Choosing Health: An Anti-Aging Game Plan

Getting older is inevitable, but thankfully, aging gracefully is an option.  I’m not talking about fillers, Botox or skin resurfacing. I mean naturally looking and feeling more youthful in our later years through employing healthy lifestyle strategies now.  Let’s take a look at some holistic ways to combat the emotional, chemical and physical stresses that accelerate our body’s aging.
Sleep.  This is an important one. This is when your body does its best healing and repair.  Prioritize getting a full 8 hours if you're an adult. Younger children, pre-teens and teens can use 11-14 hours per night!
Move your body more. You knew I couldn’t exclude exercise on the list.  However, you may be surprised just how much it matters in the aging game.  According to Brigham Young University, walking 40 minutes per day, five days per week, will cut your biological age by nine years. Exercising improves posture, balance, flexibility and muscle strength, making you look and move younger.  It also creates more youthful looking skin through improved blood flow and oxygenation of tissues.  
Manage your mental game.  Emotional stress, worry and anxiety can age us. Afterall, worry lines earned their name fair and square.  But the aging of stress is more than skin deep, it can affect us at the cellular level. One study of middle-aged adults found that people who felt socially isolated expressed over 200 genes differently than more socially secure people.  If you’re experiencing mental challenges, reach out for professional help, make connections with friends or family who can support you and implement a program of self-care that resonates with you.

Avoid alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. Tobacco can speed the aging of skin, causing it to lose its elasticity. Some reports say that a forty-year-old smoker's skin can look like that of a seventy-year-old non-smoker.

Lastly, eat consciously.  Choosing foods that nourish your body, like fresh fruits and vegetables, wild caught fish and free-range meats can make a huge difference in how you look and feel.  Avoid processed foods, sugary drinks, fried foods and man-made-fake fats that cause oxidative stress.  Buy local and buy organic to reduce your exposure to herbicides, pesticides and GMO’s.  Use high quality supplements, take a probiotic (or eat fermented foods) and drink plenty of clean water.  Strive to drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day.  The time and energy you put into fueling your body now will pay huge dividends in your future.
Making changes in your lifestyle takes effort.  Start with small changes.  Add things that appeal to you, like drinking more water or a walk around the block after dinner.  Then add (and remove) other things as you progress.  Find a friend or an accountability partner to take the journey with you.  Hire a coach or professional to guide you.  Or start a journal and simply hold yourself accountable to the changes you’re ready to make.  Whatever course you chart, know that you’re the captain of your own health.  The power to heal lies within you.