the toxins from the body by which the body and mind healthy, young and fresh.
Tennis
Tennis is the most favorite game for fitness lovers. It is like a complete body workout. It includes running and stretching. Tennis is not only good for maintaining a good body and it also increases the balances and reflex actions of the body.
Walking
Walking might sound simple but is great exercise for people who are too lazy to follow any other workout routine. Just a simple 30 minutes’ walk inside the community a person lives in is good enough to strengthen the joints. Also, it will give you plenty of sunshine.
Research have proven that even just by looking at pictures of nature reduces the stress and avoid blood pressure issue. So just imagine how beneficial it will be working out in nature. All the benefits discussed above are more than enough to start working out in nature.
Ditching the gym is not the option. Dividing days for indoor and outdoor workout is the key. As important as outdoor workout is indoor strength training is also very crucial for fighting the factors that age the mind and the body.
Instead of paying off huge amounts for gym membership, go to a park and there will be numerous workouts that can be done there. The amount that is paid for gym membership can be utilized and spend on healthier foods.
Crazy Powerful Thing Called Faith
When all else fails, put your trust in the almighty. As we have stressed over the course of this guide, living young takes considerable effort. You have to change your entire lifestyle, let go of some habits and behaviors, and even change your belief system.
You have to learn to believe in yourself, make a commitment, and be as disciplined as a monk.
Yet, there is still the chance that the results don’t meet your expectations. So, what should you do in this situation? Should you give up, persist, or start again?
If you are doing your best, there’s no reason to stop now. The only thing you need is a guiding light, and your faith in God can prove the elixir you require for longevity. There is no dearth of people who have achieved miraculous things in life on the basis of their faith. If they can do it, so can you.
In fact, relying on your faith is a superior alternative to over-worrying. Naturally, you will face some level of stress and anxiety when despite your best efforts, you are unable to achieve your goal. At this point, you have to pray to the almighty to provide the guidance and support you need.
Steer Clear of Negativity
Negativity is the nemesis to longevity. You need to think positive and live positive if you want to extend your youth and put off the signs of aging. A simple negative emotion can send your entire effort spiraling out of control. Why waste the time and energy you have invested in this endeavor?
Instead, you have to believe that you can do it. Strengthen your faith by tapping into your spiritual self and seeking refuge in God. Be thankful for what you have managed to achieve and pray to God to give you the strength to accomplish what you set out to achieve.
You cannot afford to have any regrets. Many people venture out on the journey to improve themselves, taking the steps necessary to achieve results. However, when they fail to see the end line, they give up and curse themselves for ‘wasting all that time and effort’.
Even if you don’t manage to craft the perfect version of yourself that you envisioned, this whole process is by no means a waste. You are better off today than you were yesterday. And that is something most people can’t say about themselves. There’s plenty to thank God for, and there’s no room for regret.
Appreciate the Progress
It’s unfathomable that you don’t see any results from your efforts. Maybe you didn’t get to where you wanted, but you surely would have made some progress along the way. Let’s say you wanted a toned physique along with bringing down your weight. Even if you lost a few kgs, you have achieved something.
A key aspect of this process is to believe that God has planned out your life for you. He will recognize your efforts and you will receive the rewards you deserve. Perhaps, this is not the right time for you to reach the finish line. Keep the faith, persevere, and continue making your best effort. The results will surely follow.
Should You Keep Going?
The answer to the aforementioned question is yes, absolutely. That said, you should still have a realistic timeframe for achieving your dreams and goals. Maybe the process will take longer than you initially expected, but at least you are hopeful that you will get there.
At the same time, it is important to be open to other options. If you feel your progress is slow or you have stagnated, you can seek professional assistance. A trainer can help you uncover the reasons behind your slow progress and set you on the correct path.
Their insight can prove invaluable in terms of changing your routine to correspond to your goals.
For instance, the reason you are not able to achieve the results you desire might be
• Your genetics
• Unsuitability of the workout
• Incompatible dietary habits
If you place your faith in God, you will have the will and desire to push yourself further. Making the necessary changes will enable you to overcome the hurdle and get to the finish line.
Lastly, and most importantly, when you achieve your goal, thank God for his blessings. Don’t just stop there though. You should spread the message and share your experience with others. Be a guiding light for people in the same boat as you. You can provide the inspiration they need to live younger.
This way, you can share the fruits of your experience with others, rather than enjoying the rewards yourself. Plus, what better way to appreciate God for his blessings than by sharing them with others!
Conclusion
With this, we come to the end of our guide. We have shared with you the Elixir to Longevity, the secrets you can tap into to live the life you dream of.
Hopefully, after reading this guide, you can overcome your fear of aging. Apply the tips and tricks we have provided to your life and the results will come.
Be prepared, the journey is long and can be arduous at times. There will come to a point where you feel like giving up. However, keep your eye on the prize. Regaining your youth and feeling great are invaluable blessings that you can enjoy.
All you have to do is invest some time and effort into the process. We want to emphasize the importance of taking a holistic approach. Dieting, exercising, and a proper routine are helpful on their own, but when combined, they provide the blueprint for living younger.
Do not undervalue what you have learned here. A major reason why people are unable to create the life they dream of is because they aren’t willing to put in the necessary effort. They take most things for granted and give up easily.
If you can cross that bridge, overcome the hardships that you experience along the way, a healthy and happy life awaits you. There is no better way to live than living younger!
Good luck!
