Now that I'm in my mid-30's, aging is at the forefront of my mind. I'm becoming painfully aware that I'm no spring chicken anymore. I don't know about you but I'd like to maintain my youth for as long as I possibly can. Am I alone on this one? I remember reading an interview with Gwen Stefani many years ago where the interviewer asked her what motivates her to work out and eat well, and the answer she gave always stuck with me, "vanity". The way she was so unapologetic about it just lit me up, and that's why she's in her late 40's and looks amaaaaazing! She takes good care of herself and makes no apologies about it.
There is no shame in wanting to take care of ourselves.
Obviously there's nothing we can do to stop ourselves from ageing, however there are some tricks to supporting the aging process and avoiding things that accelerate it. It involves supporting some specific hormones and preventing imbalances in certain organ systems.
So here are 5 tips to supporting the ageing process (you may already be doing some of them):
Boost GH (growth hormone)
This amazing hormone is essential for muscle tone, bone density, body composition, and skin tone. Unfortunately, between the ages of 30-70 GH levels fall by more than 75%!! Yikes!
What to do about it:
Regular exercise helps boost GH.
Get good quality sleep. When we sleep melatonin is released to cool down our body temperature and as our temperature drops GH is released. It spends this short time providing us with some amazing restorative benefits, so make sure to get plenty of sleep. Grab your "10 Tips for Getting Better Sleep" Guide and start getting some beauty sleep today.
Intermittent fasting. In one study, during the 24-hour fasting periods, GH increased an average of 1,300 percent in women, and nearly 2,000 percent in men.
Support your gut and liver
Things like not eating enough variety, eating processed foods, and non-foods (coffee, sugar, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners) and medications can make the body's detoxification systems sluggish. This can create an accumulation of toxins and hormones in our body contributing to imbalances and disease.
What to do about it:
Eat a plant-heavy diet. Think greens, fruits, whole grains, beans and legumes, and plenty of them. These provide plenty of fiber, vitamins and minerals to keep our systems functioning optimally for proper detoxification.
Drink lots of water. Hydration helps move nutrients around the body and helps us detoxify.
Eat Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kefir, apple cider vinegar, aged cheese, kombucha and yogurt. These foods are anti-inflammatory and help keep our gut populated with beneficial bacteria that help us detox.
Load up on anti-oxidants
Processed foods and convenience foods contain many ingredients that create inflammation and break down collagen. This can give us a red complexion and make us look tired and run down. Fortunately, compounds found in fruits and vegetables help combat these effects.
What to do about it:
Eat berries! Every. Darn. Day. Especially wild blueberries, because they are free radical scavenging powerhouses.
Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties and also helps control blood sugar and insulin, which is another factor in aging. Matcha is even better.
Eat your fats! Think avocados, salmon, walnuts, flax, and olive oil. Healthy fats are essential in carrying around vitamins, keeping our skin supple and controlling inflammation.
Choose homemade snacks and baked goods over pre-packaged ones to avoid preservatives.
Manage stress
It's been well documented that cortisol has aging effects on skin cells, not to mention the way it throws all of our other hormones out of whack.
What to do about it:
Get your thoughts in check. If you're naturally a pessimistic or rigid person, work on changing your mindset. (Meditation and journaling really helped me with this personally.)
Focus on one task at a time instead of doing multiple things at once. Staying focused on one thing can help boost serotonin.
Take an adrenal adaptogen to help keep stress hormones balanced (schizandra's my personal fave).
Get plenty of sunlight. Low vitamin D is associated with low moods.
Get moving! Movement boosts endorphins, keeps our mind sharp and improves moods.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
This hormone is often referred to as the "anti-aging" hormone or "longevity molecule". It is the precursor to estrogen and testosterone and one of the most abundant hormones in our body. It influences sleep, supports immunity, and tissue repair and helps us lose fat and gain muscle. It boosts libido and helps keep us motivated and energetic. It declines with age, stress and illness.
What to do about it:
Meditation has been shown to increase the production of DHEA.
Have sex! Orgasms increase DHEA.
Strength training increases DHEA, so make sure to include it in your workout regimen.
The adaptogen Relora (an extract made from Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense) also increases DHEA.
If this seems like a lot just try to remember that wellness is a practice. It doesn't have to be challenging as long as you're making healthy choices consistently, results will start to show before you know it. In many cases we are trying to erase years of bad habits overnight, which isn't realistic. So take it easy on yourself and strive for progress not perfection.
References:
New Research Finds Routine Periodic Fasting is Good for Your Health, and Your Heart
Mechanisms of Body Weight Reduction and Metabolic Syndrome Alleviation by Tea
Brain-Skin Connection: Stress, Inflammation and Skin Aging
Elevated serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) and TM-Sidhi programs.
Effect of a proprietary Magnolia and Phellodendronextract on stress levels in healthy women: a pilot, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial