5 Ways to Slow Aging: Health and Fitness Orange County Coaches Show You How

Technically, we begin to age from the day we’re born. But most of us don’t give it much thought until we begin to notice several signs of aging: lagging energy, digestive complaints, wrinkles, weight gain, difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lowered stress tolerance, and reduced mobility. With enough of these symptoms of aging, we may be motivated to make some changes

Here are 5 ways to slow aging. Practice these daily if you want to look and feel great as long as possible whatever your age.

CONTROL STRESS

“Every stress leaves an indelible scar, and the organism pays for its survival after a stressful situation by becoming a little older,”

The daily stress imposed by relationships, work, and lifestyle are a major factor in aging and the development of aging conditions.

The most effective antidote for reducing stress is living as much as possible in the present moment. Every day, practice meditation, t’ai chi, qi gong, and prayer. Listen to relaxation tapes designed to synchronize both hemispheres of the brain. Try to keep your mind totally focused on what you’re doing at the moment, even during the most mundane tasks. With practice, you’ll become much better at thinking less and accessing your intuition and inner wisdom, which will improve your quality of life and long-term health.

NOURISH YOUR BODY

Fast becoming a worldwide problem, obesity is a chronic disease that accelerates aging, helping to explain why it’s implicated in heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Overweight stems from eating too much, eating the wrong foods, eating while stressed, and your genetic inheritance. The greatest culprit is sugar – not just table sugar but sweeteners and all “white” carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, white potatoes). Sugar contributes to skin wrinkling, impairs immune function, and causes hormone imbalances, particularly insulin and cortisol.

Reducing caloric intake is a scientifically proven way to extend longevity. Ideal body weight, age, and exercise level determine how many calories you should ingest daily. Women 25 to 50 need a daily intake of 1,800 to 2,400 calories. Men in this age group can eat between 2,200 and 2,600 calories. Anyone over the age of 50 needs to limit calories to somewhere between 1,500 to 2,200 a day.

ANTI-AGING EXERCISE

Convenient for most people even during the middle of the workday, walking is an excellent way to improve cardiovascular function. Swimming, cycling, running, and other aerobic activities prime the body to release growth hormone and testosterone, which is converted into estrogen in women. Aerobic exercise also reduces insulin and corticol levels, while releasing the “feel good” neurotransmitters that elevate mood and improve sleep.

Always begin your exercise session by deep breathing for several minutes. Warm up with mild aerobics for five minutes; then complete 20 to 30 minutes of more vigorous aerobic exercise to begin raising hormone levels. Follow aerobics with no more than 40 – 45 minutes of heavy lifting (anabolic or resistance) exercises. Heavy lifting for longer periods of time can actually sabotage your efforts. That’s because body toning and muscle building hormones begin declining rapidly and cortisol starts kicking in.

ANTI-AGING SUPPLEMENTS

Aging occurs because stress, poor diet, and the lack of regular exercise increase the production of free radicals – rogue molecules that damage DNA, proteins, and fat membranes. When we’re young, the body’s internal defenses may be sufficient to block free radical damage with antioxidants and detoxifying enzymes in the diet. But as we grow older, or when we’re under great stress, these internal defensive mechanisms grow less effective, and we need supplements to bolster protection against free radical activity.

Common antioxidants include vitamins A, C, E, plus alpha and beta carotene. The amino acid cysteine, the B vitamin niacin, and the minerals selenium, zinc, copper, and manganese are essential components of detoxifying enzymes.

SUPPORT THE EXTERNAL SHELL

All the previous steps help counter skin and body aging. In addition, topical creams can protect the skin from UV radiation and help heal redness, scarring and wrinkles. Alpha lipoic acid is very effective when applied topically. Also effective topically in its estrified form (ascorbyl palmitate) vitamin C is necessary for repairing collagen and elastin. Green tea and Pycnogenol™ are excellent anti-inflammatory agents. Zinc, niacin, and other topical ingredients help repair the DNA in skin cells, so that healthy new tissue grows to replace wrinkled and sagging skin.

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Innovative Result’s Coaches in Health and Fitness Orange County can help you look and feel better.