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Science has made stunning
discoveries in this area of human interest, it's something
we all want to know - can we slow down the process of
ageing, can we live longer, if so, how? It's a highly
technical subject, too detailed to look at in-depth within
this article. But, we can give you some powerful pointers
to help slow down the ageing process and increase your
chances of a healthier old age.
What determines your
biological 'age'?
Our parents precondition us
from a young age to believe that we'll live to a certain
age. We walk around with a particular notion in our
subconscious that we have a pre-defined lifespan of
between 60-90 years. But there is no definitive speed at
which a person should gracefully age because we are all so
different. Some people seem to look and act eternally
young - ageless, wrinkleless! Others, less fortunate, look
old beyond their years. Our body's biological age is a
reflection of our physical, mental and spiritual journey
through life. In perfect conditions, our bodies can
survive to an age of 125 years! Look at the two very
different lists below, the potential for ageing becomes
quite obvious when you compare such a stark difference in
lifestyle.
The first person has all
the attributes to significantly slow down the ageing
process and live to a ripe old age with good health.
Lifestyle characteristics
that promote longevity:
. Regularly partakes in
enjoyable exercise
. Enjoyable career and
tolerates 'healthy' stress
. Generally happy
relationships with spouse and children
. Active member of the
community, enjoying many friendships
. Seeks to learn new things
and enjoys personal development
. Eats a balanced, healthy
diet
. Supplements diet with
vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
. Has a sense of worth and
purpose in life
If your life reflects these
characteristics then you have adopted the attributes which
significantly slow down the ageing process and increase
your chances of living to a ripe old age with good health.
Lifestyle characteristics
that do not promote longevity:
. A sedentary lifestyle
. Overweight or obese
. Inability to cope with
pressure
. Isolation - working and
living alone, few friendships
. Poor or limited career
opportunities
. Constant diet of
nutritionally deficient food (junk food)
. Eating too much food
(comfort eating)
. Drinks excess alcohol
. Smokes cigarettes
. Regularly visits the
doctor for various illnesses
. Harbors resentment,
anger, fear
. Lack of purpose and self
worth
. Lack of stability and
routine
If this list is more like
you then you may be ageing fast! Time to take action and
make some changes if you want to improve the quality of
your latter years. It may be a daunting task to make
lifestyle changes, however, by taking things one step at a
time and being consistent in developing new lifestyle
habits - you will notice the difference in time, and your
body, friends and family will thank you.
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