The Healthy Truth: Everything you need to know about aging (based on science)

By Emily Lunardo

Dear Friend,
Aging is inevitable, this much we know. But then why does it seem like some people never look a year older while others look 10 years their senior? Aging is something that is frequently discussed but not very well understood, and the anti-aging business is always prospering. Every company suggests that they have found the fountain of youth with a new cream, serum, injection, or pill, and yet we all aren’t looking that much younger.

Aging is complicated. We know we are getting older, and yet we still keep trying to cheat aging. We want to look younger and we want to feel younger, so we’ll do anything in our power to get there. But the problem is, because we don’t really understand what aging is, the approach we’re taking to slow it down is wrong.

Based on science, aging is actually a metabolic dysfunction. Metabolism consists of the billions of actions taken by your cells to turn fuel into energy and put together complex compounds in order for your body to function.

With age, your metabolism becomes less efficient. All that stress your body has endured, including toxins, junk food, and other poor lifestyle choices, takes a nasty toll on your metabolism, hindering its abilities to perform as well as it did even five years ago.

 Unfortunately, even though the scientists have figured out what aging is, they haven’t quite figured out how to stop it (which means the anti-aging beauty industry hasn’t figured it out either).

The good news is, science has found some ways to slow down aging – which don’t involve spending hundreds of dollars in the beauty aisle.

There is a strong body of research demonstrating that a Mediterranean diet may help slow down aging. The Mediterranean diet consists of healthy fats like olive oil, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fish. On the other hand, the intake of red meat is small and the intake of sugar is minimal.

Another diet trick to slow down the aging is calorie restriction. Although the word “restriction” may sound limiting, it really means avoid overeating, which is indeed a big problem in North America. Our meals are larger, buffets are everywhere, and many of us eat even when we aren’t hungry. By eating at times when you are actually hungry and stopping when you’re full – and no cheating in-between – you can bring your calorie count into a healthier range.

Lastly – and coming as no surprise really – science vouches for regular exercise. I know, no one actually enjoys exercise, but as much as you may dread physical activity and breaking a sweat, all that movement will actually have you looking younger and feeling better than many creams and other fad anti-aging products. Numerous research studies have shown that exercise slows down the major hallmarks of aging.

Of course, the mystery we call aging is yet to be solved. And more research is required to gauge into just what exactly is happening to us with time and, most importantly, what we can do about it.
In the meantime, I would suggest you follow science on this one if you want to be forever young. Eat well and exercise – it’s that simple! Treat your body right and in return it’ll give you a few more years of your life to enjoy – with fewer wrinkles, too!