It can be frustrating to know that the aging process starts in your 30’s and 40’s – especially when it can take that long to feel like you finally have your act together! Even though there’s no such thing as a fountain of youth, many people turn to expensive moisturizers hoping to turn back the clock. But the reality is that beauty – and youth – start on the inside.
So I wanted to share five simple steps you can take to slow the aging process, keep that youthful glow, and ward off degenerative disease.
- Consume a diet rich in antioxidants. Much of aging is due to oxidation – the same process that turns a sliced apple brown when it’s exposed to air. Oxidation is a natural by-product of cellular activities, but it produces free radicals that can be harmful if they aren’t balanced out by antioxidants. The best way to load up on antioxidants is to make your plate as colorful as you can through a variety of fruits and vegetables. You can also enjoy plenty of tea – green, white, and black – because tea is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols.
- Get your beauty sleep! Be sure to sleep at least seven hours every night, and maintain a consistent bedtime. This will signal to your body that it’s time to produce melatonin – which of course enables you to sleep, and as a bonus acts a powerful antioxidant! Sleep also boosts your immune system, prevents cognitive decline, and allows your body to repair and rejuvenate.
- Exercise moderately and consistently. Certain types of exercise – including resistance training and high-intensity interval training – stimulate the production of growth hormone. Made in the pituitary gland, growth hormone helps regenerate cells and maintain muscle and bone mass. Without exercise, you can lose muscle mass and bone mass in a little-known but common condition known as sarcopenia. An estimated 45% of the older population in the US is affected by sarcopenia!
- Enhance your daily detoxification. People often think of a detox or cleanse as an event you do a couple times per year, but the truth is you’re detoxifying every day. One of the most important things you can do for your health is to support your body’s natural detoxification process by drinking 8-10 glasses of purified water per day and eating one-three servings of leafy greens every day. Chlorophyll – the green pigment in leafy greens – is detoxifying because it binds to toxins and carcinogens to remove them from the body.
- Reduce processed sugar intake. The above steps are all about what you can add into your daily routine to stay young and healthy, but of course, there are other things you should remove or limit – and sugar is at the top of the list. Processed sugar promotes a process called glycation, where sugar attaches to proteins and lipids in the bloodstream. This results in advanced glycation end-products – appropriately called AGEs for short! AGEs damage cells, promote inflammation, accelerate degenerative diseases, and cause wrinkles. It also goes without saying that cigarette smoke should be avoided, as smokers have been found to have higher levels of AGEs in their blood vessels. Also, limit your alcohol to a few glasses per week. If you’re having any more than that, you might be creating inflammation and speeding up the aging process.
Anti-aging isn’t just about how you look. If you approach it with the goal of supporting your health from the inside out, you’ll naturally get a youthful glow in the process. Most importantly, consume plenty of fresh produce, including detoxifying greens, move your body in a way that feels good, reduce sugar and alcohol, and get your beauty sleep!
Optimizing nutrition is one of the best ways to prevent aging.
Download your Healing Foods Checklist and Shopping Guide here!
In health,
Joe Tatta, DPT, CCN
References
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3915940/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19952359
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583887/
