Death becomes you.

Ugh so lets glaze over the hideous topic of aging. It's an inevitability we all must come to terms with. It's all well and good getting botox, paralox or cryogenically frozen like Walt Disney but the Universe dictates that our physical being has a finite time on this Earth and unfortunately Isabella Rossellini isn't on hand with her magic potion these days.

If you haven't a clue what I'm harping on about I recommend you watch Death Becomes Her (1992) which stars Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, and Bruce Willis. It's funny.

So what is aging?

In short, it's wear and tear over time; a decrease in muscular and skeletal health which can lead to disability. It's a decrease in oxygen supply to tissue brought about by the thickening of vessels and in some organs such as the brain, cells that die are not replaced!! (eeeek). In other tissues, the cell constituents change with aging; for example tissue loses elasticity and over-all most biological functions show a gradual deterioration.

During young middle-age (35-45 years), a bracket in which I am fast approaching, physical activity usually wanes so this is the right time to develop good habits rather than succumb to aging. This reduction in physical activity can start off a chain of events which can snowball out of control!

Ok so what can we all do to slow down the aging process?

Well without typing an essay here are a few top tips.

EXERCISE! We've got to keep our metabolism up! As we age our resting metabolism decreases. One reason is we lose metabolically active muscle mass (through inactivity) and there is also a parallel increase in metabolically inert fat. Ordinary people will naturally slow down as there becomes less emphasis on the need to appear at our best for potential partners and bosses etc, but we are not ordinary right!!? Realistically exercise won't stop the aging process but at the very least exercise will contribute to good health before we die.

This lovely lady celebrated her sweet 16th in the 14th Century. Madonna is a prime example of how to grow old gracefully (or disgracefully depending on your angle). Despite the photo-editing & strategic lighting, there's no denying that this particular celebrity cliche of good health is an athlete who could probably out run most twenty-somethings on the ol' treadmill.  

KEEP BENDING! There is a correlation between the feeling of youthfulness and the ability to bend. It makes sense that if you are physically active your muscles are stronger, more elastic and the rate of deterioration is decreased. Low impact exercises will be good for your joints like Pilates but it might not give you a strong cardiovascular workout. Swimming is a very good option. 

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GIVE YOUR SKIN A DRINK!  Find a decent, affordable non-greasy moisturizer (I recommend Nivea as a brand) and use it constantly. If you don't regularly moisturize, you'll notice improvements in your skin happen quite quickly. Don't spend a fortune (unless you really want to) on gimmicky products.

PROTECT YOUR SKIN! This is the one I tend to forget about. My natural tan provides a little natural protection from UV but that's not to say darker skin cannot be damaged. The advise is to consider the damage you can't see happening. Cover up or wear UV protection...we all know the advise.

WATCH WHAT YOU PUT IN YOU! In terms of aging, we want to start thinking plenty of water (of course), balanced diets, antioxidants (more below) and lots of fresh ingredients; less junk food, less booze etc and curbing those cravings for sugary treats.

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are molecules which prevent the oxidization of other molecules. Oxidation produces Free Radicals and these in turn trigger a chain reaction within cells, causing them to die. Antioxidants remove Free Radicals and inhibit further oxidization occurring. More on this later.

Grow old gracefully people!

 Natural Healing | Massage Therapy | Yoga Massage by Joey George Brighton/London 

 www.theoilstudio.co.uk