10 Anti-Aging Techniques

You can do yourself a great service by taking care of your mind and body as you grow older. When you take care of yourself, it slows the aging process and you can stay fit and alert well into your senior years.

The major components that contribute to optimum health are diet, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle, and keeping your brain active. When you pay attention to these key health elements, you can help yourself stay young.  

Here are some excellent anti-aging techniques you can use each day:

1. Take antioxidants. Antioxidants are vital to your health. They reduce free radicals that contribute to common diseases in aging individuals.

• Fruits and vegetables are great sources of antioxidants.
• You can also get their benefits by taking daily vitamins.

2. Exercise and strength training. Exercise helps to stop your body from breaking down. Not only will you feel better, but you'll also get a lot healthier at the same time! Exercise provides:

• Increased stamina
• Greater muscle strength
• Better balance
• Clarity in thinking
• A stronger immune system

3. Stay alert and sharp. You can keep your brain sharp by being constantly aware of your surroundings. This sounds rather simple, but how often do we let loose and daydream, instead of focusing on the present? When you stay alert, you're fully present in the moment and you're better able to make quick and accurate decisions.

4. Learn new things. When you get stuck in a rut, your brain suffers a lack of stimulation. You can easily avoid this by keeping your brain active through constant learning and reading.

• A simple tip is to vary your routines and strive to learn something new each day.

5. Challenge yourself. It always helps to use the problem solving portions of your brain. If you don't, the skills will fade over time.

• Games and puzzles are excellent for keeping your brain active.

6. Avoid stressing about health issues. You see statistics everywhere about certain health conditions that are more likely to affect you as you age. While it's important to be pre-screened for these conditions by a physician, worrying and stressing won't change the future - but it sure will reduce your quality of life today!

• Ease your stress by taking action to strengthen your health instead of worrying.

7. Get an adequate amount of sleep. Getting enough sleep at night is very important for maintaining good health. 6-8 hours every night is the number you should be working toward. Your body and mind need that time to recoup, and you may be more susceptible to stress or disease without it.

8. Avoid smoking and alcohol. Smoking is a guaranteed way of risking your health, plus it ages your skin and the rest of your body. The harsh reality is that you are shortening your lifespan if you choose to smoke. It's best to drop this habit immediately. When it comes to alcohol, small amounts here and there won't cause much harm, but drinking can be a slippery slope into disease if you abuse it.

9. Concentrate on skin care. When you take care of your skin, you can maintain a healthy, younger look. Establish a daily skin care routine and try beneficial anti-aging gels and creams.
   

10. Reduce grains and sugar in your diet. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables helps your health and keeps your calorie intake at a manageable level. However, it also helps to eat a reduced amount of grains and sugar. Carbohydrates are necessary for your nutrition, but in excess they contribute to increasing your insulin levels and speeding up the aging process.

If you take advantage of these strategies every day, you'll notice a big difference in the way you look and feel. Getting older doesn't have to be synonymous with deterioration. Take care of your body and mind and they'll serve you well into your golden years!