3 Ways to Slow Aging… Really!

So, I was driving in my car one day, happily attending to a list of chores, and then it hit me – I am 50 years old! I managed, barely, not to hit a pedestrian with my car, with this sudden revelation, and managed to pull the car to the side of the road. I was actually taken by surprise! I was halfway to a century!! This was when I started to feel old. All this time, it was just a number…. I managed to calm myself, after a good 10 minutes of feeling old, and drove home. Speaking to my friends, I realized I was not alone. Aging hits you between your eyes without any warning. This, of course, led me to the research a bit and find out the things we can do to cope with aging, as well as, slow down the process in terms of its detrimental impacts. Well, well, it dawned on me that millions are out there, searching for the same answers, and here are three that I found very interesting.

3 Ways to Slow Aging

Before I go any further, I must tell you that aging is inevitable. However, how you age or its rate is not. Most of the time, the rate of aging is affected by what we do….. or don’t do. So, here goes.

Eat heart-healthy foods – You don’t have to be a genius to know that eating the wrong foods can really speed up the aging process. That chili dog you had for lunch?…..yup, it just increased your rate. Ok, so here’s the thing… Although you can eat the occasional unhealthy foods, consider heart-friendly ones most of the time. Many fruits and vegetables, especially colorful ones, contain powerful antioxidants called flavonoids and carotenoids. These get rid of free-radicals in the body that cause inflammation and various other problems. Oh, by the way, they are essential to kill off any cancer cells lurking in our system. So, go for it, without a second’s delay.

Exercise the Vagus Nerve –Never heard of the vagus nerve? It is a nerve that starts from the brain stem and spreads out to various parts of the body. This nerve does a whole load of work on bodily functions that include breathing, monitoring the heartbeat, and maintaining digestive function. This nerve often overreacts when things get stressful and signals your immune system to attack just about anything it finds. This is not good for your health and aging process. What can you do? You learn to soothe the vagus nerve with meditation and exercise. The result? Slow down the aging process of course!

Drink Plenty of Water – We all know the benefits of drinking water. Water lubricates your system and helps in all biological functions. Water also keeps your skin clear and fights bad breath. The thirst detection mechanism decreases with age. This means you need to remind yourself to drink plenty of water even before your body tells you to. Don’t aim for 8 glasses as specified. Drink as much as you can, depending on your activity level and to make your urine clear.

With all these tips on slowing aging, I learned one very important fact. No matter what I do, I will still age. It is how I age that matters. The same can be said for you too.

So, that’s it for my tips on slowing aging. Do you have any tips to slow the aging process? Feel free to visit our Active Adult Living Facebook page and leave a comment. Your input is important to us. This article is brought to you by ActiveAdultLiving.com®, the national directory of 55+ retirement communities across the USA and Canada.