While we cannot reverse the aging process or even stop or slow it down, we can help ourselves to stay younger longer. What do I mean? Our lifestyle patterns and habits are the biggest influences on the way we look, and even on how fast or how slow we age. By changing our own lifestyles, we can both look and feel years younger.



One of the most influential of all our lifestyle routines that tend to affect the way we look and the perception of our real ages by others is our stress levels. Many people overwork themselves, do not find time to exercise or even relax, and in fact do not even get a full five hours sleep minimum every night. We all know this, for it describes even our own lives, doesn't it? So what does it have to do with the way we look and feel? The answer is everything. One of the reasons that we age is because our bodies become inefficient at producing the required hormones in the required amounts, and often the lack of one sets of a series of reactions or chain reactions. The growth hormone is one of the hormones generated by our bodies while we sleep. A lack of sleep would mean less growth hormone in the body which in turn would be a signal to the brain that our aging process has begun. This in turn would signal increased hormone releases for insulin, and decreased hormone releases for other hormones such as melatonin and DHEA. These in effect would result in the signs of aging such as increased diabetes risks, restless sleeps and fat buildups among others.

Another of our lifestyle habits that affects the way we look is our social habits. Smoking for one has been known to add years to a person's age, primarily because smoking releases free radical toxins within our bodies which accelerate the aging process. Free radicals are produced by our bodies naturally, but habits such as smoking and increased exposure to the sun can force the release of more radicals than normal into our bodies. Free radicals have been proven to contribute to aging by attacking the cell structures of all organs within our bodies. Most visible is the skin, where we can see the breakdown of the skin's cell structure by its loss of elasticity and underlying structure.

Finally, exercise is probably the most influential but least acknowledged of all habits that can affect the way we look for our age. Unlike the first two above which stimulate our aging process, exercise actually works the other way to slow it down. This works too ways. When we exercise, we keep our bodies fit and get rid of toxic chemicals faster, thereby releasing internal stress within our bodies and extending the life of each individual cell. Additionally, exercise keeps our minds fit as well. When we cleanse the body internally, our minds automatically feel released and cleansed as well, and this undoubtedly has the subconscious effect of making us feel younger, stronger and more relaxed as well.