Top 12 Anti-aging Tips

Eat Well

The standard advice from the US government is to consume 5 fruits and vegetables and 3 servings of whole grains daily for vitamins and minerals and the other healthful micronutrients in plants. Drink five to eight 8-oz. glasses of water. Get no more than about 30-35 percent of daily calories from fat, with about 20 percent of that from unsaturated fat (e.g., 1 percent milk, olive and canola oil); 15 percent from protein; and the remaining calories from carbohydrates, with an emphasis on complex carbohydrates like oatmeal, whole wheat bread and wild rice.

Maximize Your Intake of Antioxidants

The evidence is “incontrovertible” and bears repeating, says Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg of Tufts University. Free radicals contribute to the onset of age-related diseases and antioxidants “neutralize” free radicals. Everyone should “take a combination of antioxidants” through diet and supplementation, he asserts. Blumberg advises eating dark-colored vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, squash, and spinach for carotenoids and blue and purple berries for flavonoids. Because foods contain many classes of antioxidants that work synergistically, they are the superior source of antioxidants, says Blumberg. But because we don’t always eat as we should, Blumberg advocates taking daily supplements of the “classic” antioxidants: 200-250 mg of vitamin C; 100-400 IU of vitamin E; and a mixed carotenoid supplement of 6-10 mg. “I always tell people that taking antioxidants is ‘like driving with a seatbelt,’” says Blumberg. They can protect you’re life, but they are not “a license to drive recklessly.”

Drink More Water

You need to hydrate your skin from within – skin cells need water just like every part of your body including your brain. Without sufficient water your skin will dehydrate and essential anti aging nutrients cannot be delivered to your system. If you want to look younger you need to make sure water is an essential part of your anti aging regimen.So – that’s it – ten great anti aging tips to help you look younger and feel great. And now for the difficult bit – all you need to do is follow them!

Add Green Tea To Your Day

Drinking green tea is an anti aging tip you may not have considered. Green tea is an amazing and natural anti aging food. Recent research findings show that taking sufficient green tea during the day can protect you from all forms of cancer, build your resistance to heart disease and dementia and contribute to your body’s ability to burn fat – especially abdominal fat.

Restore Your Hormones

Loss of energy, libido and stamina are the symptoms that usually drive patients into the waiting rooms of anti-aging doctors. They’re also the “classic” symptoms of declining hormone levels and the reason hormone-replacement therapy is the no. 1 weapon in the arsenal of anti-aging medicine. Production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone in women and testosterone in men decreases rapidly after age 35, says Nadu Tuakli, M.D. of the Anti-Aging and Longevity Institute in Baltimore. Anti-aging physician Richard LeConde, who prescribes testosterone for his female patients, notes a dramatic improvement in their well being not seen with estrogen and progesterone alone. It definitely “produces an awakening in men,” but most of the women for whom I add testosterone “refuse to give it up.”

Photo by: sxc.hu

Quit Smoking

One of the most important anti aging tips of all. If you smoke you need to stop. It’s as simple as that. You may not be able to completely reverse the damage smoking has done to your skin but you will stop the damage getting worse. If you do choose to continue smoking be prepared for the consequences. Smoking accelerates skin aging by encouraging the destruction of collagen. Reduced levels of collagen are one of the primary reasons your skin ages so a smoker’s skin ages much faster. The tell tale signs of “smoker’s face” are dull, greyish, dry skin, increased wrinkling around the eyes and puckering wrinkles around the mouth. Is this really what you want for your skin?

Exercise More

Exercise will give your more energy, build muscle mass, increase blood flow to your skin, help prevent high blood pressure, reduce anxiety, strengthen bones and raise your metabolic rate so you lose more weight more quickly. Exercise is good for the skin – increasing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your skin cells. The best advice comes from the CDC. Do thirty minutes of moderately intense exercise five days a week. Do something that will raise your heart rate to that of taking a brisk walk. Or, do twenty minutes of vigorous physical activity three days a week. Participate in an activity that will raise your heart rate to the equivalent of jogging.

Cool Down

Take cooler showers to combat dry skin. You’ll notice the difference in less than a week. Especially on colder, windy days when you’re tight on time and skip your body cream.

Just Breathe

I take 10 breaths, three times per day (in through nose, out through mouth), at a 2-to-3 ratio. For example, breath in four seconds, then breath out six seconds. Focusing on your exhale releases more toxins, and allows more oxygen in cells. And when you’re working out, do two to three all-out bursts for 12 seconds each during cardio…this can strengthen the inner membrane of mitochondria, which slows or prevents deterioration of cells.

Get Your Beauty Sleep

Getting enough sleep is one of the most important habits for anyone over the age of 40. When you sleep your body releases growth hormone which stimulates cell turnover. Your skin will suffer if you don’t get the beauty sleep you need. If you’ve had a stressful day things will be even worse – stress hormones surpress the immune system and accelerate the aging process. So stress less and sleep soundly.

Help Your Lotion Do More

After you wash your face, before putting on moisturizer or any anti-aging lotions, run an ice cube over your face for a minute (or splash with some very cold water). It helps the skin absorb more of what is in these lotions, helping them become more effective. It does make a difference after a few nights of doing so! Give it a try!

Moisturize Naturally

The best moisturizer for your skin should be loaded with antioxidants, will not clog pores, and will help protect against skin cancer. Dab a little extra virgin olive oil on a cotton ball and use it as a nighttime moisturizer for your face and neck (and anywhere else you want to be soft!).