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Ageing
gracefully
by Roy Chan
Today the average duration of human life in
the United States is just about 70 years for women and a little less
for men. Conservative experts believe that man is really build to last
about 100 years; and that medial advances and more healthful living
habits could bring this about within a generation or two.
What good is it to add years to life if we
do not also add life to years? In fact, unless people learn to enjoy
life and to grow old gracefully, the extra years may be an additional
burden.
From 18 to 30 years is roughly the period of
highest physical and mental vigor.
The experiences we accumulate from the day
we are born help us to conserve and to use our physical and mental
abilities more wisely, so that for some time after 30 years we are able
to perform increasingly well in spite of slowly slipping vigor.
After age 50 the increasing accumulation of
experience is no longer able to offset the now more rapidly energy and
therefore aging begins to assert itself noticeably and in many ways.
A number of things may come about gradually
such as people who have not used eyeglasses before may at some time in
their forties need them for reading, and in the fifties they usually
need bifocals.
Also in the forties, people are likely to
put on weight because there is a general slowdown in the oxidation rate
of the aging body tissue. Also we tend to do less strenuous work with
no reduction in the amount of food consumed.
And in the fifties there is likely to be
some loss of hearing. Usually the high-pitched tomes go first, so words
with the sounds of F, S, and TH are confused. A hearing aid may be
needed in some cases.
Aging is generally accompanied by a loss in
physical and mental flexibility. This is noticed in a tendency to
become stiff in the joints; in slower comeback after a strenuous trip,
excessive "night life," or hard work; in slower healing of wounds, sore
muscles, and sprains; in slower recovery of pep after an illness; and
in greater difficulty to adjust to new people, new places, and new
ideas.
Men, especially, will notice loss of
muscular strength. There will be increased unsteadiness and delicate
muscle movements will be more clumsy and the stride in waking will
become shorter. The conclusion now is that the performance and ability
of the elderly has long been underestimated and can be greatly improved
by a proper diet, sleep and exercise along with rest and relaxation.
Many elderly people tend to lose their joy
and will to live and chronic worriers may mope around and withdraw.
Medical authorities now say that laughter is one of the best medicines
for the elderly. You can always keep your sense of humor tuned up by
surrounding yourself with pleasant and interesting people. Just act
your age and don't be afraid to laugh at yourself even when no else is
around.
Now that we all know the role that physical
activity plays in our lives, remember to do something physical every
day.
The joints must be used or quite simply they
will tighten with age creating that stooped worn out appearance we so
often associate with getting old. Keep yourself flexible and fit on an
exercise program consistent with your ability.
Roy Chan Editor, Infopreneur Roy Chan is a
wellness practitioner. Receive free weekly health tips and claim your 4
bonus gifts (worth $127) when you subscribe to the Health &
Wellness newsletter. Go here now for details:
http://www.pushbuttonhealthguide.com
Roy Chan may be contacted at http://www.pushbuttonhealthguide.com
or roy@pushbuttonhealthguide.com
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How
To Stay Younger, Longer!
by Kim Beardsmore
(c) Copyright Kim Beardsmore
Science has made stunning discoveries in
this area of human interest, it's something we all want to know - can
we slow down the process of ageing, can we live longer, if so, how?
It's a highly technical subject, too detailed to look at in-depth
within this article. But, we can give you some powerful pointers to
help slow down the ageing process and increase your chances of a
healthier old age.
What determines your biological 'age'?
Our parents precondition us from a young age
to believe that we'll live to a certain age. We walk around with a
particular notion in our subconscious that we have a pre-defined
lifespan of between 60-90 years. But there is no definitive speed at
which a person should gracefully age because we are all so different.
Some people seem to look and act eternally young - ageless,
wrinkleless! Others, less fortunate, look old beyond their years. Our
body's biological age is a reflection of our physical, mental and
spiritual journey through life. In perfect conditions, our bodies can
survive to an age of 125 years! Look at the two very different lists
below, the potential for ageing becomes quite obvious when you compare
such a stark difference in lifestyle.
The first person has all the attributes to
significantly slow down the ageing process and live to a ripe old age
with good health.
Lifestyle characteristics that promote
longevity:
. Regularly partakes in enjoyable exercise
. Enjoyable career and tolerates 'healthy'
stress
. Generally happy relationships with spouse
and children
. Active member of the community, enjoying
many friendships
. Seeks to learn new things and enjoys
personal development
. Eats a balanced, healthy diet
. Supplements diet with vitamins, minerals
and antioxidants
. Has a sense of worth and purpose in life
If your life reflects these characteristics
then you have adopted the attributes which significantly slow down the
ageing process and increase your chances of living to a ripe old age
with good health.
Lifestyle characteristics that do not
promote longevity:
. A sedentary lifestyle
. Overweight or obese
. Inability to cope with pressure .
Isolation - working and living alone, few friendships
. Poor or limited career opportunities
. Constant diet of nutritionally deficient
food (junk food)
. Eating too much food (comfort eating)
. Drinks excess alcohol
. Smokes cigarettes
. Regularly visits the doctor for various
illnesses
. Harbors resentment, anger, fear
. Lack of purpose and self worth
. Lack of stability and routine
If this list is more like you then you may
be ageing fast! Time to take action and make some changes if you want
to improve the quality of your latter years. It may be a daunting task
to make lifestyle changes, however, by taking things one step at a time
and being consistent in developing new lifestyle habits - you will
notice the difference in time, and your body, friends and family will
thank you.
Kim Beardsmore M.B.A. (H.R.M.), B.Sc.
(Biochemistry) is an independent Herbalife distributor, weight loss
coach and creator of the online health & fitness magazine Weight
Loss Health. For a free weight loss consultation, newsletter and
resources to help you lose weight and keep it off forever, visit http://weight-loss-health.com.au
Visit the Herbalife store at http://weightlosshealth.herbalcoach.com
Herbalife home business opportunity: http://free2liv.com
Kim Beardsmore may be contacted at http://weight-loss-health.com.au
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A
Celebration of Wrinkles
by Jan Andersen
A short while ago, my partner and I were
watching a rather graphic documentary about cosmetic surgery, which
covered the individual profiles of four people who had chosen to put
their faces and bodies at the disposal of a plastic surgeon and his
knives. As we watch the slicing, the sucking, the tugging and the
stapling, my partner said, “Why would anyone want to go to such drastic
lengths to have all the character removed from their face?”
I think it is important to mention here that
my partner is just 30 years old and I am 42. I have twelve years’ more
wear and tear in my face and the lines around my eyes to indicate that
I have endured the stresses and strains of life by laughing in the face
of adversity. My partner lovingly tells me that every line, freckle and
feature, whether or not I consider it to be a flaw, contributes towards
making me who I am, where I’ve been and what I’ve done. To erase those
characteristics would be like editing my life and removing the memories
and experiences, both good and bad that have been etched on my face.
Who was it that first decided that young and
smooth was more beautiful than mature and furrowed? The wisdom of
maturity can be just as attractive as the innocence of youth and the
number of wrinkles that you have doesn’t always reveal your age. It’s
all a matter of attitude. I recently met a woman who had had a
face-lift, together with a few nips and tucks here and there. Whilst I
don’t deny that she was attractive, her face was expressionless and
reminded me of that of an inanimate shop mannequin’s glossy,
untarnished surface, but with a total absence of personality. Despite
the lack of creases and slack skin, however, she didn’t look younger
than her years. In fact, I was surprised when she revealed her age,
because I was under the impression that she was older. My grandmother,
on the other hand, was one of those fair-skinned types, like myself,
whose skin was not as resilient as some and yet although her face was
deeply lined, she still looked twenty years’ younger. She was vibrant
and energetic, with a childlike outlook, a wicked sense of humour and
the gait of someone in their thirties.
Were it not for the media insensitively
setting the definition of beauty and the framework for acceptability, a
lot more people would be happy to grow old gracefully and welcome each
new wrinkle with dignity and delight.
Many years ago, I remember watching a
particularly unsettling episode of The Twilight Zone entitled, “The Eye
Of The Beholder”, where a beautiful girl (at least what we would
perceive to be beautiful) lived in a world inhabited by people with
pig-like faces. They were regarded as normal, whereas she was branded
as “ugly” and a “freak”, which caused her to embark on a series of
surgical operations to change her face so that she would fit into their
society. When the operations failed, she was banished to an outcast
village to live with others of her kind.
The above story may seem extreme and yet
many women and men resort to radical measures to enhance their
appearance, seek approval and consequently feel more valued by
modern-day society. If wrinkles and maturity were suddenly in-vogue,
would plastic surgeons be inundated with demands for lines to be carved
into faces and necks and eager requests for jawline implants to give
the drooping jowl effect? Would everyone roast themselves in the sun
without caution and wash their faces in detergent to help promote aged,
leathery skin?
Of course, the reason that ageism continues
is, firstly, because the ageist members of our society are those who
don’t belong to the age group against which they are discriminating
and, secondly, because the media haven’t yet cottoned on to the fact
that maturity and wrinkles can equate to beauty and desirability. After
all, the most beautiful homes and the most beautiful scenery inevitably
have character. Compare the blank canvas of a fresh, magnolia-painted
house to a period cottage, with nooks, crannies and higgledy-piggledy
beams and you tell me which one has more character. Look at the pure,
but empty expanse of the Antarctic and then view a craggy mountain
range on the continent and think about which scene you would like to
view on a long-term basis.
Isn’t it about time that people were viewed
in the same way? Instead of dreading the ageing process, we could all
look forward to growing more beautiful with each passing year and to
greeting each new line, blemish, or mole as a beauty-enhancing feature,
rather than an unattractive sign of moving from youth through to
antiquity.
Jan Andersen is a Freelance Writer,
Copywriter & Editor specialising in articles and features on
diverse lifestyle topics and social issues. She has also participated
in many TV and radio programmes. Jan also owns and runs eight websites;
World Writer, Mothers Over 40, Jan Andersen Writing
Services.FabFinance.com™, MortgageSaverCentre.com, Datinghappy.com and
Lovecatcher.com. Jan had four children aged 20, 19, 18 and 5. Her
eldest son, Kristian, tragically took his own life on 1 November 2002.
As a result of this tragedy, Jan is writing a book on child suicide
entitled, “Chasing Death”.
Jan Andersen may be contacted at http://www.creativecopywriter.org
or worldwriteruk@hotmail.com
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