176) 10 WAYS TO STAY YOUNG

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When you are young you may not give much thought to it.  

But as you age, there are some things you can do to look young for longer.  Here are 10 ways you can do that does not involve surgery.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT

Having a body mass index(BMI) of higher than 25, being overweight or even underweight can make you look older than you really are.  You may seek your doctor's advise to recommend a healthy eating plan that will aid in slimming down gradually.  A safe rate is to lose a pound or two a week.

According to Dr Nir Barzilai MD,  director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New Yoke City, "People who are too thin are likely to die younger because thinness is associated with many causes of death."

People with low body fat usually have a BMI that is lower than 19.  It is also linked to osteoporosis, which is a disease of the bones.  You can check your BMI by going to this link,

GoodHousekeeping.com's BMI Calculator.

BE SOCIABLE

Having friends and spending time with them can significantly increase your life span.  Sociable people tend to live longer than those who have few friends or are loners.  Studies have shown that there is a link between having close relationships with friends and family and reduced risk of death due to coronary heart diseases.  

Join a club or society, get in touch with old friends or have a family gathering.

LEARN TO EAT HEALTHY FOODS

Healthy foods that are low fat, high fiber with lots of fruits and vegetables makes you look younger and will help prolong your life as well as make make you feel good.

Pick foods that possess antioxidants such as blueberries, artichokes, prunes, kiwis, strawberries that will protect cells from aging too fast due to free radicals.

Wrinkles can be kept at bay when you eat foods that are rich in essential fatty acids such as sardines, salmon and walnuts.   Vitamin A in foods such as carrots, squash, red peppers and sweet potatoes are also anti aging .

Choose citrus fruits, cauliflower, cantaloupe, broccoli and tomatoes for the vitamin C which keep your skin supple and young.

CONTROL ALCOHOL INTAKE

A moderate amount of alcohol per day is good for your body as research has found that one 12 ounce bottle of beer or one 5 ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor may lower the risk of heart disease.

However, do limit your consumption to not more than two drinks daily as it may have an opposite effect and decreases your life span instead.  In addition, it may also increase the risk of live, brain and cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

Excessive drinking of alcohol is also very dehydrating for your skin and can cause broken capillaries and a ruddy complexion.

EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN 

Our brain needs exercise too though not in the physical sense. Flexing your mind and keeping yourself mentally stimulated can prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease from developing.

Keep challenging your brain by learning new things. Do crossword puzzles, read, knit, and play cards and board games.  These are fun ways to keep mental decline at bay.

SMOKING IS AGING

A smoker will look older than non-smokers, according to a recent British study published in the medical journal The Lancet.  The lead scientist states that, cigarette smoking accelerates aging in women by four to seven years. 

If that finding does not jolt you to stop smoking, consider this: 

Smoking constricts blood vessels resulting in collagen loss and firmness of your skin.  This will result in an increase of wrinkles around the mouth.  Another unknown reason is that smokers are four times more likely to go gray prematurely.

ALWAYS APPLY SUNBLOCK DURING THE DAY

Exposure to sun for long periods of time can lead to leathery, wrinkly skin, blotchy pigmentation and sometimes skin cancer.  Protect your skin with  a UVA/UVB sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher applied daily, even during winter. 

Food can also offer internal skin protection against UV light.  The Vitamin E  found in nuts and leafy greens are a great source, or you can take a separate supplement of 400 IU or less because taking too much vitamin E may disturb the body's ability to clot blood and may affect the absorption of vitamin A. 

GET MOVING

We always hear health experts expounding that exercise keeps us alive longer. And these are the reasons why.

• Lowers your risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure
• Regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight.
• Boost your immune system 
• Improve your cognitive abilities. 
• Working out also releases endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and circulates blood to your tissues and organs. 

It is also important to incorporate strength-training activities such as weight training and resistance exercises like push-ups or lunges.  This helps to retain bone mass. 

Suggested exercise routine

30 minutes of aerobic exercise three days a week and 20 to 30 minutes of strength training two days a week is what it takes.

LEARN TO RELAX

In the modern world, stress ranks high on the scales for causing our immune, nervous and digestive systems to go haywire.  Not only that, it makes us frown more which means getting wrinkled skin that will definitely make us look much older.

Accumulated tension can also cause lack of sleep which will add eye bags to the equation.

If you do not de-stress, you may also turn to comfort food which will create a weight issue.

So to tackle life's curve balls, learn to meditate, do yoga, have massages, take up tai chi or just relax.  All these are effective ways to combat stress from robbing you of your health.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP

Besides combating stress, sleep is essential for the body to release growth hormones that will aid in cell repair.  If we do not get enough sleep, our bodies will produce high levels of cortisol which is a hormone that is linked to stress and it can cause our heart and blood pressure rates to go up.  Having sufficient sleep may actually improve memory, an age related problem.

Exercise, balanced diet, relaxation and good sleep are the 4 main things we should pay attention to as we age.

My next topic for discussion is, "The Benefits of Being A Single Man."

You may also like to read:

94) WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR BODY IS UNDER STRESS?

95) HOW TO BREATHE AND KEEP THE STRESS AWAY

96) 6 SIMPLE STRESS BUSTERS

MY ART & POEM CORNER

THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT

He's the biggest,
Not the baddest.
But the heaviest.
Not the highest.
Quite the smartest.
Not the fastest.
With the longest.
nose and the widest.
ears and their memory.
is legendary!

Philo Yan

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.  Until my next post,

Here's To Your Health!