Stress Management

If there’s one thing that causes premature aging more than anything else, it has to be stress. It not only has serious consequences to our health, it can also seriously effect the quality of life. Until recently, people would have ridiculed the idea that a mental problem could have such an impact on the physical level. However, more and more scientific evidence is showing that the mind and body are more closely linked than originally thought. Stress can’t be controlled by the mind alone because the chemical activity of the brain is a lot to do with our interaction with the world on a physical level.[/spin It has a lot to do with our habits, lifestyle and environment which all take place on a physical level. But what actually happens when we are stressed?

A stressful event can cause a number of things to happen. The adrenal glands pump adrenaline into the body and both heart rate and blood pressure increase. Fat and sugar enter the bloodstream to prepare for a ‘fight or flight’ response and the stress hormone cortisol is released.In modern man this is a big problem. Our response to stress will often far exceed that required of the situation having severe consequences for our long term health.

The risk of hypertension and stroke increases. This is why exercise is great for alleviating the signs of stress. Excess fat and sugar in the bloodstream is used up by the muscles ensuring the blood flows more freely.

By keeping an eye on what we eat and drink we can do a lot to alleviate stress. The trouble is, stress often makes us consume the wrong types of food.This type of eating to alleviate stress is actually making the problem worse because it plays havoc with our blood-glucose levels, having a direct impact on the brain. In other words what we eat influences our stress levels which in turn has some bearing on what we eat. A very hard loop to break – one reason diets never work.

What is actually needed is a stress management program that restores the balance of life. And this means a lot more than dealing with the mind alone. Anyone serious about anti aging techniques should never underestimate the value of stress management.

Calorie Restriction

There is little question that reducing one’s calorie intake has a positive impact on longevity.Not just any calorie restriction based diet but one based on complex carbohydrates.Reducing calories but sticking to simple carbohydrates would surely shorten life expectancy. Nutrition is essential to human health and this is not found in flour, sugar and salt so common to the western diet.

Lab experiments have shown that mice on reduced calorie diets (containing vital nutrients) live much longer than mice on a normal dietThe mice in the calorie restricted group also maintained their youthful appearance and remained active for much longer.

In trials at Washington University adults with an average age of 55 kept their blood pressure as low as a 20 year old. Studies have also shown that calorie restriction reduces the bad cholesterol (LDL) while boosting the good cholesterol (HDL), lowers inflammation and reduces body mass index. Further, a reduction in insulin levels can both help prevent diebetes and improve memory. In other words calorie restriction coupled with a balance of vital nutrients is key to the fight against aging.

But why does a calorie restriction diet work?

By limiting dietary energy intake the body goes into survival mode by lowering metabolic rate.Because the production of free radicals is limited there is less damage to cellular structure. The added benefit of a diet based on complex carbohydrates is the increased consumption of anti-oxidants. Complex carbohydrates are mainly found in plant foods – they help to fight the free radicals and therefore prevent further cellular damage.

Key to reducing calories is ensuring the right balance of nutrients by following a mainly plant food diet. Studies throughout the world have shown that plant food diets reduce the risk of many diseases associated with affluent societies. In addition, youthful looks are maintained for much longer – great skin, hair and nails are just one benefit of a plant food diet. The nutritional aspects of our diet should always come before the need to reduce calories.

Present moment living

If you a looking for a true anti aging solution, look no further than the ability to live in the moment. Letting the future take care of itself and putting the past behind us, leaves no room for the negative emotions that are so damaging to our health. The present moment contains all the answers we need because now is all there is.

Living in this moment means all our awareness is focused on the current situation. We don’t dwell on the past, neither do we dwell on the consequences of our actions – we can’t know what the future holds so why waste our energy. It doesn’t mean we can do anything we please or that we should not plan. Awareness in the moment ensures the right thing to do is made clear to us, even if that means planning ahead! If someone makes the wrong choice it is generally because of the power time has over us and how the mind has been conditioned to think and act. If a person is trapped by mental time a person will base their decision on past experience and personal gain – with total disregard for what is happening now! Behavioural patterns are repeated over and over again as are the mistakes we make. Our mind constantly shifts between the past and future and thinks it normal. It clearly is not. After all, is there anything but the current moment?

It doesn’t take much to realise that all negative emotions are ultimately generated by the mind. The ability to know the current moment is to understand that love, beauty and peace are all there is. Only action based on these realities keeps people from aging prematurely. By escaping the illusion of mental time we escape the self generated aging process.

By practising forgiveness and being grateful for what you have now, you let the past go. By accepting the current moment and letting the future take care of itself you free yourself from frustration and stress. The more you live in the present the less you will age – time will have lost its grip on your life.

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