5 daily tips to nourish your youth!

We all want to age gracefully don’t we? But, at the same time we want to look at young as possible. Thankfully, society has come a long way in recent years with information, and I know that I am fully appreciating the wisdom and beauty tips as we age. However, just because you’ve earned your stripes (or the lines on your face, in this case), it doesn’t mean you don’t want to look as young as possible. The truth is, you can love your age and yourself and still want to know how to look younger. Here are 5 tips to look and feel as young as possible.

1. Drink plenty of water daily

Drinking water has numerous benefits. Water is crucial for many bodily functions, such as lubricating the joints, delivering oxygen throughout the body, preventing kidney damage, and more.

The amount of water you need daily depends on your weight, size, activity level, and climate. I good rule of thumb is getting in between 6-8 glasses of water a day—A glass can be 6-8oz.

Facts on drinking water

Adult humans are 60 percent water, and our blood is 90 percent water.
There is no universally agreed quantity of water that must be consumed daily.
Water is essential for the kidneys and other bodily functions.
When dehydrated, the skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorders and wrinkling.
Drinking water instead of soda can help with weight loss
Water regulates body temperature
Your digestive system depends on it to eliminate waste easily
Our airways need it—dehydration can make allergies worse
It makes minerals and nutrients accessible
It boosts performance during exercise
Helps with weight loss

I know water can be boring after a while. Here is a fun way I like to spruce up my water intake. Cut up a lemon or a lime into small cocktail slices. Squeeze the juice into the glass and add in the rind piece before pouring water into your water glass. It’s great to do this first thing in the morning, even before your morning java. I try to get in 3-4 glasses of water before noon. Then I focus on getting in 3-4 left after noon.

You can even infuse any kind of fruit to make your water a little more exciting throughout the day! Sparkling water is also a great choice to liven it up.

2. Move your body often

According to the CDC, one in four adults sit for more than eight hours a day. While a little rest and relaxation is fine here and there, living a completely sedentary life can be dangerous for your health. Increasing your physical activity at any age can help lower your risk factors for serious health conditions. Even something as simple as a daily walk around the block or a quick fifteen-minute exercise routine can help you live healthy for years to come.

What moving helps with:

Weight loss and management
More energy
Healthy muscles and bones
Better sleep
Pain reduction
Better mood

Make physical activity part of your everyday routine. Wether you are doing cardio, weight lifting, and stretching (all are important by the way), have a goal of 30 minutes per day. So many ways you can do it! Go the the gym, walk around your neighborhood, get your body in shape at home, go for a swim, play tennis or pickleball, or any any sport with movement. What brings you joy?

3. Plan ahead to eat more veggies!

I pretty much always have a goal to eat more fresh produce, especially vegetables. I tell myself that I’m going to incorporate a vegetable into every meal and snack, but it’s easier to say it than to actually follow through.

The one thing that helps?

Stocking my refrigerator with ready-to-eat produce that I’ve washed and prepped ahead of time.

Two items that are always a go to is cut up carrots and celery. These are always a snack that ready to eat! Sometimes I’ll add cut up cucumber slices and sliced red, yellow, or green bell peppers too. As a great dip I’ll have some homemade Ranch Dressing ready or homemade Tahini Garlic Dressing. These are my favorites! I’ll even use almond butter as a dip—a huge treat for me!

Before I go to the grocery store I’ll decide what veggie sides I want with dinner. Fun things to make: roasted Brussels sprouts, cauliflower steaks, roasted acorn squash, sweet potatoes, roasted carrots or broccoli. I may crave a whole artichoke! The choices are endless, really! You could get a pan and fill it up with veggies and roast away!

4. Eat more fructose and less sugar

Instead of reaching for that cookie or sugary snack, eat fruit! This is one way to ditch your sugar cravings. Have a big bowl of fruit on hand. Fill it with any kind of fruit you want! Apples, bananas, oranges, tangerines, peaches, melons, exotic fruits, the list goes on!

Reasons why it’s good to eat fruit:

Great source of essential vitamins
High in fibre content
Keeping cardiovascular diseases at bay
Regulates blood pressure
Aids in digestion
Nourishing the skin and hair
Hydrates the body
Boosts the immune system

If you are trying to lose weight or have a high blood sugar that you are monitoring, go for the low sugar content fruits. Anything in the berry group has LOW sugar like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.

5. Getting enough sleep

We have so many demands on our time—jobs, family, errands—not to mention finding some time to relax. To fit everything in, we often sacrifice sleep. But sleep affects both mental and physical health. It’s vital to your well-being.

For me, I like to make a beeline to bed around 8:30pm to start my nightly routine like washing the face/night cream and brushing my teeth. I like to get in bed at least by 9pm because 5am is my wake up goal. For adults, 7-9 hours is the goal according to WebMD.

I love reading before bed. Why? Because it puts me in a relaxing state and it does the trick every time! I normally can’t get through more than 4-5 pages before I start dozing of!

Why is sleep important?