We can’t stop those birthdays from coming every year and really with age comes wisdom, right. It’s not that we mind getting older so much as it is that we don’t want to look and feel older. There are three major things that cause our bodies to age:

• Cell and tissue damage from free radicals
• Enzyme depletion
• Reduced immune response

Our body cells are always being replaced by new cells so they don’t really age and there are natural solutions you can employ to fight these 3 causes of aging. Here are a few tips to help you look and feel younger, no matter what age you are.

Support Your Adult Stem Cells
While there has been a lot of controversy over the use of embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells naturally occur in your body. Stem cells are able to divide and either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell like a red blood cell or skin cell. So when you have damage to cells in your body, a stem cell can rush to the rescue to repair the damage. This is good news for healthy aging as our bodies change and are likely to need more repair. One way to support these adult stem cells is by nourishing them. This stem cell support supplement has been shown in in vitro laboratory studies to provide nourishment to adult stem cells to help increase growth and has antioxidants to help protect the stem cells you already have from free radical damage. Antioxidants are important in healthy aging to combat wrinkles, heart disease, eye disease and cancer. Vegetables and fruits that are brightly colored are good sources of antioxidants and should be included in a healthy aging diet.

Healthy Aging Nutrition
Just as what we eat is important for healthy aging, so is how we eat. Eating healthy foods keep our energy levels up, skin looking youthful, bodies in good working condition, and brains mentally sharp. A healthy aging diet should include whole grains for fiber, fruits, vegetables, lean protein and essential fatty acids. As we get older our metabolism tends to slow down and we have hormone level and digestion changes. Eating several small meals throughout the day instead of the basic three larger meals daily can help stabilize metabolism and allow food to digest properly. To insure you get the most nutrition from the foods you eat, enzymes are important for proper digestion. Eating raw or lightly cooked vegetables and fruits and chewing them thoroughly is one way to get digestive enzymes working for you. Most people however don’t get enough enzymes from foods and that is when a high quality digestive enzyme supplement can be helpful.

Exercise for Healthy Aging
According to a study reported in the British Daily Mail in 2008, regular exercise such as walking or aerobics can slow down muscle decline, and increase balance and coordination. To improve circulation, strength and flexibility, 30 minutes of daily exercise can really help. If you have conditions that prevent you from doing strenuous exercise, just do what you can to get your body moving. Every little bit helps. Certain yoga exercises can be gentle and will aid in keeping your digestive system working well, toning up flabby skin like under the arms, improve the tone of muscles and increase your flexibility. Before starting any type of new exercise program, it’s a good idea to check with your healthcare provider to make sure it is safe for you, but if you are looking for a gentle program that can help you with healthy aging, yoga may a solution for you.

Skincare for Healthy Aging
Dehydration is one of the leading causes of older looking skin. The best solution for this is to make sure you drink enough water daily. Water is also important to keep toxins flushed out of the body, and support the function of other organs. Along with water, you can add fruits and veggies to your diet that are naturally hydrating and have a high water content. To keep skin’s elasticity, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are important. For good skin health, you should get three to four times more omega-3 than omega-6. If you have a lot of processed foods, pre-packaged meals, fast foods, fried foods or junk foods in your diet then you are probably getting way more of the omega-6’s. To get the right ratio of omega-3 and omega-6, include deep water fish like salmon and tuna, fresh fruit, dark leafy greens, seeds and nuts, flax and olive oil and bluegreen algae in your diet. AFA bluegreen algae has the exact ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, making it one of Earth’s perfect foods for healthy skin. Omega-3 fatty acids also support brain health and heart health which are important considerations as we age.

Keeping Bones Strong
A big worry for many seniors is bone health. The older we get the more likely falls are to happen and since we start losing bone faster than it can regenerate when we age, our bones are more fragile. To keep bones strong and healthy, make sure you have the recommended calcium and Vitamin D in your diet. Adding low fat dairy products fortified with vitamin D in the diet can help support strong bones while keeping cholesterol levels down. When exercising, add weight bearing and flexibility exercises to your regimen.

Getting older doesn’t have to be something we dread. If how you look and feel is the real reason you aren’t looking forward to your next birthday, give some of these healthy aging tips a try. No matter how old or young you are now, it’s never too early or too late to get started living a healthy lifestyle that will pay off in your senior year.

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Sources:
http://www.oprah.com/oprahradio/Stem-Cell-Research
http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20080226/adult-stem-cell-therapy-shows-promise
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/01/120106-aging-mice-stem-cells-old-young-science-health/
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/anti-aging-diet
http://www.oprah.com/food/Eating-and-Secrets-to-Healthy-Aging-Aine-McAteers-Blog/1
http://www.prevention.com/beauty/beauty/new-rules-aging