My grandmother used to say to me “Don’t get old Sherry” and she was right if you do not feel well more often than not and do not have enough energy to make it through the day and enjoy yourself into retirement. The time to start slowing down the aging process is NOW. Here are my top ten ways to do just that:
1. EAT MINI-MEALS every 3-4 hours – this helps stabilize blood sugar levels throughout the day and will not put undue stress on your digestive system. Make sure they are nutrient dense with plenty of WHOLE FOODS from the produce section at every mini-meal.
2. EAT LESS SUGAR – sugar compromises your immune system and we have learned that HIGH-GLYCEMIC foods are now associated with cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
3. WORRY LESS ABOUT CHOLESTEROL – this tends to divert our attention from the bigger picture when it comes to heart disease risk. Healthy lifestyle, regular exercise and decreasing your body weight will have a much more profound effect on mortality than solely focusing on cholesterol levels.
4. QUIET YOUR MIND – stress is a component of every MAJOR disease – Cortisol – a stress hormone agest he brain by literally shrinking the hippocampus which is essential for memory and thinking. Cortisol causes you to put more weight on around the mid-section. Take a few minutes each day to meditate, do Yoga or practice deep breathing to lower your stress levels.
5. EAT FISH – or take an Omega 3 (fish oil) supplement – this has been proven to lower blood pressure, improve your mood, feed your brain and reduce inflammation throughout the body. Think of the TIN MAN in the Wizard of OZ movie when they squirted oil into his joints and he was able to move about freely with ease and no pain.
6. STAY CONNECTED – make connections with people. The longest lived and healthiest people are those with connections to something outside themselves. For over 2 decades, research has shown that people with few social connections are more likely to have poor mental health, poor physical health and die prematurely.
7. CHECK YOUR HOMOCYSTEINE LEVELS in your blood – the lower they are, the better off you are. Those with high levels have a 50% greater risk of a heart attack and 40% of deaths are due to high homocysteine levels. It is a compound that can lead to atherosclerosis by damaging the arteries. The good news is that B-complex will help bring down homocysteine levels. Take a B-complex supplement everyday and eat lots of leafy greens.
8. Exercising on a regular basis – you already knew that however it will assistance strengthen bones, retain muscle tissues toned, improve circulation, cut down depression, reduce blood stress, improve blood sugar levels, enhance oxygen towards the brain and would be the Most effective anti-aging factor you may do for your self.
9. LOWER YOUR INFLAMMATION – when you stub your toe, chemicals in the body rush to the injured area filling with fliud and surrounding the injured areas with chemicals that fight infection and is part of the healing process – this is a good thing! The problem is that many of us are walking around in a chronic state of low-grade inflammation – this is NOT good! The dark side of inflammation is it can damage arteries and nerve cells and is a part of every degenerative disease including Alzheimer’s, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Eat ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS including fish, berries, dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes and nuts. They contain phyto-nutrients and Omega 3’s that reduce inflammation.
10. VITAMIN D-3 – this is the most underrated vitamin – your body makes it only when are you exposed to the sun. It can enhance your body’s performance, fight cancer, and build bones PLUS significantly reduce your risk of developing a cold or flu, especially during the winter months. Many think the reason we get a cold or the flu is due to the cold weather – this is simply not true. The fact is we are lacking Vitamin D-3 because we are not getting enough exposure to the sun.
Start doing one of these tips each and every day. Your mind, body and spirit will thank you! I wish you glowing good health – always!
