Look younger longer

While you may think staying young takes a lot of work, the truth is, simple measures will go a long way towards you feeling and looking younger. A recent US study found that the four big things we can all do easily to keep our bodies in top condition are: not smoking, not drinking too much alcohol, eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day and exercising regularly. Simple! And there are plenty of other things you can do every day to increase your health and happiness, too.

Find some quiet time

If you have 10 minutes a day to spare, you can improve your wellbeing and add years to your life. Numerous studies show that meditation not only helps calm you down by reducing stress hormones in your body, but also regulates your blood pressure and pulse rate. In fact, experts say people who meditate regularly are biologically younger than those who don’t. Find a quiet place in your home, put on gentle music, get comfortable on a cushion or in a chair, close your eyes, and relax. Don’t worry if thoughts keep popping into your mind, just let them float away like clouds. You’ll find that practice makes perfect. So, if you have a little more time in the day, try increasing the amount you spend on keeping yourself calm, happy and young!

Improve your memory

We all want to keep our minds sharp as we age. The secret is to keep learning as we get older. You could sign up for a community college course, take up a new hobby, try the cryptic crossword puzzle, or have a go at one of the brain games that are free online at brainist.com and other sites. It doesn’t really matter what you do as long as you challenge your grey cells. New research also indicates that eating a Mediterranean-style diet high in vegetables, fruits and nuts, legumes, fish and cereals, and low in dairy products, meat and fat, may also be good for your brain.

Remember, you are what you eat

They say you are what you eat and, as you get older, it’s certainly true that your diet will show in your face and body.
Too few good fats and nutrients, including vitamins like B, C and E and minerals like calcium and magnesium, can leave your hair and skin dry, make you more prone to wrinkles and lead to health problems, such as osteoporosis.
The best kind of diet to follow is one that has a good variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, good fats and lean proteins like beef, chicken, seafood or tofu.
Look for colour when choosing fresh fruit and veg. Flavonoids, which produce yellow and red/blue pigments in fruits and vegetables, may help protect you from cancer. While carotenes, responsible for the green and yellow-red colours, help fight free radicals that cause ageing.
Other stay-young foods include the broccoli and cabbage family, the garlic and onion family and soy products and flaxseed. Make sure you eat some of these foods every day.

Get smart about your money

Feeling out of control financially can cause unnecessary ageing. That’s because it increases our production of the stress hormone, cortisol, which causes wear and tear in your body. To avoid worrying about your finances, make a budget and stick to it. Or see a financial adviser for help on how to manage your money.

Exercise for youth and energy

Any exercise will do you good but sweaty types, such as running or squash, or resistance exercise, like yoga or weight training, can help increase the production of youth hormones.
And building more muscle also means you’ll burn more kilojoules so you’ll control any weight gain and you’ll have more stamina.

Love your heart

Look after your heart and you’ll not only have more energy but you’ll help avoid cardiovascular disease that can take years off your life.
If you haven’t already, help your heart by quitting smoking, having your blood pressure and cholesterol checked, getting 30 minutes of exercise a day, and eating a diet low in saturated fats. Make sure you include good fats like olive oil, grapeseed oil and oily fish, as these can help protect your heart by reducing inflammation.
Taking vitamin C and E together can also help keep your arteries healthy, say researchers. Both these vitamins are anti-oxidants that fight free radicals – a major cause of ageing and disease.

Be happy

Optimists live longer than pessimists because they have stronger immune systems. In fact, research shows happier people may live up to seven years longer than unhappy people. Sure, there’s plenty to worry about in life, but ultimately, being happy is a choice you need to make like brushing your teeth or going for a check-up. You can teach yourself to be happier.
Try writing down a list of 10 things that make you happy and doing one or more whenever you feel blue. And being around happy people helps, too – happiness is contagious.