The Art of Aging Gracefully

I just did Fun Monday post in my main site and our topic for this week is about how do we project ourselves many years from now...when I am old!

Do we really need the fountain of youth to flow to age gracefully or that so called elixir of life?! Do these things really do exists?!

I doubt it. Whether we like it or not age sneaks up on us like a theft in the night. And that we are all growing one year older every three hundred and sixty-five days. However, we can learn from people who has lived through generations. My Grandma is one...she'd be turning 90 this December!

So just how do we give in to aging gracefully? Do we just surrender to it?

Well taking everything I have read about aging gracefully and senior health into consideration, I'd say yes and no.

Yes because it is a fact and is something we have to accept, understand, embrace and be ready for. No because it is not the end of world and that we have the choice not to deteriorate as we progress in years!

So whoever says aging gracefully is an art is damn accurate! It is an art because we can come up with different approaches to it and there is no exact XYZ approach to it.

In this book, Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-Being, Dr. Weil notes that studies of people who live to be 100 years old or more have failed to find a single, specific formula for senior health and a long life. There is no evidence, he says, "that particular foods, supplements or other substances have anything to do with our living to extreme old age."

At the same time, however, he emphasizes that lifestyle does matter, especially concerning senior health. He contends that strong family ties, healthy food (but no one, specific food) and lifelong physical activity are probably what make residents of the island Okinawa the longest-lived population in the world, with an average life expectancy of 81.2 years.

Below are health tips...one can benefit from it if we want to age gracefully! These are common information which we all know about...we just need some reinforcements to get into the habit of following these simple health routines --

Healthy Eating!

Nothing beats a healthy and a balanced diet. They say we are what we eat and that what we take daily has a major impact on how well our body regenerates. We can opt for food which are fresh and unprocessed.

Vitamins and Minerals are good aid for aging skin too!

Below is a list which you might find handy --

Beta Carotene - antioxidant, increases cellular regeneration, and prevents pre-mature aging of the skin
Food source: carrots, apricots, & squash

Vitamin C - antioxidant, needed for production of elastin and collagen; promotes skin strength and elasticity in blood vessel walls and cell membranes
Food source: oranges, kiwi, & peppers

Vitamin E - antioxidant, helps maintain all tissues, believed to slow the aging of cells; may help prevent scar formation
Food source: cold-pressed vegetable oils, raw nuts & seeds

Selenium - antioxidant, protects against UV induced cell damage; helps preserve skin elasticity.
Food source: tuna, garlic, onions & broccoli

Zinc - antioxidant, essential for normal cell growth and repair
Food source: whole grains, most seafood, & onions

Essential Fatty Acids - to maintain proper function of all tissues and tissue repair, especially the skin
Food source: primrose oil, flax seed oil, & olive oil

You may also go see and nutritionist to find out what's the best diet for you. I do that once in awhile as I know with my daily activities and lifestyle my body needs differ from time to time.

Healthy eating is not just eating...but also it is about water intake! Yes, healthy diet is about eating and drinking right. They say the human body is made up of 50% to 70% water and it loses about three quarts of water each day through perspiration, urine, and respiration. To wait when we are thirsty isn't always the best barometer as thirst is a response to severe dehydration. The recommended liquid intake that the average person should drink is at least two to three pints of clean, pure water each day. Water is involved with nearly every bodily process most especially with flushing out waste materials. It also benefits our skin by acting as an internal moisturizer, keeping the skin moist, supple, and clear and well prevents pre-mature aging.

Healthy Lifestyle!

This is quite a broad topic which I'd rather sum up into two main categories...the TO DO's and the DON'Ts!

One key to healthy lifestyle is exercise! Everyone can benefit from it...people from all ages! We need not go to the gym for this...just a regular walk will do. Some morning stretching will never do harm!

My Grandma is approaching 90 and can still walk without any help of anyone, not even a stick! She has not gone to the gym...but she has most spend most of her time in the farm! Her daily routine afforded her good exercise.

Another key to healthy lifestyle is getting enough sleep. Body repairs take place when our body is at rest...or at sleep. Sleeping also gives us a good disposition which is a great factor in our overall wellness! It's hard to wake at the wrong side of bed if we have enough sleep. ;)

Beware of UV rays!

There has been many researches performed over the past years on the sun and it's effect on the human body. Though we have found that a certain amount of sunlight is needed to manufacture Vitamin D within our bodies, which is a definite necessity, after a certain time, those powerful rays can also be very harmful to our body, most especially to our skin.

So to add to my skin tips more specifically on Sunburn Remedies, here are more skin care tips.

- Try to avoid the sun between the hours of 10AM and 3PM, even with sun protector.
Watch the reflected light from sand, water, cement, and snow -- it is still damaging to the skin.
- Most dermatologist recommends an SPF 15 sunscreen or greater at anytime of the year.
- A SPF of 15 is only good for about 150 minutes (2.5 hours) protection. Thus, one application daily may not be enough to protect the skin all day.
- Wear something which protects you from the sun!

And you can probably add more to my list of to do's. Feel free to leave them in the comments sections if you please...

And now for the dreaded DON'Ts!

I will try to make this as simple as I can. Avoid anything that will cause you to put in unnecessary toxin into your body.

We may need to lower alcohol intake. At some point it give some benefits to the body but too much of anything is never good.

Quit smoking! Do I need to say more?!

Say no to substance abuse.

So there! Are we now ready to live 100 years and beyond?! Of course we are!

Cheer up...it's never too late to start a healthy life...and remember...

Aging gracefully is a matter of self-esteem!