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How to stop the ageing clock


July 30, 2014, 2:04 pm

It’s never too late to make positive life changes. Here's how to wind back those years.


We’ve reached out to the experts for their tips on how to stop the aging clock – and how to look and feel your best at any age.


1. Create balance and stop the clock
Stress is just a part of life – but too much is the fastest ways to accelerate aging, according to Megan Dalla Camina, Women, Leadership & Wellbeing expert.

“One of the greatest causes of stress is competing priorities, which leads to lack of balance. Get clear on what you want in your life, set clear boundaries and make balance a priority. And remember, no is a complete sentence, and saying it is your ticket to less stress, more balance and stopping g that ageing clock.”

“Chronic high-stress environment speed up ageing and is the root cause of almost all disease in the body,” adds says Personal Trainer & Health Coach James Anderson. "Of course there are things you can't change however by choosing the stressors that you can, you will reduce the physiological load on your body and ensure you live a long, healthy life.”


2. Incorporate resistance training to your exercise
“Exercise is definitely one way to keep you looking young,” says personal trainer Kesava Commerford.

“And not just any type of exercise but good old fashion resistance training. Resistance training preserves muscle mass keeping you looking toned and fit. We typically lose this as we age—2-3kg per decade and on average we gain an average of 5kg of fat per decade."


3. Look after your feet
Feet are one area of the body that often gets taken for granted, but we rely on them for so much, doesn’t it make sense to look after them? In fact, how we walk, run, jump and stand goes a long way to preserving fee, ankles, knees, hips and backs as we age, according to Podiatrist Sam Christie.

“Asking your local qualified Sports Podiatrist about your foot type and about how you as an individual should be walking and running goes a long way to staying injury free and improving your performance and longevity,” he says. “Once you understand what type of foot you have, your Sports Podiatrist can also advise you on what type of running shoes will suit your foot type.”

“Remember “if you don’t use it you loose it”. So get yourself checked out, realign yourself and go out there and be fit, healthy and active.”


4. Get Some Sleep!
If you really want to put the breaks on the aging process, you can’t do better than a night of good shut eye. “Quality sleep is essential in slowing the aging process,” says Chiropractor, Kinesiologist & Fertility Specialist Kate Wood Chiropractor, Kinesiologist & Fertility Specialist Kate Wood www.healthspaceclinics.com.au

“Sleep allows to have more energy to exercise, digest your food better and feel more relaxed which are all conducive to slowing the aging process.”

“You must reach stage four sleep for a significant part of your “shut eye” in order for your body to release anti-aging hormones, release HGH to repair the musculoskeletal system, reduce stress hormones (which in turn can decrease free radical damage which accelerates the aging process internally and externally), stimulate the pituitary gland to release melatonin for deep relaxation, switch your metabolism to burn fat and for immune boosting activity to occur.”


5. Tip: Follow the 80/20 rule for everything
Finding it hard to stick to strict diets, exercise or lifestyle regimes? Live by the 80/20 rule for the ultimate balance.

“80% of the time eat healthy, wholesome, nutritious foods whilst drinking plenty of water daily,” says Personal Trainer & Health Coach James Anderson.

“Ensure to get adequate sleep and take time to give back to your body through restorative processes such as Yoga, Meditation or Tai Chi. Then 20 percent of the time, enjoy the naughtier things in life such as Messina, late nights and too much wine. This naughty 20 will be absorbed by the quality 80, and you wont feel like you are missing out on anything life has to offer.”


6. Eat a rainbow
Want to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients and vitamins you need? The simplest way is to eat a rainbow.

“Load up your diet with anti-ageing and health-promoting foods containing high levels of antioxidants,” says Naturopath Renee Leonard StaintonNaturopath Renee Leonard Stainton. www.reneenaturally.com/blog

“The antioxidants in colourful vegetables and fruits, such as leafy greens, tomatoes, blueberries, and carrots, help prevent free radicals from damaging healthy cells and causing premature ageing and illness. Aim for 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day and sip on green tea between meals for additional antioxidant action.”

“Make sure there is a fruit or vegetable in most meals and snacks, for example banana on your porridge or vege sticks as a snack,” adds nutritionist Jaime Rose Fronzek Jaime Rose Fronzek www.jaimerosenutrition.com.au. “The colour pigment of fruits and vegetables are antioxidants which can slow down the damage free radicals do to our skin and body tissues that cause us to age.”


7. Add some turmeric to your meals
If you really want to supercharge your anti-aging efforts, use turmeric in your cooking.

“There are many benefits of turmeric and its active ingredient curcumin. In fact, curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties have been known in Chinese and Ayurveda Medicines for thousands of years,” says Caique Ponzoni of Naked Foods.Caique Ponzoni of Naked Foods.

“Studies have shown the powerful medical properties possessed by this spice particularly when it comes to cancer and Alzheimer’s research. Curcumin is both an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant.”



Tip 8: Don’t over-scrub your skin!
“One of the most common beauty tips we get is to exfoliate once or twice a week but with exfoliating and harsh scrubbing, you could actually be irritating the surface layer of the skin (epidermis),” says Sia Hendry, Paramedical Aesthetician at You by Sia. Sia Hendry, Paramedical Aesthetician at You by Sia. youbysia.com.au. “Because your epidermis protects the skin against free radical damage, it is advised to look for products with fruit based enzymes for gentle exfoliation which help get rid of the dead skin cells without damaging the surface of the skin.”

Also don’t forget that prevention is what really makes the difference when it comes to winkles. “It’s important to care for your skin by staying out of the sun, wear a physical sunblock (even on your commute to work) and invest in a range of pharmaceutical grade skincare. You may even chose to opt to receive muscle relaxant injections before wrinkles appear.”


9. Cut the junk food
Clean eating is a hot food trend right now - on Instagram,#cleaneating has 9,266,021 mentions - growing by the minute - and for good reason. According to Caique Ponzoni of Naked Foods it’s a key step in helping to stop the aging process and many diseases.

“It makes sense that if you want to reduce the signs of ageing, you should consider avoiding the toxins that you don’t need,” she says.

“Research shows that Toxicity from our foods, be they chemicals, hormones in meats, mercury in fish, plays a significant role in the explosive rates of cancer, Alzheimer’s and degenerative diseases.”
“Going back to our roots, to the earth, learning to live naked and clean all round, is what’s making the difference.”

If going completely clean seems like an impossible goal, try making small steps at first, such as cutting out junk food.

“Refined sugars from cakes, lollies and biscuits, saturated fats from fatty meat, high fat dairy, butter and fried foods and alcohol can cause damage to the body causing it to age,” says nutritionist Jaime Rose. “Limit these foods to the occasional treat to stop (slow) the ageing clock.”


10. Do Yoga
If you do nothing else, do yoga says health and wellness specialist Kirsty Welsh.

“It is the ultimate mind body connection to guide you toward balance in every aspect of your life. Stress is the quickest way to age; high and ongoing stress moves us away from balance and our health and wellness can spiral downward, causing premature ageing.

“Knock 10 years off your body clock, start yoga today! You'll move better, think better, eat better, sleep better, breathe better, it's a win win win!”

https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/prevention/health/a/24585866/how-to-stop-the-ageing-clock/