Decelerate Aging - 5 Approaches To Put The Brakes On

Aging is inevitable, but there are steps you can take to slow the aging process that are more natural than the use of anti-wrinkle creams, Botox, or even plastic surgery.

For five simple changes you can make to keep yourself young, keep reading.

1. Drink Lots of Water

Water helps keep our bodies hydrated, functioning and clean. It flushes out toxins, increases circulation, improves digestion, revitalizes cell growth and helps us maintain a healthy weight.

Just as our skin needs moisture to stay fresh, our bodies need water to stay young, strong and operating at prime capacity. Ideally, you should be drinking 8 glasses of water a day.

2. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is a body’s time to rejuvenate and repair itself. You know that after a night with little sleep, you have circles under your eyes, your skin looks shallow, you don’t feel well and your eyes are bloodshot. Anything that can age you so quickly in a few hours can’t be good in the long-term.

So, getting enough sleep every night is one of your best weapons against the aging process. Shoot for at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night and avoid drinking caffeine less than 5 hours before bedtime.

3. Eat a Well Balanced Diet

Eating a healthy diet can keep your digestive system working properly and your body well-fueled to fight off disease and aging-causing free radicals. Stock up on foods like pomegranates, blueberries, dark green vegetables, beans and legumes.

Also, foods that are high in Vitamins A and C, like citrus fruits, are great for your skin and can help boost the production of collagen, the fiber that keeps your skin smooth and soft.

4. Cut Down On Stress

Stress is a major factor in the aging process and can lead to prematurely grey hair, a depleted immune system, facial expression wrinkles and even poor skin tone. So to slow down aging, reduce your stress level by cutting back o your work hours, avoiding rush hour traffic, limiting your responsibilities, delegating tasks and taking at least ten minutes out of every day for meditation and reflection.

5. Stay on Top of Mental Exercise

Slowing down the aging process isn’t just about fighting wrinkles, but it’s also about maintaining a young and healthy mind.

Research has shown that individuals who did daily puzzles and mental exercises were 30 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease later in life. So, stay young with a daily book or crossword puzzle.

Aging itself is inevitable. But the appearance and effects of aging can be reduced with proper care of your body and skin.