4 Natural Anti-Aging Tricks

Forget about botox or facelifts–turn back the clock with these simple guidelines that will help you look and feel forever young.

 

In 2011, the anti-aging industry–with all of its creams, serums and cosmetic procedures–was valued at $80 billion and is on course to reach $114 billion by 2015. But Dr. Eric Plasker, author of The 100 Year Lifestyle and a Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute member, says there are better, cheaper and more natural ways to reverse the signs of aging and live a longer, healthier life.

 

STEP 1: EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE

We probably don’t have to tell you that exercise has all kinds of incredible health benefits. Like drastically reducing your risk of developing major chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. That’s old news. But did you know that regular exercise fights off the effects of aging?

“Exercise improves our circulation and moves lymph tissue, a fluid in our body with a high concentration of white blood cells,” Plasker says. “It helps accelerate healing and boosts our immune system to fight bacteria and cancer cells.”

In his book The 100 Year Lifestyle, Plasker prescribes a four-times-a-week exercise regimen that incorporates cardio, strength training, and core and balance work (see “The Fountain of Youth Workout” for details). “Working out takes you off the weight-loss, weight-gain roller coaster and regenerates your body to keep it young,” he says.

 

STEP 2: EAT LIKE AN INFANT

It seems counterintuitive, but when it comes to managing healthy weight, babies have it all figured out. They eat small but nutritionally dense meals every three to four hours and stop when they’re full.

“They didn’t learn this,” Plasker says. “It’s just what their body is telling them to do; it’s instinctive. We get conditioned to do breakfast, lunch and dinner because that’s what society says we do, not because that’s what our bodies want.”

Plasker recommends that adults adopt a similar schedule in order to maintain stable levels of blood sugar. When your blood sugar crashes, your body enters starvation mode, and it is likely to take what your body doesn’t use for energy and store it as fat.

Every three to four hours, reach for a snack that combines lean protein, good carbohydrates (like those found in whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables), and some fats. And, Plasker adds, avoid the “white devils”: white flour, white sugar and white rice.

After about a month of eating this way, Plasker says, your body will come into balance and begin to naturally release excess body fat, instead of storing it.

 

STEP 3: STAND UP STRAIGHT

Your mother was right: It turns out that good posture is key to counteracting the effects of aging. “The spine protects the nervous system,” Plasker explains. “So damage to the spine can affect every cell of your body in a negative way.”

Plasker says it takes a conscious effort to recognize and correct bad posture habits such as slouching, sleeping on your stomach and sitting all day long.

“We know that a sedentary lifestyle contributes to rapid aging and disease,” Plasker says. “The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports estimated that excess sitting will cost the U.S. more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years.”

So what is perfect posture? Stand up straight with your head up, earlobes aligned with the middle of your shoulders. Lengthen your neck and pull your head toward the ceiling, keeping your shoulders back, your knees and your back straight, and your abdominal muscles tight.

 

STEP 4: THINK GOOD THOUGHTS

If you need proof that stress is a primary factor in aging, just count the number of gray hairs on any U.S. president’s head after his first year in office. But new evidence from the University of California at San Francisco reveals that exercise can reduce the effects of stress-induced aging at the cellular level. Scientists at the university found that as little as 42 minutes of physical activity over the span of three days reduces the wear and tear on telomeres, segments of DNA linked to several health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes.

“Exercise is an incredible outlet that counteracts the effects of stress,” Plasker says. “It supports being happier because there’s a great post-workout euphoric feeling that’s addictive in a really good way.”

Another study, from Purdue University, adds credence to the saying “You’re only as old as you feel.” In the survey of about 500 people ages 55 to 74, respondents who felt young for their age said they had greater confidence in their cognitive abilities later in life.

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