The fountain of youth has yet to be discovered, but our desire to stay forever young continues to grow. We live in a society where it seems like aging is an illness, so we take steps to prevent it at all costs. From expensive creams to even pricier procedures, anti-aging is a money-making business.
The natural way to stay young
But before you go under the knife, needle, or dish out hundreds to stay 21 forever, consider natural methods which can slow down the aging process. In fact, you can enjoy anti-aging foods, an anti-aging diet, and some of the best exercises for younger looking skin. These can not only make you feel young on the inside, but outside as well.
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So if you’ve had enough of spending your money on promises to make you look younger, try these anti-aging exercises and effective foods for anti-aging instead.
Anti-aging foods
A lot of how we feel and look has to do with what we eat. Food can provide us with energy and nutrients, but it is also a great means for anti-aging. Here are some of the best anti-aging foods for younger looking skin and overall slowing down the aging process.
Pomegranates: A superfood in its own right, pomegranates are also effective foods for anti-aging, in particular for softening the skin. Its vitamin C content helps to reduce damage caused by the sun. This fruit also packs a high antioxidant punch to fight against free radicals which can lead to wrinkles. It also helps to preserve collagen – a protein found in the body’s tissue which holds everything together; it’s what makes our skin tight and smooth.
How to incorporate pomegranates in your diet
Pomegranates can easily be part of an anti-aging diet by enjoying the seeds at least once a week. You can also drink pomegranate juice, but the seeds are your best bet. They are delicious on their own or added to smoothies, or a salad. However you choose to enjoy pomegranates, they are definitely one of the best anti-aging foods for younger looking skin.
Green tea: Although green tea may not seem like a food for anti-aging, it’s a good addition to your pantry of effective foods for anti-aging. Green tea has been noted to be beneficial for digestion and metabolism, but younger looking skin also makes the list. Green tea contains some of the most powerful antioxidants – ogliomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) – which, through research, have shown to reduce free radical damage. In fact, the properties of green are often used in big-name beauty cosmetics as a means for anti-aging. Green tea can help protect your skin from sun damage.
It’s as easy as brewing a cup a day – but keep in mind green tea does have caffeine, so it’s best not to have it before bed.
Spinach: Leafy greens should be a staple in anyone’s diet, but more so in an anti-aging diet. As an effective food for anti-aging, spinach works to improve skins elasticity, thanks to its beta-carotene and lutein, according to research in the Journal of Agriculture Food Chemistry.
Further research from the Journal of Skin Pharmacology and Physiology revealed that study participants who not only consumed, but applied lutein on the skin over 12 weeks had improved hydration, elasticity and less cell damage. Therefore, enjoying anti-aging foods which contain both nutrients, like spinach, are effective foods for anti-aging.
How to use spinach
Spinach can be sautéed, enjoyed as a salad or blended as a beverage. For an added punch of antioxidant power, combine it with kale and enjoy them together three times a week.
Cold water fish: The secret to looking younger for longer may not actually be a fountain, but something you find in water – cold water to be exact. The importance of omega-3s continues to be studied because of how beneficial they can be to our heart and mind alike. Better yet, enjoying omega-3s in your anti-aging diet is a great way to combat the effects of aging.
These foods for anti-aging include salmon, sardines and mackerel. They will give you the omega-3s you need to help strengthen skin cell membranes which keeps moisture in. Consumption of these foods for anti-aging may also lower skin inflammation.
How to use cold water fish
Although you don’t want to overdo the amount of fish you eat weekly, aim for two servings a week. Cold water fish can be baked in the oven or grilled with lemon and spices for flavor.
Blueberries: Similar to pomegranates, blueberries contain a high level of antioxidants which are beneficial for the skin. As an effective food for anti-aging, blueberries not only protect the skin against sun damage but also fight against the effects of stress and over-exercising – all aspects which can produce fine lines.
How to use blueberries
Because of how versatile blueberries are, adding them to your anti-aging diet is as easy as washing a few and popping them in your mouth. They can also be added to smoothies or made into baked goods – healthy, less sugary versions, of course.
Watermelon: Watermelons contain many of the essential nutrients your skin needs to continue to look young. Vitamin C and potassium work as a powerful antioxidant as well as regulators to balance water and nutrients in the cells. Watermelon also packs vitamin A which can make pores less visible and prevent excess oil from coming out.
Lastly, watermelon’s anti-aging secret is its water. Sometimes it may not be easy to consume eight glasses of water a day, so eating watermelon gives your body the water it needs to stay refreshed and hydrated. In turn, a hydrated body produces more collagen which keeps our skin smooth and tight.
Watermelon can easily be sliced up and enjoyed on its own, added to a fruit salad, or topped up with some feta cheese and mint.
Olive oil: You may not think oil would be beneficial for anti-aging, as too much oil on the skin can cause acne and pimples, but olive oil is an effective food for anti-aging. Olive oil is considered a “good fat” and like cold water fish, it too contains omega-3s. Because omega-3s are so beneficial for our hearts, it assists in boosting our circulation. When we have improved circulation, blood can flow easier which gives our skin a healthy glow.
How to use olive oil
Easy uses for olive oil? Try it as a dressing, dip or cooking oil at lower temperatures, but try not to exceed a tablespoon a day.
As you can see, when it comes to anti-aging these are some of the best foods for younger looking skin. These items can easily be incorporated into an anti-aging diet and enjoyed on a regular basis. But to keep yourself looking younger, longer, pair up your anti-aging diet with anti-aging exercises as well.
Anti-aging exercises
Exercise in itself is so beneficial to the body. It keeps our bones and muscles strong, it manages our weight, and improves our heart function. Better yet, though, exercise can greatly improve the aging process.
Exercise works to tighten and tone the skin which “relaxes” and starts to sag as we age. The secret here is when we lose muscle, we age quicker. When our muscle age, we cannot perform tasks we once were comfortable doing. Lack of movement then results in the aging process to speed up. Not only will exercise make you look good, but it can make you feel good and younger as well.
Aging isn’t just about how our skin looks, it’s also about keeping our heart and other organs younger so they continue to work to their best ability. So if you’re looking to feel and look younger, try some of these anti-aging exercises.
Squats: Squats are a great anti-aging exercise because they target some of the body’s largest muscles. This not only burns calories for longer, but keeps our legs strong as well. Also, you want to be able to keep performing a squat motion as you age so you can pick up groceries or garbage, or even lift up your grandchild into your arms.
Proper squat technique involves keeping feet hip-width apart – for women you may want to go a bit wider than the hips as women and men’s hips are built differently. Once in this position, move down as if you are about to sit on a chair. Ensure your knees are not going over your toes and that your back is straight. Once in a seated position, push through your heels to come back up and you have now completed a squat.
Cardiovascular activity: As mentioned, a strong heart is a great means for anti-aging so cardiovascular activity – or cardio – are some of the best exercises for younger looking skin. With cardio we bring our heart rates up which affects our lungs and heart alike. We take in more oxygen as well as pump out more blood. Better circulation throughout the body improves the look of our skin and strengthens our heart.
Some anti-aging exercises which involve cardio are running, jumping jacks, swimming, cycling, tennis, and even dance. Any activity which amps up your heart is cardio and as long as you have the OK from a doctor, it should be done a minimum of two and a half hours a week, as recommended by the U. S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Face yoga: We’re sure you’ve heard of yoga, but maybe face yoga is new to you. Yoga is great for stretching muscles, allowing for greater circulation to keep them at peak performance. Face yoga uses the same principles to improve the look of your face muscles as well. For best exercises for younger looking skin, face yoga is one of them.
One face yoga technique is called “smooth the brow.” This anti-aging exercise works to smooth out those lines above the eyebrows. Start by placing both hands facing inward on your forward, essentially right below your hairline or the middle of your forehead. Move your hands across your head applying slight pressure. Complete this at least 10 times.
Natural anti-aging techniques
Food and exercise are not just ways to stay healthy they are both some of the best ways to prevent aging. Watching what we put in our mouths can mean the difference of developing wrinkles or having a smooth complexion. Likewise, anti-aging exercises can keep our insides feeing good which will show on the outside as well.
An anti-aging diet packed with anti-aging foods is a great way to naturally look younger for longer. Combine your diet with some of the best exercises for anti-aging, and you may find people stop believing how old you are actually are!
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