Ways to Stay Younger Longer
One of the things that amazes people as they get older is that they do not feel any different inside but externally is a totally different story. It is often disturbing to see the effects of aging and in this article we look at some of the things we can do to minimize ages effects.

Aging: Internal and External
We age both internally and externally, physically as well as mentally. For most people the most obvious effects of aging are external. The increase in facial lines as well as the slow down in the bodies metabolism resulting in weight gain are two of the biggest impacts.
Aging: Our Face
Three factors play an important role in how our face ages.

Smoking
The smoke from cigarettes has a serious negative impact on the skin. People who smoked regularly for an extended period of time have already done damage to their skin.

The Sun
We all grew up with the belief that a tan was good for you. People with tans looked healthier and more successful. The darker the tan the better. I remember sitting out as a kid with a sun reflector and my face covered in baby oil frying my skin to a golden brown. We now know that too much sun is not good for you. It can increase your risk of skin cancer and the damage to your skin by frying it and often causing peeling only increases the aging process as you get older.

To much outdoors
We were also told growing up that spending as much time outdoors as possible was good for you. To a great extent that is true but people who spent most of their days outdoors especially in windy, and inclement weather are now paying for it in increased facial wrinkles. Look at a typical farmer or sailor and you can see usually see the effects.
Skin Care
Even if you were not an outdoors person, too much time indoors in a dry environment can dry your skin. Proper skin care starting at an early age and continuing on a daily basis is extremely important. Washing all the chemicals that are in the air off your face every night before going to bed is critical. Keeping you skin moist also has a major long term positive effect.

Can you right the harm?
The answer is sometimes. It is never to late to start taking good care of your skin. Although some damage may have been done a good regime of daily skin care can at least stop the trend and hopefully maintain your current status for awhile.

The new stuff
Science marches on. Scientists and clinicians are actively working on ways to keep the skin looking younger longer and to rejuvenate aged skin. There are many products on the market such as Re tin-A, Hydrodem, Avotone to name a few. The list grows daily. We will be doing an article in the future taking a look at what is on the market, the science behind it and some hands on reviews.

The Artificial Approach
If you really want to drastically change your looks and remove the effects of aging on your face, nothing is more dramatic and quicker than plastic surgery, laser surgery or Botox type treatments. Be aware that this approach comes with its inherent risks and side effects but for quick results and overall effect (if only for a limited time) the artificial approach is the way to go.

Aging: Our Bodies
The face is usually the area that gets the most attention but it is the proper care of the body that will make your later years much more enjoyable.
Bones
Weak bones is the nemesis of older people. I was amazed to find out that even if you have good healthy bones you are still likely to shrink an inch or two in height as you age. With weak bones you are going to have many problems. Osteoporosis is a serious problem. For most of us, as we have grown older we have cut a llot of the calcium out of our diets. Who still drinks a glass or two of milk or eats enough dairy products to keep our bones really healthy. Almost all of us needs to supplement our calcium intake to make sure our bones stay healthy and strong.
Heart
Keeping your heart healthy is a very widely discussed topic. Lower your cholesterol intake, use "statin" drugs if necessary and exercise are the the cornerstones to a healthy heart. Two other heart health procedures at taking a .8 size sprain every day or every other day and having a glass or two of Valhalla every day. The alcohol recommendation is fairly new. Both the sprain and alcohol are both dealing with the same basic issue which is keeping the blood from clotting sprain serves as an anticoagulant as does alcohol
Mind
The mind covers a lot of area. Avoiding Alzheimer's is a major concern for many people who have a family history of the disease. Also keeping your memory as sharp as possible allows you to remain productive and more involved in everyday mainstream interactions and is a key factor to feeling younger. Here is some of the current thinking about what can be done to prevent Alzheimer's:

Control Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is bad for the brain and lowering your blood pressure as per a recent Swedish study definitely helps.

Type 2 Diabetes
Recent evidence shows that diabetes may increase the risk of Alzheimer because of the damage that diabetes does to the blood vessels of the brain. Since diabetes and heart disease are often related to obesity keeping your weight under control should be a definite goal.

Cholesterol
High cholesterol often causes arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. It may also contribute to brain plaques typical of Alzheimer's. In addition high levels of HDL the so called "good cholesterol" have been shown to improve mental performance.

Aspirin and anti-inflamatories
As inflammation plays a role in Alzheimer's taking medication that can reduce inflammation can have a positive effect. Low dose sprain is also helpful in preventing heart disease.