Slow Aging
During media interviews and personal appearances, I frequently mention the concept of squaring the curve. The idea is to live as long as possible in optimal health … then boom, God willing, we’ll pass away in our sleep. It’s about aging more slowly and gracefully.
Most of us look in the mirror to assess how well we’re aging. That isn’t the only way to judge your skin’s youthful elasticity. Try the turgor test: Pinch the skin on the back of your hand, then let it go. If it snaps back into place, you’re aging well. If it doesn’t, you might want to work on boosting your natural collagen.
The secret to slowing the aging process is antioxidants. (Yes, I wrote a book on this!) It’s all about using powerful antioxidants to dampen the oxidants and avoid an overabundance of free radicals.
Eat the whole rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Purple, such as blueberries and blackberries, is a very powerful color. Purple foods are loaded with proanthocyanidins. You don’t need to remember the word, just eat more of them.
Another option is to drink a 50/50 blend of beet juice and water. Beet juice is very high in nitric oxide, which is incredible for enhancing circulation. It has a particular affinity for skin. Beet juice is often an acquired taste because it tends to be on the earthy side, but it’s so worth it!
Do you know who has it best in this world?
As I mentioned during this Good Day DC interview, it’s the folks who live in tropical regions because they have easy access to wonderful, vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables.
Papaya and mango have high amounts of lutein and carotenoids that help protect our skin from UV radiation damage. The other incredible tropical superfruit on my radar is a rather bizarre-looking fruit called graviola. It’s loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
But there’s a frustrating catch: You can’t get the whole, fresh fruit here because it spoils so quickly. Thankfully, it is showing up in the market as graviola herbal tea. I’ve also started seeing graviola-infused cacao bars. Chocolate is already excellent for slowing the aging process. Adding graviola gives it an extra boost. There are also graviola-infused serums to apply to your face that will help protect skin against oxidants.
Let’s not forget exercise
To maintain muscle mass throughout your life, it’s important to stay as lean as possible through exercise. I don’t care if you don’t go to the gym. I don’t care if you don’t run. Everyone’s got a floor. You can push, pull, jump, squat and lift every single day. No excuses.
Does it matter when you start using these age-slowing strategies?
No, you can start at any age. Get active. Stay fit. Eat a lot more tropical fruits. Eat more purple fruits. Look into graviola. Try adding beet juice to your water.
Square the curve!