Ten ways to make your lifestyle age younger

Ten Ways to MakeYour Lifestyle Age Younger

1. Reduce stress

In really stressful times your 'lifestyle1 age can rocket upwards. Adopting stress-reducing strategies to help you through the dif­ficult times can make a big difference. Exercise is a fantastic stress-buster, so try to incorporate more physical activity into your life. Seek help from others, including therapists, if stress is a major problem for you.

2. Stop smoking and ovoid passive smoking

A smoker's skin wrinkles and dehydrates much more quickly than a non-smoker's due to the deprivation of oxygen caused through smoking. And that's what's showing on the outside. But what goes on in the inside is far more destructive and damaging, so it is not surprising that it adds to the ageing process. If you want to live to a good age, stopping smoking is a high priority.

3. Take regular exercise

We know so much now about the physical benefits of exercise. It will significantly help reduce symptoms of heart disease, aid dia­betics, reduce stress, and keep us leaner and fitter. It really is a win/win situation. If you find formal exercise sessions difficult to fit in, then just be more active generally in your everyday life. Park further away from your destination, and use the stairs instead of the lift. Walk rather than drive to the shops, take up a sport or activity you used to enjoy when you were younger. Just get moving as it all adds up!

4 . Be an ideal weight

The effects of being overweight can be hugely damaging to the body. Your whole system is in overdrive trying to cope with car­rying the excess weight and causes you to age much more quickly. Overloading your joints, your heart and your whole body has serious health risks. Buying this book means that you have decided to do something, so let's start turning back the clock right now. It is never too late.

5 . Eat low fat

Eating a healthy, low-fat diet really helps you lose weight. Eating less fat stops the whole system getting clogged up, which causes high blood pressure and high choles­terol levels.

6. Reduce alcohol consumption

Not only is it high in calories, alcohol is also very toxic and dam­ages major organs such as the liver. Alcohol also increases your appetite and dilutes your willpower, so be careful! However, a moderate consumption of one alcoholic drink per day is known to have health benefits - so it's not all bad news!

7. Eat more fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals and eating plenty of these will ensure you have a great immune system to ward off illness and disease. Try to have as many dif­ferent colours on your plate as you can. This will ensure you are taking in the whole range of vitamins and minerals. Aim to eat your five portions a day.

8. Drink more water

Dehydration is extremely ageing and nothing hydrates better than plain water. Avoid fizzy drinks, which can be full of chemi­cals.

9. Sleep well

We know that if we have had a good night's sleep we feel better. Make it a rule to go to bed at a reasonable time on most nights of the week and you will wake up refreshed and ready to cope more easily with what life throws at you! If you have a really late night, balance it out with an earlier one. Lack of sleep can be harmful to health.

10. Learn to think positive

A positive outlook on life, and smiling a lot, is good for us and helps us to live longer. Look back at this list and see how many things you can manage to do or improve. Start with one or two and gradually add some more. Be positive and make a commit­ment to those changes and you will soon reap tremendous ben­efits. If there is one message that comes through clearly from every successful slimmer that I meet, it is the increase in their confidence and self-esteem. And yes, you are worth it!