Aging gracefully while remaining healthy and happy is everyone's goal. There are some habits you can work on developing at any time to aid you in achieving healthy aging. Here are seven tips to help you make a plan for aging with health and style.
Make Turmeric Part of Your Daily Diet
Turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can help your cells stay healthy. It fights free radical damage in the body, which is a big source of aging.
Turmeric can also help your skin age more gracefully by decreasing the development of inflammatory proteins in the body. Routine ingestion of turmeric can help your skin tone look more even and reduce fine lines and pore size.
Consider Adding Milk Thistle for Brain and Skin Health
Milk thistle is an herb with antioxidant properties that can help you age in a healthy way. Antioxidants help protect the brain and other organs from experiencing damage from free radicals. Creams with milk thistle in them or supplements taken orally may help protect the skin from UV radiation damage, allowing it to look younger and be less likely to develop cancer.
Focus on Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Inflammation is the root of many diseases and most aging in the body. Some foods, like sugar, increase the inflammation in your body and some foods help fight it. If you focus on taking in foods that are specifically known for their anti-inflammatory properties, you can go a long way toward improving your aging experience.
Some examples of anti-inflammatory foods include:
- Cold water, wild caught fish
- Dark, leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach
- Tea
- Fermented vegetables
- Olive oil
- Nuts and seeds
Learn more here: "Anti-Inflammatory Foods."
Keep Your Kidneys and Liver Healthy
Your kidney and liver function is crucial to healthy aging. Sometimes genetics plays a role in the development of kidney or liver dysfunction, but what you eat can also contribute either to boosting or challenging the health of those organs.
For good kidney health, drink alcohol only in moderation, watch your salt intake, don't smoke, avoid diet soda, and drink lots of water.
For your liver, avoid sugar as much as possible, and limit your alcohol, salt, and saturated fat intake. Some of the foods that support and improve good liver health include high fiber foods like oatmeal and vegetables, blueberries, fermented foods, and milk thistle.
Eat Heart Healthy Foods, Herbs, and Spices
Good heart health is essential for healthy aging. Focus on keeping your blood pressure low and eating foods, herbs, and spices that support good heart health. Avoid foods that can challenge your heart and make heart disease and high blood pressure more likely.
Turmeric, astragalus, gotu kola, milk thistle, and stevia can all be heart-healthy herbs and spices when used routinely. Some heart-healthy foods include avocados, chocolate (dark varieties without added fat and sugar), and wine (in moderate amounts).
The great thing about incorporating these healthy herbs, spices, and foods into your diet is that they all have other anti-aging benefits, too.
Keep Your Skin Happy
Take good care of your skin and you'll experience more graceful aging with fewer wrinkles and dark spots. Wear sunscreen routinely, avoid smoking, and eat foods that naturally have positive effects on skin health, including olive oil, tomatoes, and walnuts.
Don't Neglect Your Mental Health
Healthy aging is definitely about your body, but it's also about your mind. Don't neglect your mental health as you age. Be sure to manage your stress well and stay connected to friends and family. Cultivate your enjoyment of old hobbies and find and develop new ones. Stay engaged with your environment, enjoy the outdoors, and indulge in the things that make you feel fulfilled and happy.
Keep moving as you age, don't become sedentary. If you have aches and pains, go to the doctor rather than assuming they're age-related and can't be helped. Going on daily walks is a great way to keep moving, reap the benefits of being outside, and stay engaged with your neighborhood and community.