Julia Maranan - The 100 Best Ways to Stop Aging and Stay Young: Scientifically Proven Strategies for Taking Years Off Your Body

MOST METHODS TAKE 10 MINUTES OR LESS!

For Dan, who keeps me young.
I look forward to spending the rest of our years together.

Who doesnt want to live a longer, healthier, and happier life? My hope is that with this book, you can use these safe, effective, and scientifically proven tips to slow the aging process in a real and lasting way. The good news is that you dont have to overhaul your entire lifeeven making one or two changes can help you look and feel younger in just a few days or weeks. Once you get a few tips under your belt, add a few more to build on your success. It really is that easy, and whether youre thirty, sixty, or ninety, its never too late (or too early!) to start.

Of course, on some days the healthier choices are easier to make than on others. But I often find that once I do one good thing for myself, Im much more motivated to keep it up. It helps me to think of every day as filled with opportunities to take care of myself and ensure my good health for the long haul. The beauty of this book is that you have so many anti-aging options to choose from; if you dont feel like exercising one day, you can meet a friend for lunch instead and know that youre still keeping yourself young.

You might be surprised at all the ways you can slow the aging process. Even though Ive been writing about health and nutrition for over a decade, in the course of writing this book I discovered many unexpected tips that turn back the clock. To be sure, your quickest path to anti-aging is adopting healthy habits such as eating more fruits and vegetables and exercising. But volunteering, cultivating an optimistic outlook, and forgiveness also play a big part. And did you know lifestyle changes like cutting back on refined carbs are twice as effective at preventing diabetes as medications? Inexpensive and available to everyone, lifestyle changes such as these carry virtually no risk of side effects, and in many cases theyre actually more effective than drugs, surgery, or other medical interventions. They are also, by far, the least expensive ways to maintain or restore good health. That translates into less time in the doctors office, fewer medications, lower medical bills, and the good health and energy to keep doing the things you love for decades to come. If youve picked up this book, I imagine thats what youre hoping for as well. So start reading and begin turning back the clock today. Best wishes for a long, healthy, and happy life.

Julia Maranan

As you get older, your skin undergoes changes at every level. The top layer (the epidermis) thins and loses protective fatty substances called lipids, making skin drier and less able to fight off infection. Arid climates or the dry air in winter can aggravate parched skin even more. Dry skin can feel tight and uncomfortable, accentuate wrinkles, and look flaky and ashy. Also as you age, the inner layer (the dermis)the collagen and elastic tissues that keep your skin firm and plumpbegins to break down, leading to wrinkles. These changes mean your skin doesnt bounce back from injury as quickly.

Enter moisturizers, which can help calm itchiness and irritation, plump and smooth skin, and restore a youthful, dewy look. One hydrating hero is hyaluronic acid (aka sodium hyaluronate), which is naturally found in skin. A 2004 study in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology noted that hyaluronic acid boosts production of cells that make and secrete collagen, at the same time shoring up skins structure.

Hyaluronic acid moisturizes skin from the inside, increases elasticity, calms inflammation, and scavenges skin-damaging free radicals. As you get older, you produce less hyaluronic acid, which can lead to dry skin and wrinkles. The good news? Applying it topically seems to restore some of those benefits, plumping and firming skin almost immediately. It can hold up to one thousand times its weight in water and helps attract and bind moisture to your skin, even in concentrations as low as 1 percent (although you may see more noticeable results with higher concentrations). Its easily absorbed and may also help other skin-saving ingredients penetrate the skin better, making combination products more effective.

You can find topical hyaluronic acid in moisturizers at all price points (starting at under $10) in serums, creams, gels, and so on, often alongside other anti-aging ingredients to give you multiple benefits in one bottle.

Researchers at Cambridge University in England note that injectable hyaluronic acid works best for deep wrinkles caused by sun damage, creases around the nose and mouth, and adding volume to hollowed cheeks and thin lips (areas that Botox, which works best on forehead wrinkles, cant help). Manufacturers chemically modify it so that skin doesnt absorb it as quickly, which means results can last up to six months. Using it repeatedly in the same area may lead to a longer-lasting result, possibly by stimulating new collagen production. Injectable hyaluronic acid is available in heavier and lighter gels with different molecule sizes, which translates to more flexibility for where on your face you can use it. Another plus is that most people tolerate it well; irritation and allergic reactions are rare.

All the potions and anti-agers in the world cant undo the damage from poor skin care habits. Even if you have a good regimen in place, as you get older your routine might need some tweaks. If your skin is still dry even though you use a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, start washing your face only at night. Make sure you use a mild, soap-free cleanser (one study rated Dove, Aveeno, and Purpose as the least irritating) and lukewarm water to avoid stripping skin of its natural oils. In the morning, simply wet your skin and pat it dry with a towel. The other two crucial components to younger-looking skin? Dont skimp on sunscreen (2) and stop smoking (93).