Natural Health Co-op Articles

Getting older is a fact of living and shouldn’t be anything to be ashamed of or feared.  Indeed, healthy cultures revere their elders and treat them with respect.  Unfortunately, our culture is less than healthy and currently obsessed with youth, which leads many (dare I say most) women to treat aging as something to dread.  That’s terrible, and we need to change hearts and minds, rather than resort to looking and acting foolish in an attempt to look younger.

That being stated, there’s certainly nothing wrong with wanting to look as good you can, and wanting to avoid behaviors or conditions that contribute to premature aging.  Looking older than our years is oftentimes related to our genetic makeup, but it is now more than ever caused by unhealthy habits and lifestyles. Even genetic “premature” aging can be greatly exaggerated by improper health choices.  Staying informed and making choices that put you on the best possible track early is key to every aspect of health!

Making some simple changes can help you avoid looking older than you are (and feeling older than you are).  Here are a few of the most well-known tips to prevent premature aging — ones under your control.

1.    Avoid those tanning beds at all costs.  You may look great now, but prolonged use of tanning beds can lead to wrinkles and other skin problems.  If you want a tan, acquire it naturally, by sunbathing in moderation in mid morning or late afternoon, when the sun is not at its peak.

2    Eat less. Don’t snack. Our bodies spend more energy digesting food than on any other function.   Making the body work too hard by digesting too much food wears it out prematurely.  In addition, carrying around the extra weight from overeating stresses and stretches the body even more.  Eat wisely for your body type and needs — in moderation. It has been demonstrated that periodic fasting does wonders for the whole system.

3.  Get fit!  Nothing makes you look older than being flabby and out of shape.  So get active.  Start a regular walking program, or start toning, or get a good low impact aerobics DVD and use it regularly and you’ll retard the aging process. If you have physical limitations, check with your health care provider about physical therapists in your area — they can tell you very good ways to implement a long-term fitness plan. Not only will you look better, but also the difference in how you feel will be even greater.

4.  Get plenty of rest.  Sleep is how our body rejuvenates (”restores youth”) itself.  It’s important to get adequate and effective sleep if you want to fight premature aging.  Most experts recommend 6-8 hours a night, and it’s thought that the more sleep you get before midnight, the more restful and rejuvenating your sleep will be.  So don’t skimp on sleep. 

5.  If you smoke, quit.   Smoking is one of the major causes of premature aging in women — to name just one consequence. Your skin and eyes take a beating and you breathe in toxins that the body works constantly to rid itself of.

6.  Make sure you get enough plain water.  If you already know you don’t drink enough pure water, this will really help. Dehydration effects all your systems.  Good hydration is good for your looks!

7.  Make sure you know ALL the side-effects of all drugs you may be taking. Check with your pharmacists and your natural health providers for more information.

Yes, we all know there’s no miraculous Fountain of Youth, and each one of us is going to pass out of this world one day, but there’s no need to hasten the process or contribute to looking and feeling older than we we are.  Premature aging can be prevented.   Making a few simple lifestyle changes will make all the difference — and the earlier, the better. We’ll be bringing provider articles that have a lot of new (and some incredibly old) research on vitamins and nutrients that address aging topics.