| Guys, let's face it. | | | | - Vitamin E |
| Aging is an inevitable process for all of us. However, | | | | - Selenium |
| you don't have to take it "lying down". As a matter of | | | | - Soy and Isoflavones |
| fact, you can literally manage the whole ordeal and | | | | - zinc |
| either hang on to your body's prime condition or regain | | | | Two of the easiest ways to add anti-oxidants to your |
| that which has been lost for years following a few | | | | diet are to drink green tea daily and to use soy milk |
| very basic principles. | | | | with added isoflavones in the place of where you |
| Eating Habits | | | | would use regular milk or cream. |
| The first and most important aspect of your prime | | | | Body Tone and Mobility |
| maintenance program has to do with what you allow | | | | You may or may not be currently putting your body |
| to enter your body via your eating habits. You know | | | | through regular resistance training. However, doing so |
| what they say---"garbage in, garbage out"---and it | | | | get more and more important as you get older. Once |
| couldn't be more true than when it applies to your | | | | past the age of 35, our bodies lose approximately 1% |
| longevity and how good or bad you will age over the | | | | of their muscle mass annually. Since it is this muscle |
| next few decades. | | | | mass that gives your body its shape, form, and much |
| One thing that you will want to start doing immediately | | | | of its strength, you will want to use resistance training |
| is to wean your body off of its cravings for and | | | | to prevent atrophy and preserve as much of the |
| dependence on sugar. Sugar has a very insidious way | | | | actual muscle tissue as possible. |
| of speeding up the aging process by weakening your | | | | A second way in which resistance train helps you is |
| body in a number of ways. In fact, Nancy Appleton, | | | | that it keeps the bones strong and able to take |
| Ph.D., and author of "Lick the Sugar Habit" outlines the | | | | abnormal amounts of pressure. This "practice" for the |
| following detriments of sugar intake: | | | | bones will come in handy in keeping them away from |
| - immune system suppression | | | | breaks and fractures that are very common as well |
| - upsets the body's mineral relationships | | | | as debilitating in older people. |
| - can raise the body's triglycerides | | | | Even more important than resistance training is your |
| - reduces the body's ability to defend itself against | | | | body's flexibility. Nothing contributes more to optimal |
| bacterial infection | | | | mobility than having flexible joints and muscles. |
| - causes a loss of body tissue elasticity and function | | | | What's more is that a regular stretching routine not |
| - contributes to copper deficiency | | | | only adds to mobility but also helps to guard against 3 |
| - interferes with calcium and magnesium absorption | | | | of the most common injuries---those to your back, |
| - can weaken the eye sight | | | | knees, and hip area. Many of these injuries are the |
| - can cause general premature aging | | | | result of a rigid body being twisted into positions |
| - causes tooth decay | | | | beyond its strength capacity or its range of flexibility to |
| - contributes to obesity | | | | the point that something "snaps". Once any of these |
| - can cause gallstones | | | | areas suffers major damage, it is generally never the |
| - can cause heart disease | | | | same again. |
| - can cause appendicitis | | | | The third major ingredient in preserving prime body |
| - can cause M.S. (multiple sclerosis) | | | | tone and conditioning is cardiovascular activity. The |
| - can cause varicose veins | | | | benefits of such activity are obvious: a stronger, |
| - can lower vitamin E levels in the blood | | | | healthier heart and minimized body fat, the latter of the |
| - increases cholesterol and systolic blood pressure | | | | two helping the body maintain its most attractive |
| - can cause cataracts | | | | shape and tone. |
| - deregulates bowel movements | | | | Preserving What You Have |
| - can cause myopia (near sightedness) | | | | When someone said "An ounce of prevention is worth |
| - can compromise the lining of the capillaries | | | | a pound of cure", boy were they on target. |
| - can make the tendons brittle | | | | Taking the best care of your body's condition before it |
| - can contribute to Alzheimer's disease | | | | begins to give you problems is the absolute most |
| - can lead to the formation of kidney stones | | | | important part of any strategy to regain---or |
| - feeds cancer | | | | maintain---your prime. |
| - the body changes sugar into 2-5 times more fat than | | | | Much of what has already been discussed has dealt |
| it does starch | | | | with taking care of yourself through diet and exercise. |
| - may induce cell death | | | | However, there are additional things that demand |
| Need I say more about sugar? | | | | attention cosmetically in order to "put the icing on the |
| Good. Let's move on. | | | | cake" in all of this. |
| Another thing that you'll want to get a handle on is | | | | Getting the proper rest so that your body may |
| alcohol. Not such a bad thing in moderation, excessive | | | | recuperate properly is of the utmost importance. |
| alcohol consumption inhibits the youthfulness and | | | | Sufficient rest alone does a great deal to retard at |
| vibrance of the body by making it more susceptible to | | | | least the appearance of aging. You'll feel a heck of a |
| a number of diseases and infections which debilitate its | | | | lot better as well. |
| ability to function. | | | | Other things can be done include staying out of the |
| Of course, some of the same diet intake strategies | | | | sun to avoid excessive skin damage, and following at |
| that are affective in weight loss help to maintain prime | | | | least a basic washing and moisturizing regimen to keep |
| condition as well. Not making a habit of eating late or | | | | the face clean and fresh. Good grooming also goes a |
| consuming a lot of dairy and animal fat products will | | | | long way as well with looking and feeling your absolute |
| help to both keep you trim and preserve the | | | | best. |
| functioning of your arteries in order to help your body | | | | The Final Word |
| keep control of its blood pressure and cholesterol | | | | Finally, it is imperative that you keep at least a |
| levels as well, measure which will protect you from | | | | once-a-year appointment with your doctor for an |
| developing heart problems. | | | | annual checkup. This is the best way to catch any |
| In addition to things that you will want to restrict from | | | | deficiencies that may slip through the cracks with |
| you diet, there are several that you will want to make | | | | everything that you've got going on to keep yourself in |
| sure to supplement it with or at least make sure that | | | | peak condition. |
| you get plenty of in your regular intake. | | | | Even with lots of effort being put into your body's |
| First on this list is water. Cliche as it may sound, there | | | | maintenance, a few things are bound to slip through |
| wouldn't be enough room to discuss all of the things | | | | due to yourindividual lifestyle, habits, and genetic |
| that it does to keep the body's systems clean and | | | | predispositions. Therefore, keeping tabs on your vital |
| operable. Not to mention the aesthetic benefit that it | | | | signs and being on the lookout for common killers like |
| has on the clarity of the skin. | | | | heart problems, cancers, and auto-immune deficiencies |
| Antioxidants will definitely need to be a part of your | | | | are paramount to your success. |
| daily food regimen. These substances fight the aging | | | | Keeping all of these things in mind AND in practice will |
| effects of free-radical damage to the body. Some of | | | | not only help to restore and retain your prime, but will |
| the more popular antioxidants include: | | | | help you to enjoy the absolute best overall quality of |
| - Green Tea | | | | life that you possibly can. |
| - Vitamin A | | | | To Your Best Body, |
| - Vitamin B | | | | Lawrence Cole |
| - Vitamin C | | | | Your Lifestyle and Fitness Coach |
| - Vitamin D | | | | See this Weight Loss Article at YourBestBodyNOW. |