It’s a touchy subject, this aging thing. It’s one of those things that you absolutely hate talking about and even thinking about because it is one of “inevitables” in life that won’t work out in your favor no matter what. You will get older, your body will begin to sag and your joints will start (or in some cases continue) to show signs of wear and tear. It sucks but since it happens to every single one of us AND there is nothing we can do to PREVENT it, it isn’t worth worrying about. If you think about it, it doesn’t really matter our age or the fact that we are getting older, it is the EFFECTS that aging has on our appearance. Seems obvious, right? Well then, instead of getting all worked up preventing aging, why not start getting worked up about preventing the effects aging has on our bodies?

Now you are thinking, “Of course, Capt. Obvious. That’s what we try to do every day with all the pills, creams, lotions, tummy tucks, face lifts, laser surgeries, etc.!” Okay, fair enough, but walk through my logic real quick with me. We are not trying to prevent aging (because I cannot control the rising and setting of the sun or the coming and going of Summer and Winter) but instead preventing the EFFECTS that aging has on our body.

What if I told you I had THE solution and this solution was proven effective in clinical studies and in real life scenarios? What if I said to you that you will LOOK YOUNGER and FEEL YOUNGER as you age if you follow some simple instructions? What if I told you that it wasn’t a pill, cream or secret formula, but instead something that you have ready access to almost on a daily basis? If all this were true would you do what needed to be done to beat the effects of aging?

Those who said “YES” don’t let me down. The biggest issue in today’s society isn’t our ability to prevent the effects of aging, it is our willingness to prevent it. Instead of prevention, we’d rather take a reactionary stance and “fix it” after we notice something is broken. The key to this is to always be thinking about preventing the obvious rather than knowing what is occurring when we smoke, drink too much, sit in front of the TV for hours on end, never exercise, hit the drive-thru, order that pizza with extra sausage, etc, etc.

Those who want to look and feel younger and live longer, pledge prevention. You will be so grateful that you did when you are inducted into the senior citizen group and those who didn’t will be regretting it daily.

Here’s some easy, cheap and VERY EFFECTIVE ways you too can look and feel young into your latter years:

1. 1. Drink ½ oz of water per pound of body weight daily (example: 150lb person should drink 75 oz)
2. 2. Do a minimum of 40 mins of activity at least 3 days per week (activity = 75% max heart rate; see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/target-heart-rate/SM00083 to calculate based on     age)
3. 3. Cook at home and consume 5 meals per day of lean proteins, greens, fibrous vegetables and limit processed foods and high carb/high sugar foods (caloric intake will vary based on activity level and age; see http://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/calories.htm to calculate)
4. 4. Sleep at least 6hrs nightly.
5. 5. Keep stress at bay! (Different tactics help people differently. Some suggestions: meditation, yoga, weight training, breathing exercises, listening to classical/jazz music, aromatherapy, acupuncture, massage, hiking)
6. 6. Disconnect from technology! (Turn of the TV, game console, internet, computer, cell phone, and PDA and pick up a book, go for a walk or play with the kids or your pets.)
7. 7. Laugh (Very important to health! Stop taking everything so seriously!)