Stop Aging Naturally It seems the latest trend is all about eating healthy, fitness and aging gracefully. In actuality, these things go hand in hand. If you minimize your consumption of carbs and eliminate refined sugar from your diet by choosing healthier alternative snacks such as fruit, nuts and vegetables it would seem inevitable that you will feel more energized, stay full longer and not gain the excess tire fat around your middle!
The baby boomers are the largest population ever who are getting ready for retirement and their “golden years” and fortunately it seems, they are aging not only better but smarter.
With age comes wisdom, maturity and a greater perspective. Many of these baby boomers have had the opportunity to care for their aging parents and witness their decline and failing health. They have also experienced with sadness, the decline in patient care within the ‘old age’ homes and know that they do NOT want to reach this stage EVER. Most of us would like to live in our own homes and maintain our dependence as long as possible which means taking care of ourselves both inside and out.
As life expectancy continues to increase, those aged 40 and above are cleverly looking at natural solutions for food and medicine. Approximately one third of Americans have high blood pressure and two thirds are in the over 60 population. Hypertension leads to severe health issues including a higher risk for stroke and heart attack as well as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The root cause for high blood pressure is consuming too many carbohydrates than the body can handle. Often enough this may be improved naturally with one simple lifestyle change, negating the need for pills/chemicals and the accompanying side effects.
Carbs break down into simple sugars once they hit the stomach and once in the bloodstream, it elevates your blood sugar. The body then produces more insulin, which is the primary fat storing hormone. Too much insulin can result in overweight and affect the blood pressure. These increased insulin levels lead to the build up of fluid and salt in the body and may thicken the tissue around the blood vessels. A poor diet can also increase free radicals in your body, which can damage your DNA and age you. Overindulgence in soda, sweets, fatty foods, alcohol and sitting for excess periods of time are all culprits responsible for most major health concerns. Fluctuations in weight also take a toll on your skin. Moderation is key to aging better.
Having a positive mental awareness and maintaing healthier habits go towards living life longer and younger. Good or bad habits require repetition and then become automatic. Embracing change and setting goals towards a cleaner and healthier lifestyle go a long way to reaching the ultimate result of living healthy, vibrant lives.
Aging no longer leads towards your decline, as with age comes experience and confidence. We know what we want and are more inclined and inspired to go for it. Maintaining good hygiene, drinking water regularly to keep everything flowing and flushing out toxins aid in digestion as well as helping to avoid dry, flaky skin. Exercise, practicing self-care and gratitude, staying focused on your goals and learning to let go of what you can’t control all go a long way towards leading and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
As Ingrid Bergman once said “getting old is like climbing a mountain; you get a little out of breath, but the view is much better.” Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables and keep learning. Oodles of resources are available online and at your local library and community centers, so join classes to socialize, foster new talents or simply to expand your horizons or tone up on some skills. Continuing or learning keeps the mind young and alert. Brush up on technology, take a course in photography or something you’ve always wanted to do, but didn’t have the time while raising a family.
Live in the moment – meditation and mindfulness bring you back to the moment to engage and connect to what is happening in front of us. The over 50 generation has gained perspective with the passage of time and realized that life is too short to sweat the small stuff, dwell on the past or worry about the future. The time that really matters is the present and the joyful moments we spend with loved ones. As Frances Lear once stated “I believe the second half of one’s life is meant to be better than the first half. The first half is finding out how you do it and the second half is enjoying it”.
Aging is inevitable however, age is only a limitation you set in your mind. You can choose to remain the same and accept declinging health and all that goes with it by encompassing stereotypical adjectives like ‘long in the tooth’, ‘tottery’, ‘decrepit’, ‘over the hill’ and ‘declining years’ OR you can embrace it, be passionate, mindful and enthusiastic for the “best is yet to come”. “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years”, as noted by one of history’s great statesmen, Abraham Lincoln.
