Edna's Anti Aging Site

Yes, we can. It is never too early to develop habits that will slow the aging process. Anti-aging steps are simply the use and development of good lifestyle habits to maintain health and prevent disease. Nutrition, exercise, and attitude all play a role at keeping the aging process a positive one.
Our skin, the biggest organ in our bodies is affected by two different types of aging: intrinsic and extrinsic aging. Intrinsic aging is the rate of aging that occurs with the passage of time. It’s what many people call the aging process and how and when it happens to you is influenced by genetics. While, extrinsic aging on the other hand is the skin’s response to external damage and is controllable to a very large degree by the choices of the lifestyle you make every day.

Most researchers today agree that we can defy aging by revising the typical Western diet and minimizing damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals in the body can damage healthy cells and lead to a variety of life shortening illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. So, one of the best anti-aging principles is to counteract free radicals and reduce the damage that they do.
The external causes of skin aging are well known and include: sun damage, alcohol consumption, smoking, and inflammation caused by poor diet or bad skin care. Extrinsic skin aging is made worse because your body’s ability to repair itself declines with age. We are all subject to the process of aging and our skin will naturally go through five key changes as we age. Below are the changes of all part of intrinsic skin aging – the natural aging process which will happen whatever we do.

• Drier Skin – Whatever your skin type, from about the age of 30, less oil is produced by the sebaceous glands every year. So, your skin will gradually get drier.
• Less melanin – melanin production declines with age. So, from your late thirties onwards, your skin will be less able to fight sun damage.
• Reduced collagen and elastin – bringing a loss of elasticity and firmness to your skin.
• Reduced ability to heal and repair skin damage – no problem when you were a child but in your 50’s, this is much slower.

• Thinner skin – from around 40’s, the dermis and your skin’s fat layer begin to thin producing sagging and loss of plumpness. It will happen first where skin is thinnest naturally which that means under the eyes and around the neck and décolleté.

There are a few things that we can do to slow down the skin aging process:

• Protect your skin from UVA or UVB light - Protect yourself from UV radiation, both indoors and out. Always seek the shade outdoors, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM. And since UVA penetrates glass, consider adding flat, tinted UV-protective film to your car’s side and rear windows as well as to house and business windows. Since both UVA and UVB are harmful, you need protection from both kinds of rays. To make sure you’re getting effective UVA as well as UVB coverage, look for a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, plus some combination of the following UVA-screening ingredients: stabilized a avobenzone, ecamsule (a.k.a. Mexoryl™), oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide. For example: Clarins UV Plus Day Screen High Protection SPF 40

• Stop smoking or inhaling other people’s smoke – Smoke the cigarette can cause the oxidative stress that mutates DNA, promotes atherosclerosis and leads to chronic lung injury. Oxidative stress is thought to be the general mechanism behind the aging process, contributing to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and COPD.

• Follow an anti aging skin care regimen – there are a lot of anti aging skin care at the market. Most of the anti aging skin care lines focus on the four steps to good skin care (cleanse, tone, exfoliate and moisturize) and include products that target each step. Moisturizing creams aim to hydrate skin as a first step and also include active anti aging ingredients to deal with skin wrinkling and sagging. Skin care products such as Olay products can renew it outer layer one cell at a time.

• Eat a diet rich in vitamins A, C and E - Boost your immunity with vitamins and minerals. The top choices are vitamins A, C, and all B vitamins including biotin, and folic acid. Immune boosting minerals are zinc, copper, iron, and selenium. Add super foods to your diet for healthy intestines. They are full of important vitamins such as vitamins A, C, and E, and high in fiber. High fiber foods protect the intestines and are often passed over as unimportant in a healthy diet. What are the top 10 super foods? Cooked bulgur wheat, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, acorn squash, wheat germ, spinach, broccoli, dry roasted sunflower seeds, whole wheat bread, and baked sweet potatoes. These super foods can also help to lower cholesterol levels.

• Avoid too much gat, sugar and salt in your diet - Accessorize your diet for healthy benefits to your heart and overall health. Replace butter with olive oil which contains mono-unsaturated fats that lower bad cholesterol levels. Indulge in healthy teas, either green tea or black, to combat cholesterol and cancer. They contain anti-oxidants, an important defense for overall health. Season with garlic, a powerful food that also lowers cholesterol and helps prevent heart attacks.

• Stay slim by balancing calories in and calories out -You can lower your risk for many life-shortening diseases by staying trim. Find an activity that you enjoy and do it 3-5 times a week. Try walking, golfing, dancing, or bowling to burn those extra calories.

• Pamper your heart -  to lower your risk of coronary disease and slow down the aging process. The most basic advice is to quit smoking, choose a low fat diet, exercise, and lose extra pounds. For extra coronary benefit, eat garlic and take vitamin E supplements. With doctor approval, consider taking a daily baby aspirin to reduce the chance of clotting. Also, keep watch on blood sugar levels for additional heart protection.

• Get enough sleep - Don’t forget to protect yourself from memory loss. The brain works best when you get plenty of sleep, preferable 6-8 hours a day. Practice memorizing to help keep your mind sharp. Keep distractions at a minimum by organizing your home. Taking Ginkgo Biloba can maintain good brain health and help to protect the body against damage from free radicals and also improve mental performance and circulation.

• Reduce stress- We should reduce the stress because stress causes a rise in cortisol levels which negatively effects your ability to recall. Try planning ahead, listening to soothing music, spending time with a friend, or watching a funny movie for benefits to your memory. Read more..

• Keep your muscles limber and flexible to reduce chronic pain - Regular exercise builds muscle tone, reducing the wear and tear from everyday chores. Take stretch breaks throughout the day to help counteract stiffness and try yoga to eliminate stiff muscles and increase blood flow throughout the body.

• Lowering the caffein consumption: Caffeine drives the adrenal glands to produce stress hormones that can remain in the blood stream up to 18 hours after consumption. Caffeine-induced stress can produce mood swings and insomnia, increase muscle tension, impair digestion and nutrition, restrict blood circulation to the brain, elevate blood pressure, create blood sugar swings, and accelerate heart rate.

Follow these simple anti-aging tips for whole body protection against life shortening diseases. You’ll enjoy better health, more energy, and be on track for a long, and happy life.