It's only fair to share…

Why look older than your years when there are ways to help take control of aging? That’s right…

Aging is seen as something we cannot control, much like a fast moving snowball rolling downhill, it continues to roll, all the while, collecting more snow and increasing in size. Aging continues, and it too can be fast-paced, much like a snowball, but it doesn’t have to be. We can dramatically slow aging down and reverse it to a degree through the process of reducing inflammation.

The truth is that we do have control over the aging process and it is as simple as incorporating a few routines into your daily life for an average of 4 weeks to create a habit. Habits are the key!

Inflammation is a large part of the aging process and there is a term that has been coined to describe this: Inflammaging. But guess what? Inflammation can be reduced, reversed and avoided by knowing exactly what the right lifestyle choices to make.

Below you will find three essential tips to help you not only age younger, but also reduce and prevent inflammation that will then lead you to optimal health.

~Tip One – Avoid Sugar

Sugar is the #1 pro-inflammatory food and accelerates aging. Sugar causes an ugly rapid rise in blood sugar and then a precipitous drop – this action alone is inflammation. Sugar also causes “Glycation which is essentially the carmelization of our bodily tissues. When sugars and proteins combine a bio-chemical process occurs causing Glycation. Think of those crispy browned potatoes on the stove..this same process happens when we ingest sugar. Glycation causes rapid aging throughout the body, including wrinkles and sagging skin, which damages our DNA.

~Tip Two – Hydrate

Most people do not realize that they are walking around mildly dehydrated. By the time you are thirsty, you are already 1-2% dehydrated. They are suffering needlessly with wrinkled skin, joint pain, fatigue, weight gain, hunger, headaches and more, all because their cells are lacking hydration.

Our bodies are 70% water, so it stands to reason that when a cell is not hydrated, its optimal function will slow down. This is why when we are not adequately hydrated we feel lethargic – cellular function has slowed. The same is true for weight gain. When our cells slow down, so does our metabolism resulting in excess weight. Water reduces inflammation and increases metabolism.

~Tip Three – Reduce Stress

You’ve heard that ‘size doesn’t matter’ right? Not so. There is a very tiny and critical part of your health, longevity and youthfulness: a protective molecular genetic unit called a Telomere.

Telomeres are caps on the ends of our chromosomes that protect our DNA. Every time our cells divide, our telomeres shorten and thus, leaving us more vulnerable to faster aging.

You can think of telomeres as similar to the plastic caps on the ends of shoelaces. Once the plastic protective cap starts to wear away, the lace begins to fray. A similar process is happening with our telomeres and this is what leaves us vulnerable to DNA damage.

Chronic stress is like adding gasoline to an already burning fire. Our telomeres shorten much faster with stress and with sugar (see tip number one). This is why people who experience continual stress tend to experience faster aging and ill health.

The key is to grow your telomeres longer or at least maintain the length as long as possible. Healthy lifestyle choices will do this, such as reducing stress.

Choose to lower the stress in your life to help keep or bring back that youthful body and mind.

Exercise is the number one stress reduction technique along with all of its other anti-aging benefits. Yoga, Tai Chi, meditation, calming thoughts and diaphragmatic breathing – taking deep belly breaths (breathing from the diaphragm as opposed to shallow breathing) will not only stop the stress response in its tracks, but it is a healthier and fuller way to ingest oxygen.

Don’t go another day looking older than your years. Using just these three tips will greatly diminish the obvious signs of aging while slowing down the aging process and creating optimal health.

 

Living a healthy, youthful life full of vibrant energy is easy once you have the knowledge and motivation. If you would like to learn more about how to turn back the years – ones that you deserve – contact Lori regarding how she can help!

Dr. Lori is the author of the weight loss book “FIRE-UP YOUR FAT BURN!” 

She is  the Founder and CEO of DLS HealthWorks. She is a Health Expert, Weight Loss Specialist, Speaker, Author and Health Expert for the #1 ABC Show “Good Morning Texas!”

Visit Lori at http://www.dlshealthworks.com