The fountain of youth is in your soul- let's defy time!

SUPREEMA DAS
Apr 26, 2020
3 min read

The process of becoming older is Aging. In humans, aging refers to accumulation of changes over time, which includes physiological, psychological and social changes.

Concept of successful aging dates back to 1980s which involved three components-

1) freedom from disease and disability.

2) high cognitive and physical functioning.

3) social and productive engagement.

Man is mortal which makes human lifespan inherently limited. But as mentioned earlier, achieving successful aging should be the goal towards a fulfilled life.

There are two types of age- one, chronological which means the number of years a person has been alive and two, biological, which means how old a person's physiology really is.

As you can see, we don't have much control over the chronological age but biological age, which includes lifestyle factors like diet, physical activity, stress, smoking and drinking habits, pollution etc.

You can check your biological age here(approx): http://www.biological-age.com/#

In today's fast paced life, most of us would have our biological age exceeding the chronological age. But we can definitely pick up some measures to reverse the aging process, if not completely undo it. Happy news, right?

Let's list some factors which actually are responsible for hasting our lives:

*Poor Diet which may include processed foods and sugars

*Sleeping Pattern

*Water intake

*Physical activity

*Stress, can be physical, mental, emotional and oxidative stress on cells too!

*Smoking and alcohol consumption

*Pollution in the environment

*Tea/Coffee consumption(excessive)

*Medications

Following these, our body fails us sometimes and leads to conditions like infections, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes and obesity, which makes aging uncomfortable!

For more details :https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health

Now, if we look at the factors above, we can ask ourselves if we can avoid these and if not, can we minimise them.

I know, this is a task in itself as this is our lifestyle and we are comfortable with it!

Let's discuss how to age gracefully by practising life more closer to natural ways and methods:

1) De-stressing- Stress in your body, mind and environment needs to go!

Practise any form of meditation which suits your timing, space and schedule to relax yourself. Listen to Music, go for a massage, take a walk, dance, sing, write, cook. Do things which elevate your spirit!

But do it.

2) Hydrate : Drink water instead of other beverages like tea, coffee, canned juice. When you stay dehydrated, accumulation of toxins increase leading to more damage to the cells. Start your day with water. Obese people need more water due to less water percentage in their body.

3) Exercise : Gymnasiums are not the only way to exercise! You can stretch, do Yoga, Zumba anything which suits your routine.Blood circulation will improve and make your body more healthier!

4) Sleep : Sufficient sleep at the right time everyday keeps up your circadian rhythm and body during sleep helps in repairing the damaged cells, muscles, tissues etc. It has a direct impact on our productivity, emotional response and physical vitality. 7-9 hrs for a healthy adult is enough.

5)Annual Health Checkup for adults above 30 is a must to avoid surprises later!

6)Balanced Diet : Add fruits, veggies, probiotics, protein, high fiber to your diet. Subtract Sugar, processed foods, smoking, alcohol, caffeine, junk. Supplements can be useful for nutrients which can not be obtained through food.

7)Skin care:

SPF of minimum 15 is a must with PA+++

Follow a regular regime twice : cleanse-exfoliate-massage-pack/peel-tone-moisturize.

Serums are important for people above 30 and should include Hyaluronic Acid(HA), Retinol, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Q10.

Green tea soothes skin.

8)Hair care : Maximise oiling and cleaning with a shampoo and conditioner.Avoid heat treatments and hair sprays. Serums can be used to treat split ends. Regular trimming is necessary.

9) Breathe and be happy!