Keys To Growing Younger

The human body is absolutely amazing. Not only is it composed of trillions of cells, but it’s also home to an intelligence that constantly manages and maintains every one of the thousands of jobs required every second to keep us alive.  Unlike an inanimate object such as a car that begins to deteriorate the moment it’s created, the body has the ability to heal, repair, and regenerate.  However, as most of us have experienced, the body becomes less efficient at rebuilding and repairing as we get older. Fortunately, there are things you can do to not only slow the aging process, but to speed the rebuilding process, boost your energy, and allow you to live a healthier, more vibrant life.

If You Don’t Use It, You Lose It

As complex as the body is, it can also be profoundly simple.  If your body perceives a need to maintain itself, it will, provided it’s fed the proper fuel. On the other hand, if it doesn’t perceive this need, it begins to break down. In short, “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”  A significant amount of research has been done in an attempt to determine exactly what factors allow some people to live longer, healthier lives than others. While many factors have been determined to play a role, such as diet and non-smoking, nothing appears to be more important than maintaining fitness and muscle mass.  We have all heard the saying “you are only as old as you think you are.”  In many ways this is true.  The inner intelligence that maintains your body does not keep track of your chronological age.  It merely determines what needs to be rebuilt and what doesn’t. If you’re not using your body, it will begin the breaking down process we all know as aging. With that in mind, one of the most powerful ways to slow down, and even reverse your biological clock, is to begin building muscle mass. It’s important to remember that any activity is better than none at all. Twenty minutes of walking has consistently been shown to dramatically improve overall health and immunity. However, in order to build muscle, adding weight-bearing exercises to your routing is necessary. As you become more active, your metabolism shifts into rebuilding mode leading to many wonderful side effects such as increased bone density, improved immune function, greater mental clarity, and improved cardiovascular function, all prerequisites for longevity.

Adding the Right Building Blocks

Just as your house would suffer if you used poor quality materials for necessary repairs, your body suffers went it lacks the proper nutrients to repair your cells and tissues. It’s estimated that our body has creates 300 billion new cells per day. In order for the new cells to be optimal, the right building blocks must be present. Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are all required to maintain a properly functioning body. Simply taking a multivitamin is not enough to slow down or even reverse the aging process. A diet high in nutrient dense food is absolutely necessary. Research consistently shows that people who maintain diets high in fruits and vegetables are less affected by diseases of the western world such as heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and diabetes. A diet high in fruits and vegetables could very well be considered the true fountain of youth.

Stress Less

Over 85% of all doctors visits are estimated to be the result of stress related conditions.  Therefore, if you want to slow the aging process, you must learn to manage stress. Whenever we experience stress, the body releases a host of hormones designed to move the body into a state of “fight or flight.” These hormones are necessary for survival if our life is actually being threatened. When there is no threat, the effects of chronically elevated stress hormones lead to high blood pressure and cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, gastrointestinal issues, and a host of other health issues. Exercise is one of the most effective ways to metabolize stress hormones once they are released into the body, but in order to effectively slow the aging process, we must learn to live a more balanced life. Adding activities such as yoga, meditation, and prayer are ways to improve our body’s response to stress. Taking the time to take care of yourself is necessary for decreasing the stress response inside the body. Life will always include stress, therefore teaching the body to respond appropriately is key. Finding an activity or hobby that’s fulfilling, while taking the time everyday to see the blessing in life serve as powerful tools to counteract the life’s constant stressors.

When it comes to growing younger, there is no silver bullet cure all.  However, by adding muscle mass, eating more fruits and vegetables, and living a more balanced life, not only will you slow the aging process, but you can to reverse years of damage the body has experienced.  Not only will you add years to your life, but also life to your years, feeling healthier and more vibrant than you ever thought possible.