Forget ageing – Think youth!

Ageing - it happens to us all. Does the thought of it fill you with dread? Good news! We have an immeasurable amount of top tips to help you stay feeling and looking younger than ever before!

Grey hair …. Wrinkly skin …… slow digestion ….. Creaky joints ….. Lack of energy!

Nobody wants to admit that he (sic) is destined to be old. But it may help if we understand the ageing process:

Your body is made up of millions of cells. Some sources suggest that the human body is made up of 50 million million (50 trillion) cells while others suggest the figure being more like 100 trillion! As they are constantly replaced - multiplaying to make new cells (although each cell can only multiplay a certain number of times before it dies) - the number of cells in the body is not a static one. Some cells, including brain cells, are rarely replaced. As cells are lost or damaged, the body begins to bring forth accumulated signs of ageing, such as thinner skin, more fragile bones and muscle wastage.

At a rate of approximately fiver per cent every 10 years, starting approximately from the age of 30, your metabolism naturally slows over the years.

As you age, you lose a percentage of muscle mass resulting in a slower metabolism with the result that your body fat ratio increases. Less lean muscle mass means that fewer calories are burned, so, if you continue to eat the same amount, more food is converted into fat, and the ratio of muscle to fat becomes less favourable. Your muscles will have to work much harder to burn the fat. In anti-ageing, preserving muscle is therefore essential!

Many other factors accelerate the ageing process

• Stress is a major cause of premature ageing. Juggling a career and a demanding family, financial worries, looking after ageing parents, eating on the run - that stressful lifestyle is ageing you! It also prevents you from taking part in regular exercise, which is essential if you wish to slow down the ageing process.
• Poor nutrition: you may be eating plenty, but you may not be getting all the nutrients your body needs to maintain good health.
• Faddy diets wreck havoc with your metabolism and your ability to naturally lose weight. The only truly effective method is to provide your body with healthy nutrition and include regular moderate exercise.
• Sleep deprivation: your body needs time to repair and recharge with proper, regular rest; 6-8 hours of quality sleep can also help defy the ageing process.

Relaxation

This is a must. Many people have forgotten how to relax properly. We can all benefit from reducing our stress levels. Take up hobbies and habits that help you relax and enjoy life. Simple deep-breathing in a relaxed comfortable position for 10 minutes two or three times a day is a start; it has a wonderful de-stressing effect, oxygenates the blood and gives your hard-working brain a break. Less stress = better health.

Exercise

Preserve your mobility, flexibility and strength with a strong skeleton and lean, toned muscles. Regular exercise restores the flexibility and strengthens bone by making it denser. By building muscle you also help to speed up your metabolism, which in turn, allows you to eat more food! Walking, dancing, cycling, swimming .. Get your heart pumping and your limbs moving on a daily basis. Add some strength training to improve muscle tone and increase the strength of your muscles.

Here's how...

• Little and often - start with 20 minutes of strength training plus 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week. Varieties is important and choose activities you enjoy, this is essential because if you don't enjoy your exercise you'll quit before you've gained any benefits.
• Always remember to warm-up before each session, to help prevent injury.
• After a few weeks you should be noticing the benefits: more energy, more flexibility, clothes feel looser, better sleep, a brighter complexion, you may even feel 10 years younger!
• Now that you have established an firm habit, consider increasing each workout to 30-45 minutes and add one or two extra sessions each week, remember you are doing this to extend your life and enjoy better health - but do notoverdo it. Excessive physical exertion actually has the opposite effect, aging the body faster.
• Always give your body time recuperate and recover; balance exercise with plenty of quality sleep, relaxation and rest.

Additional bonus!

Exercise also helps to give your posture a make over - a 60 year old man or woman suffering with a body that is stiff, crooked and weak, can tranform themselves, with thanks to regular exercise, into being flexible, strong and upstanding.

Make more of your life!

What do you do with your weekend? Are you a sofa sloth with a TV-based weekend routine? If you are feeling a little embarrassed to saying yes, that that is you . It is never too late to change! You have merely temporarily stopped being adventurous, and spontaneous fun is still out there to be had! Life is all about new experiences, learning, creativity, taking risks, fulfilling desires - no matter what age you are. You can stay young and exciting by refusing to grow old and boring!

Fun and laughter:

People tend to look a lot younger when they smile, so do it more often! Take a break from routine and dare to do something different on a regular basis. Get out in the fresh air, make new friends, and seek out more fun and laughter. At the very least, limit yourself to only watching funny films when you resort to the TV - laughter lines are far more attractive than a frowning forehead!

Understand cholesterol

Cholesterol is an essential component in the body - it is produces by the body and used for digesting fats and producing cell membranes and some hormones. There is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol: saturated fats found in food like meat, cheese, cream, butter and processed pastries tend to raise LDL cholesterol - known as 'bad' cholesterol, which can clog arteries in the body. HDL is deemed 'good' cholesterol as it transports cholesterol away from the arteries, keeping them clear and fully functional. Vegetables protein such as Soya, has been found to help lower blood cholesterol levels. So if your doctor has told you to reduce your cholesterol levels for health reasons, you can help achieve this by adjusting your diet and keeping active.

Combine quality and quantity: eat to stay slim and healthy

This means eating enough and choosing nutrients - dense foods, no faddy dieting! Some low calorie diets result in a loss of muscle ... Disastrous! And junk food is a definite a no no no! Why poison your body with sludge which is difficult to digest and provides little or no nutrition? When you do your weekly grocery shopping, fill your trolley with foods rich is health-enhancing vitamins, minerals, enzymes and essential fatty acids: fresh vegetables, salad, fruit, oily fish, lean protein, soy products and wholegrain products, they can all help keep to you looking and feeling younger than ever.

Your secret weapon is supplementation.

Antioxidants help to neutralise excess free radical activity, brought on by poor diet, stress, pollution and physical exertion. Free radials are the enemy of a youthful body so aim to neutralise their negative effects with the power of antioxidants.

The REAL youth

When children play, they know how to have fun, so watch and learn - try to remember that it felt like to have no inhibitions, no hang-ups (before you were pre-conditioned to the constraints of adulthood) join in and make contact with our inner child.

You are what you THINK..

Your mind does not know the different between something that is real and something imagined - does that not help to explain why some people are eternal optimists and other who are just downright miserable! One believes and trust that life is there to be enjoyed; the other worries and thinks life is against him. So, use your mind muscle to your advantage - THINK YOUNG and do it often! Just like any other muscle, it can be strengthened and flexed with regular exercise conversation, the daily paper, puzzles, reading books, playing chess, beautiful music - these can all help to stimulate your mind and keep it sharp.

Youth - the choice is yours!

You could have the body and mind of a person 20 years younger . so much depends on your attitude towards diet, activity and how you cope with everyday stress. Start thinking young as from today!

For more information on healthy living, contact your ShapeWorks coach or Herbalife distributor by clicking on the following email address info@shapelife.co.za