Anti Aging Tips

SO, anti aging. We hear about it everywhere. What's so bad about getting older? You know more, are generally earning more, have more experience to draw on for those tough times and situations. No, i don't think growing older is a bad thing, but i do think LOOKING OLDER IS. Feeling older, also on the no-no list.

As I think you all have gathered about me at this point: I beleive exercise and keeping active are the most important tools in the quest for youth and vitality. The list is endless in terms of the benenfits of using your body daily. I think the best evidence is how we all feel after a great zumba class. I feel elated, hopeful. I have been to an facial lady (sorry don't know how to spell that big A word that they formally are)and she said i have great skin and my pores are as unclogged as she has seen. Both of us attribute this to the thrice weekly sweat fest i go through with zumba. NOTE: when i was younger, my diet was awful, my exersise inconsistent, thus my skin broke out regularly. i have marks on my face that are irreversible. SInce i have adapted a way healthier lifestyle full of antioxidants and blood pumping, circulation improving exercise, and plenty of water, and lots of products with antioxidants in them, etc. i feel my skin is the best it can be for my age. See what age brings? WISDOM. do the right thing and you shall be rewarded.

Of course, what you eat, we know, effects everything. How you feel, how you look. Stock up on the blueberries, pomegranate, green tea, avacados, tomatoes...the ANTIOXIDANT list goes on. CLEAN EATING IS THE KEY. The antioxidants fight the free radicals from the sun, pollution, basically anything that is detrimental to your normal cell function. Also staying away from foods high in saturated fat (burgers, fries, cheesy stuff) will help you avoid dementia and help you better remember and concentrate. But don't avoid fat altogether. Avacados, olive oil, and fatty fish with omega threes like salmon of course, all great and help you attain a youthful appearance. One fear i have is if i get too lean i will have that sinewy facial look. You need some good fat to fill out your face or you will look gaunt, especially as you age.

SLEEP. It seems many of us at our age (the dreaded middle) have trouble getting a full night's sleep. The onset of darkness triggers your pineal gland to release melatonin into the bloodstream, inducing sleepiness. As we age melatonin production decreases. Since we have stopped growing, we don't need as much sleep. I have been taking melatonin, a naturally occuring hormone in the body, to help me on those really awful nights. Turns out melatonin is an antioxidant and can help slow down aging! It makes sense that if melatonin helps us sleep, we will look and feel younger, more energetic. BUT what i did not know is "the master hormone modulating molecule" and it regulates the circadian cycles. Aging is a degenerative condition of the body, not just the passing of years. Melatonin sends a message of "youth" throughout the body keeping the body healthy and strong. It also may stimuatle the immune system for better overall health, including fending off certain diseases of old age. Studies have also shown that melatonin can diminish the effects of hormones that trigger certain cancers, including breast and prostate cancer. More great news about melatonin is that it is readily available at any pharmacy, cheap, and is a very low toxic hazard. (Above info courtesy of an article in My Generation from the Lakes Region Weekly.)

Anyone want to meet at Rite Aid? :)

As for the plan and my progress, great day yesterday. I use the plan as a guide for food combinations, portion size, but i am not exact. The scale puts me at my maximum weight which i allow myself, which is okay, but i don't have the buffer now, so maybe i will decrease the amounts of food today, listen to my internal cues a bit more, and eat when i am hungry. Of course, only foods in sync with the plan.