Look and feel younger as you get older!

Ok so it has been WAY too long since I last posted!!! I have realised that I CAN use articles that I write for my newsletter here too!! So hopefully now, there will be more regular updates!!

Here is the latest! If you wouldl like to be kept up to date, visit my website at www.newleafnutrition.com.au and join the community who receive my free monthly newsletter :) You can subscribe on the left hand side of the page. Be sure to check your JUNK mail for the confirmation email, and the following email which gives you access to archives via a link :)

Cheers!

Look and feel younger as you get older!

Lately I have noticed a weird phenomenon amongst my clients. Particularly, my older clients. Each time they come in, they seem noticeably younger, more radiant and much more energetic than their prior visit! In fact many have commented that they feel 5, 10 and even 20 years younger!

I thought about this and pondered what the key similarities amongst these clients were that could be making them look and feel younger, as they chronologically get older?
After some time, I figured it out! I was compelled to share these with you as I KNOW too many who spend too much time worrying about ageing. Further to this, there is a billion dollar aesthetics industry out there that convinces people over and over that youth comes from a knife, pill or potion. This is certainly not the case and I will happily work with anyone who wants to prove me wrong :)

Youth comes from within the body! Within the mind. More exciting than that, YOU have all the tools and resources you need RIGHT now to embark upon your own longevity plan!
Here I will share with you the KEY ingredients that ANYONE can utilise to reawaken the 20, 30, 40 or even 50 year old within them!

First things first, water!

Yes, I know it may be so simple as to be disappointing, but guys, the truth is, water is absolutely essential in the path to longevity and a more youthful appearance. Water makes up anywhere between 55-70% of our body. All of our cells are full of water and every reaction that occurs in our body happens in a fluid environment. Imagine what a dehydrated cell might look like- shrivelled, dry and well, ugly. Imagine conversely a nice plump, full and vital cell! Full of life and flowing easily through our body. You can imagine therefore why a person full of hydrated cells may well look much more attractive, not to mention less wrinkly!
So, drink up! Water, water, water! No. Tea, coffee, juice, cordial, soft-drink do not help in this department. It is simple plain water that our cells need and use best. Adding fresh lemon or lime to water can actually aid in its absorption and passage into cells, so feel free to always have on hand plenty of coloured citrus fruits. You will be surprised how much more refreshing water with these added is! You can occasionally, or always, cheat by using the "squeezy" bottle lemon or lime juice. They are wonderful to have on hand in the fridge- even for dressings, marinades and to cook in. Fresh is always best, but convenience must not be under-estimated in today's busy times!
If you have a medical condition and have been otherwise advised by your Doctor to limit your fluid intake, please always heed their advice and direction first and foremost.
For the rest of us, DRINK, to look, feel and BE younger day by day!

Ok, next thing is COLOUR!

Yes, colour your world! Blue, red, purple, orange, yellow, green! When you eat you should see a RAINBOW of colour! The richness of colour in food is a good indication and reflection of the different types and amounts of phyto-chemicals they contain. Phyto-chemicals are powerful biologically active compounds found in plants that protect plants from harmful predators, bacteria, viruses, sun damage, whilst also attracting birds and insects to promote pollination and seed dispersal.
Therefore, whenever we eat plant foods- fruit, veg, whole-grains, etc, we take in these compounds thereby benefiting from their powerful properties. Different phyto-chemicals have different effects. Some are anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, cholesterol lowering, hormone influencing, blood vessel relaxing, immune-stimulating, gut-balancing, anti-oxidant, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal! Phew! The list goes on. Quite simply they are INCREDIBLE for your health and the reason why we feel SO GOOD when we eat more natural plant-based foods!

Foods from the purple family are very rich in anthocyanins which are POWERFUL anti-ageing phyto-chemicals (anti-oxidants), and so a very good substitute for expensive anti-wrinkle creams! I can take one look at a client when they walk in and KNOW when they are eating blue-berries! I try to get most of my clients to incorporate ½ cup blueberries a day- whether it be in the morning with their cereal or porridge, in a low fat, high fibre, home-baked blueberry muffin, in a yummy smoothie, as an afternoon snack with low fat natural yoghurt and passionfruit, or after dinner with some diced pineapple as a sweet treat! SO many ideas!

Trust me when I say you will SEE the difference! Try it!
Any other fruits or vegetables from the rich red/purple/blue families are similar in their anti-wrinkle and anti-ageing abilities.

Try eggplant. Roasted in balsamic vinegar with mixed herbs and garlic, it is a taste sensation not to be missed! I never used to like this vegetable until I knew how to cook it! It is so, so yummy! I roast it in rounds, then dice up when cooled and store in a container in the fridge to toss through my salads during the week- mmm mmm! Delicious! Who said salads were boring?!
I'm sure you have many more ideas and I'd love you to share them with me so I can share with everyone else! If you have a purple/blue/red food idea that you'd like to share, please complete the feedback form below and I will distribute to everyone to keep our inspiration, motivation and appetites hungry for GOOD FOOD :)

The next anti-ageing, youth inducing tip?

Exercise!

Yep! You got it! I can see a few eyes rolling to the back of their heads but PLEASE do not dismiss this KEY ingredient! To stay young, or reverse the ageing process, we MUST keep our bodies moving! You DO NOT want to end up like a rusty old tin man which is exactly what will happen if you do not keep your joints mobile and active. Even though it may be painful to begin with, working through this with a physio or exercise physiologist will help you move beyond pain, increasing your mobility and quality of life in the long run.

I had one particular client who was, and still periodically is, in a great deal of pain whenever she moved. So much so that she genuinely feared moving much at all. Convincing her to walk was near-on impossible but ever so slowly we got her doing bits and pieces. Today after about 4-5 months she is MUCH more mobile and coping with the pain 100% better. Her greatest joy is being able to easily get up and down from the floor where she does play therapy with children. It has boosted her quality of life, given her confidence to believe in herself and made her realise that where she was at, feeling hopeless and as though this was how things would always be, is now part of her past.

As much as it may hurt guys, not moving at all is much worse and only makes things get gradually more difficult.

Recruit the team and support you need and work towards anything at all you can do that increases your mobility over time. There ARE people and resources out there that can help. Just be DECIDED and DETERMINED that things WILL get better, and that there IS a solution out there! Most of all though, believe and trust in yourself. Do not give up hope.

If you are already active, congratulations! Ensure that you make time for movement or exercise daily. Fooling ourselves that 3-4 times a week is enough is crazy and perhaps naive. We are physiologically perfectly designed for movement! Our bodies LOVE it, in fact they HATE sitting all the time, hence why we have so many back and neck issues! Not what we were designed to do. Please do not think I am being negative. 3-4 times a week is a great starting point and sometimes the best we can do. But in the pursuit for a long, healthy, independent life, daily movement is KEY and something to aim towards.

Ok! What else?

The other KEY ingredient and one that often gets overlooked and forgotten is

Essential Fatty Acids

Especially Omega 3's. The vitamins associated with the foods rich in omega 3's- namely Vitamin D & E are incredibly important for anti-ageing effects.
Vitamin D is essential for adequate calcium absorption and keeps our bones and teeth strong. Being strong and independent as we age has much to do with the strength of these important parts of the body! Without strong and healthy teeth, it becomes difficult to nourish ourselves appropriately. Weak bones can make us vulnerable to fractures and loss of independence. I have seen this many times over in some of the settings I have worked in.

Plan ahead and cover all bases. Good dietary sources of Vitamin D are herring, mackerel, kippers and salmon. Tinned tuna is an ok source, as is reduced fat Vitamin D fortified milk, and eggs. Remember also, the SUN is one of the best ways our body can access and produce Vitamin D. Get out in the sun DAILY. 10mins is usually adequate to give us our required dose.

The fear of skin cancer in today's society has meant some of us have gone a little too far with the slip, slop message. Please DO NOT misread this part! I did not say, “go and bathe in the sun for hours”. I have clearly said 10 minutes a day of sun exposure is healthy to receive adequate Vitamin D without incurring skin damage. Of course if you are particularly sensitive, the least hot times of the day is best; before 10am and after 3pm.

Vitamin E is a powerful anti-oxidant and so protects our cells from damage from free-radicals. The result? Healthy cell membranes that add up to a healthier and younger looking body! Top sources of Vitamin E are wheatgerm oil, sweet potato, almonds, sunflower and safflower oils, hazelnuts, soy yoghurt, tomato puree and blackberries. Include these foods daily in your diet. Substitute sweet potato wedges or mash for the regular white potato, snack on a handful of almonds and hazelnuts daily and include tomato puree wherever you can- on the base of pita pizzas, in a veggie pasta dish, a beef casserole, etc.

Omega 3's have been implicated in all sorts of desirable youth-inducing outcomes including more supple skin, healthier and less painful joints, healthier mind, increased intelligence, reduced risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, as well as a VERY healthy heart!

The best sources of omega- 3 fatty acids are any of the fatty fish mentioned above, as well as sardines, walnuts, flaxseed oil, and omega 3 enriched eggs.

So! To summarise...

To look and feel younger as the birthday candles add up, be sure to:
-DRINK water!
-Eat a RAINBOW of colour- especially purple/blue/red
-MOVE your body! Daily
-Eat the GOOD fats!

Select a few of the above recommendations and make note of the appearance of your skin, your energy levels, and general feeling of wellbeing over the next few weeks. Would LOVE to hear your feedback and how you go with these ideas! Email me at bridget@newleafnutrition.com.au

Until next time! Have fun getting younger!

(PS- did I tell you I was 45?! haha)