Looking and Feeling Younger

Do you want to look and feel younger? Who doesn't? Dr. Mehmet of the Dr. Oz show on NBC regularly hosts a show that has individuals take a test to show their real age compared to their actual age. The results of your test may surprise you. The following is some key ways to look and feel younger.

1. Attitude. Yes, your key to looking and feeling younger starts with your attitude. According to research published in Ageing International, your attitude and feelings toward your health is a good indicator of your life span. Thinking positive about aging increases your desire for a higher quality of life and leads to better choices with your health and lifestyle. This is key to not only looking younger but to feeling younger. What is so great about getting older? Check out Psychology Today for the reasons why getting older is a benefit.

2. Your Habits. Looking and feeling younger is more than eating your veggies and exercising, it's your habits.
Sleeping a minimum of 7 hours a night and brushing and flossing your teeth will greatly contribute to your looking and feeling younger. A lack of sleep , can increase your stress levels which not only causes you to look older but increases your risk of heart disease. Brushing and flossing reduces your chance of periodontal disease which is also linked to heart disease. Neither of these conditions contribute to your looking younger!

3. Your Family and Friends. Having a strong support system actually causes you to look and feel younger. Why? When you go through hard times, you have a strong social outlet to help relieve the effects of your stressful emotions. Whether that outlet is your spouse, family member or close friend, they play an important role in warding off stress. Less stress and a feeling of community contributes to looking and feeling younger. Start building those relationships and connections!

4. Diet and Exercise. We all know that the way we eat and how active we are contributes to looking and feeling younger. To get the benefits, you need to begin Clean eating, which consists of eating food in it's natural state as much as possible and being active. These two elements will give you the most bang for your buck in looking and feeling younger. For some tips on this, check out my article, How To Succeed at Eating Healthy and Exercising.

The good news is that you can begin today to look younger and feel younger. Start with your attitude, begin changing your habits slowly, use your family and friends for support and get active!

Sources, Ageing International, Volume 27, Number 2/March 2002