Tips That Will Help You Look Forever Young
For us humans, growing is an inevitable part of life, but aging — that is a choice. No matter what happens today, we can’t turn back time and become a year younger. But we can definitely look and feel younger than our biological age. All we need to do is lead a healthier lifestyle. Let’s discover some natural ways to live that will help you look younger. These techniques won’t just help you look youthful, they’ll also shift your entire approach to life.
Meditation for a Young Mind
We all want to be full of energy, even as we age, right? But did you know that most of the time, our spirit is weakened by elevated levels of cortisol — the stress hormone? It is known to cause anxiety and tension and makes us look drained and tired. This may be a sign that our mind is aging. In such moments, meditation can be a much-needed source of calm, helping reduce stress and revive creativity, enthusiasm, youthfulness, and vitality. Meditation can make your life joyful, even when you approach your 50s or 60s.
Meditation for a Healthy Body
Is it possible to have a healthy body even at age 50? What about glowing, elastic skin that hides your age effortlessly? It is possible! Research shows that regular practice of meditation, combined with yoga and a healthy diet, can increase the length of telomeres — the protective caps of our chromosomes. As we age, our telomeres shorten. This signals our cells to stop dividing and die. Meditation is known to reverse this mechanism that underlies visible signs of aging, helping slow or even reverse the process.
Enough and Quality Sleep
Did you know that the quality of your sleep — something we often take for granted — is key to healing? Not only that, but good sleep helps our brain function effectively, regulates blood sugar levels, and boosts our immune system. We need at least 6 hours of sleep to feel refreshed in the morning. To get the most out of sleep, regular meditation is a great idea. Meditation improves sleep quality by increasing melatonin levels (the sleep hormone), which also slows cognitive aging. When we meditate before sleep, the body’s oxygen demand drops by 10–20 percent; without meditation, it drops only about 8 percent during sleep. The lower the oxygen demand, the deeper the relaxation during sleep, which reduces sleep disturbances.
The Right Food
Food is fuel for the body. The nutrients we get from food are essential for a strong immune system, growth rate, and other metabolic functions. Eating the right food, at the right time and in the right proportions, plays a key role in slowing down aging. Green vegetables like broccoli are antioxidants that can accelerate cell division and renewal. This, in turn, helps slow aging and prevent age-related diseases.
To know when you need food, you need to start listening to your body. You might choose to eat three moderately sized meals per day or smaller meals throughout the day. Doctors say food should be chewed slowly and thoroughly to help digestion. Also, vegetarian food takes less time to digest. This helps prevent weight gain and gives your digestive system a rest. You may not notice the results immediately, but you’ll definitely benefit in the long run with a healthy and well-built body.
You’ll Smile More with Yoga
It’s hard to deny — physical activity is essential for a healthy body and mind. Exercise can tone and strengthen your body. At the same time, it increases flexibility, lifts your mood, and eliminates inertia from the body that might otherwise lead to cell degeneration. Youthfulness can be seen in how often you smile each day. In other words, movement is a must if you want to keep your youth alive. Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) are a powerful sequence of twelve yoga poses that keep you mentally, emotionally, and physically fit.
Use Herbs
Have you noticed the herbs growing in your garden? Many of them have healing properties that can keep you young naturally. We really don’t need to resort to medication for minor ailments, since these can harden our cells. Instead, basil tea or warm mint water can be highly effective in treating a cold. Raw fruits and vegetables support digestion. Ginger tea and herbal infusions are known to help relieve cough. Your garden is rich with herbs that can help you stay forever young. So use them, and stay naturally youthful!
