1: Activate Your Grey Matter It's one thing to live a long life, but if you want to live a long and vibrant life, you're going to need a vibrant and sharp mind.
The brain, like the rest of the body, needs stimulation to avoid becoming sluggish and even disease-ridden.
A study of nurses found that the more educated women had fewer instances of Dementia.
And autopsy analysis found that while a particular brain may have exhibited signs of the disease, the effects weren't obvious in the women who had challenged their brains and had other interests outside their work.
The brain needs to be aroused to keep neurological pathways open.
The old adage "use it or you'll lose it" has validity when it comes to your mind.
Learn a new language, read a thought provoking book, learn to play a musical instrument, keep abreast of current affairs.
2: Nutrition The standard advice is to consume five servings of fruits and vegetables and three servings of whole grains daily for nutrients and minerals and the other healthful micronutrients in plants.
Drink five to eight glasses of water.
Get no more than about 25 to 40 percent of your daily calories from fat, with about a quarter of that from unsaturated fat (e.
g.
, 1 percent milk, olive and canola oil); 15 percent from protein; and the remaining calories from carbohydrates -- which can include fruits and veggies, and should have an emphasis on complex carbs like oatmeal, whole wheat bread and brown rice.
And have some chocolate, (you deserve it) not five kilos at a time though.
3: Meditation & Exercise Take some time to be thankful for what you have, not what you don't have.
Surround yourself with several positive minded friends.
Set some goals, which are realistic and achievable.
The calendar does not have SOMEDAY or ONEDAY listed, set a time line to achieve something.
A journey of a 1000 miles starts with one step.
Every day take five minutes to review the day, grab all the negative rubbish, look at it learn what lesson it had then banish it to oblivion.
Gather the positives and carry them forward.
You can't walk forward if you are looking backwards.
(Try it but don't fall over).
Yoga has many health benefits, reduces stress, can help with depression.
Join a class met new people, get healthy and fit.
Pilates class to build core strength.
Walking group, some shopping centre's have these early morning so you can walk in a safe place then have a coffee.
Join a gym, regular exercise slows the loss of bone density, builds muscle strength and stops the ageing process, well it will slow it down a bit.
Exercise can combat wrinkles.
The boost in blood circulation to the skin strengthens blood vessels and increases the renewal of cells.
4: Maximize Your Intake of Antioxidants Beans contain eight flavonoids, plant substances that act as nature's dyes and give many fruits and vegetables their colors.
Scientists say these plant chemicals act as antioxidants to give you some protection against heart disease and certain cancers.
Blueberries may have a positive effect on improving night vision and reducing blood glucose levels.
Cranberries, Doctors have touted the fact that cranberries prevent harmful bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract, thus cutting down on the possibility of infections also may help with memory loss.
Artichokes are low in calories and sodium and are packed with vitamin C, folate, and fiber.
Prunes, long revered as a good source of fiber and are also being recognized for their antioxidant properties and helping slow age-related mental and physical problems.
Raspberries, high in polyphenolic compounds, which are plant chemicals that act as powerful antioxidants and fight cardiovascular disease and cancer, raspberries help fight inflammation and have been used to reduce arthritis-related pain.
Age related diseases are contributed to by free radicals and antioxidants help to neutralize these.
5: Sleep An old man once said you need two things in life a good bed and a good pair of boots because if you aren't in one you are in the other.
If you sleep eight hours a day which is a third of a day then make sure that you have the best bed you can buy.
Plenty of sleep will help with making you more peaceful and less prone to anger, able to think better.
And give the body and mind time to repair from the stresses of life.
Don't have TV, laptop, video games etc in your bedroom.
Some say it is bad feng shui.
6: Use a Natural Rehydration Serum The sun we need it for vitamin D however it does have some bad side effects on our skin.
Put your hand up if you were one of those people who slathered yourself with baby oil etc and baked in the sun for hours to achieve the ultimate tan.
Everyone did it and unless you have been living in a cave all your life then the signs of ageing, wrinkles, fine lines are going to emerge as you enter the later years.
Flight attendants who work in low cabin humidity, dry air and re-circulated cabin air and crowded conditions are more likely to develop wrinkles and skin conditions.
A recent study found significant decreases in skin conductance and elasticity and significant increases in fine wrinkles after acclimation to low humidity compared with high humidity.
Consider a natural organic skin care anti wrinkle eraser that contains Rosehip, Sage, Cajeput, Myrrh, Rosewood, Chamomile, Styrax, to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, fade brown spots and smooth skin tone 7: Smoking Smoking adds years to the skin; there's no question about it.
The chemicals in cigarettes starve the skin's cells of oxygen, reduce its elasticity and have a deadening effect on complexion.
They also cause deep lines in the mouth area, due to the stress of puckering to drag and inhale, and crow's feet around the eyes, due to squinting to keep smoke out of the eyes.
Kissing a smoker is like licking an ashtray.
So if you suffer from this addiction then look for help from your doctor, nicotine patches, and hypnotherapy.