I'm a Doctor and Here's How to Become Younger
Everyone wants to look and feel younger, but we all know there's no fountain of youth to make that happen. There are, however, certain things we can do to help slow down the aging process like stop smoking, not eating a ton of processed foods and eliminating sugar from our diet. But according to experts, there's more we can do. Eat This. Not That! Health talked to doctors who explained ways to become younger. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.
Drink Water
Dr. Stacie J. Stephenson, aka "The VibrantDoc", a recognized leader in functional medicine and author of the new self-care book Vibrant: A Groundbreaking Program to Get Energized, Reverse Aging, and Glow says, "Drink more water! Water plumps and moisturizes skin from the inside out and can take 10 years off your face, compared to when you are dehydrated."
Dr. S. Adam Ramin, MD, urologist and medical director of Urology Cancer Specialists in Los Angeles, adds "OK, this may sound like an obvious piece of information, but most women are not drinking enough water per day to enjoy the therapeutic effects it has on their urologic health. Drinking plenty of water every day will help flush out any lingering toxins, significantly cutting down the chances of getting a urinary tract infection. In addition, choosing water as your beverage of choice over other liquids can soothe an overactive or irritated bladder. Caffeine such as coffee, alcohol, and carbonated drinks like soda can increase bladder irritation. If you know you are sensitive to these things, swap them out for a fresh glass of water. Not to mention, drinking plenty of water is the best way to prevent kidney stones. So how much is 'plenty?' Eight to ten 8 ounce glasses per day is a worthy goal."
Find Your Purpose
Dr. Scott Kaiser, MD, a board certified geriatrician and Director of Geriatric Cognitive Health for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, states, "It makes sense, intuitively, that having a strong sense of purpose—having a reason to get up in the morning, knowing that people are depending upon you, feeling that you are making important contributions and possibly even making a difference in this world—could contribute to healthy aging. Many scientific studies clearly support this notion and demonstrate the value of having a strong sense of purpose in promoting many domains of good health and well-being. Having a clear sense of purpose, direction, and goals in life, irrespective of what age you are when you develop this, has been clearly associated with increased life expectancy. When this purpose comes in the form of helping others, the effects are even more striking."
Wear Sunscreen
Dr. Jordan Frey says, "The best way to look younger is to care for your skin, especially your face. Wear sunscreen to avoid sun damage. Moisturize daily to prevent dry skin. You may also consider topical tretinoin. Tretinoin stimulates collagen production and increases the cell turnover of your skin. All of this will help reduce wrinkles, prevent skin damage, and keep your face looking fresh and young."
Move More, Sit Less
Dr. Melina Jampolis MD, internist & physician nutrition specialist explains, "Muscle mass peaks at age 30, and by age 80, many of us have lost as much as 30 percent. In women, our loss of muscle mass really starts to accelerate after age 50, which is partially caused by the hormonal changes of menopause, but also by inactivity. Excess loss of muscle mass and muscle function is called sarcopenia, and it affects 15 percent of people over age 65 and 50 percent of people over age 80. As you eat better to reduce your fat cells (if they are overstuffed), moving your body and building lean muscle will help to keep the ones you have healthier. Along with adequate cardiovascular exercise, strength/resistance training twice per week is important for both maintaining muscle mass and combating the inflammation caused by what my friend and world-renowned inflammation expert Dr. Barry Sears, author of The Zone® calls 'toxic fat.'"
Spice Up Your Diet
Dr. Jampolis states, "Adding herbs & spices to your favorite foods reduces inflammation, a major contributor to aging. They also keep the brain and heart healthy and may reduce your risk of many types of cancers. Spices are among the most potent foods for supporting excellent health. In fact, 13 of the top 50 foods that are highest in antioxidants are, you guessed it—herbs and spices. By a certain age, most of us have a certain degree of chronic inflammation, so reducing our body's inflammation through lifestyle changes is probably the single most important thing we can do for our health. And a big part of that is eating anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich foods."
Coenzyme Q10 + Vitamin C
Dr. Alexis Parcells, MD board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of SUNNIE, a skincare and anti-aging clinic, and Parcells Plastic Surgery says, "Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 for short) is an enzyme that functions as an antioxidant. It is naturally produced and is found in every cell of the human body, and is vital in energy production in cells. CoQ10, like other antioxidants, works as skin shields to combat skin aging that we routinely see from UV radiation, infrared radiation, and ozone pollution. CoQ10 has been shown to reduce sun damage by decreasing collagen degradation of skin. It repairs damaged cells and enhances our healthy cells to fight skin damage. It also works to block tyrosinase, which aids in producing melatonin and therefore works to prevent dark spots. Lastly, it stimulates collagen and elastin production, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines. CoQ10 works similarly to another powerful antioxidant, Vitamin C. CoQ10 has shown to use the same pathway to neutralize free radicals and prevent skin damageCoQ10 can be used with Vitamin C and their effects together are more powerful than each alone. It's available in topical products and as a dietary supplement."
Meditate
According to Dr. Stephenson, "Meditation reduces stress and its aging symptoms, like the furrowed brow, the frown lines, the hunched posture, and the irritability. A regular meditation practice, even if it's just 10 minutes of quiet sitting and breathing, repeating a mantra, or visualizing a peaceful scene each morning and evening, has amazing effects on the brain, body, and mood. Studies even show it can literally slow the rate of cellular aging. All that, and it's free, and it makes you feel good? This is why I've been doing it for years, and I recommend it to anyone."
Have a Good Skincare Routine with Humectants
Dr. Cynthia Bailey, Dermatologist and Founder of Dr. Bailey Skin Care says "to be certain your skin care is rich in humectants—ingredients that bind water inside the skin. Apply humectant rich products immediately after washing your skin. Cleansing with water loads skin with water and humectants hold it there; they plump the layers of your skin to smooth out wrinkles instantly, especially in winter dehydrated skin. The best humectants include hyaluronic acid in fractionated molecular sizes, glycerin, urea and sodium PCA, part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor. Find these ingredients in serums and skin creams. They are also present in face masks." And to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.
