When we were 16 years old we could not help but to want to get older so we could get our own place; our own job; our own car; and the list goes on. Now that we have all of those things we look back and wish we could have the bodies that we had when we were 16. Ironic as that is you are not the only one that feels that way and thus this list is created. Although we can not lead you to believe that you will look 16 again and yet if you follow these practical steps they will delay you from looking or feeling 100.

1. Quit Smoking
    It can not be overemphasized how important this step is. If you were to do one thing that drastically impacted how your physical body looks 5 years from now then at the very least quit smoking. Quitting smoking is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do, I know, I went through it myself. What helped me finally quit was that I loved doing something more than smoking and I asked my spouse if she would allow me to do it if I could quit smoking and so she agreed. She signed up for this thing and was the only one who knew the password for it. I then told her that if I smoked she should take this thing away from me. This worked, I haven't touched a cigarette since, I just quit "cold turkey." This may or may not work for you. If you are interested in quitting smoking there are several resources available to help you quit. Some of the more popular ones are: Quit.com (), Cig-Arette (), QuitNet ().

2. Quit Doing Drugs
    When we talk about quitting to use drugs, we are not referring to the illegal drugs like marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, etc. everyone knows not to use those. When we say quit using drugs then we are talking about your over the counter drugs. Drugs like your painkillers, sleep aids, and antacids are sometimes necessary however if they are taken on a daily basis they will cause you to deteriorate. If the pain is insignificant try skipping that pain pill. If you can avoid taking the sleeping pill, avoid it. The chemicals that are in those pills destroy your body over time. Often the reason for the pain or the inability to sleep is able to be resolved in a better alternative method. A common over the counter drug is alcohol. Although we do not say that alcohol is bad, in fact some research proves that wine can be healthy for you if it is done in moderation. Alcohol in excessive amount can be literally devastating to a human body yet in moderation it should not cause much of a negative effect or may even be helpful.

3. Exercise
    Exercise has an amazing effect on your body. The very first reason to exercise is that it rebuilds your muscles. Your body is very smart. It creates what you use and gets rid of what you don't use. Therefore if you spend all of your time sitting in from of the TV or computer then you use very little of your muscles and so the body starts deteriorating your muscles because it does not need them. When you are working out you start rebuilding your muscles. This is also true for other organs such as your lungs when you engage in cardiovascular activity. Second thing that working out does is it gets rid of the unnecessary and sometimes bad elements that are in your body. By sweating your body is able to "exhale" all of the negative elements that are inside of you. This also includes your body converting your stored fat into energy thus getting rid of those "love handles." The third thing that is a by-product of exercise is the automatic confidence that is built within yourself.

4. Eat healthy
    Eating healthy is along the same lines as exercise. Perhaps one of the most common reasons that I hear people eat unhealthy foods is the cost of purchasing good food. My question to you then is if your health is unimportant enough that you are willing to intake foods that are harmful for you then what is? Always opt for foods that are organic. Non-organic foods are supplemented by chemicals that the scientific community of the whole world is concluding as this being the biggest cause of cancer. We ask why is cancer so prevalent now but was not so much just 50 years ago...it is because of our daily food. I will implore you to please eat organic food whenever possible. Also buy a water filter that filters your drinking water. Often such a filter costs less than $50 and lasts several months and yet it gets rid of all the chlorine and other harmful chemicals that are in your tap water. If there is one change that you make that perhaps causes the most impact for your health it would be to get a water filter. A report by the U.S. Cancer Institute states that "Drinking chlorinated water may as much as double the risk of bladder cancer." Now isn't a $50 investment insignificant when you compare it to how much of a benefit is provided to you and your family?

5. Stop tanning or at least use sun screen
    The American Academy of Dermatology states that without protection from the sun's rays, just a few minutes of exposure each day over the years can cause noticeable changes to the skin. Freckles, age spots, spider veins on the face, rough and leathery skin, fine wrinkles that disappear when stretched, loose skin, a blotchy complexion, actinic keratoses (thick wart-like, rough, reddish patches of skin), and skin cancer can all be traced to sun exposure. Any tanning booth usage will cause acceleration of skin aging as well. Those people who tan on a regular basis might have some of the same skin aging in their 20's that would normally show up in a person 50 years old or older. You can protect yourself by applying sun block that guarantees protection from ultra-violet rays before doing any activity that involves being exposed to the sun for longer than a few minutes.

6. Take Vitamins and Supplements
    Vitamins, Green Teas, Fish Oils all of these products should be taken through out our whole life. It is amazing how well these supplements help to protect our bodily functions such as the immune system, eyesight, hearing, touch, taste, and sharp brain activity are all maintained and enhanced by providing the body with the necessary nutrients it needs to function correctly. There is a plethora of information available on how vitamins benefit your body in the aging process. Just type in vitamins and aging in your favorite search engine.

7. Anti Aging Products
    In our technologically advanced civilization scientific breakthroughs are occurring on a daily basis, it seems. One that you may have likely used yourself is some form of an anti-aging cream. whether it is exfoliating, rejuvenating or any of the the other creams designed for epidermal treatment. One that is most recently a phenomenon is the discovery of use of human growth hormones for treating aging issues. It shows tremendous possibilities, especially for those who are 40 years old and older. These products can effect you in countless ways so it is to your benefit to further research them and the possibilities that they can have for you.

    Staying young is the reality that most people hope for and there are some things that you can do to help you with that. Yet the bottom line is that you should enjoy life while you are living it. If we were determined to live making sure that we looked as young as possible for as long as possible, we would stay inside all of the time, we would constantly be covered in some kinds of creams and constantly watching what we do and what we eat. This is not always possible and is certainly not a glamorous way to live so you should consider what you read here and try to implement them as you can. The more that you can implement the younger you will remain but you also want to make sure that you are staying young so that you can live and not living to stay young.