Most articles about this topic start off explaining the external things you can do to preserve your youth or to slow down the aging process through products and external practices. I, however, in my own personal experience, have found that the top factors for anti-aging are internal: your mindset, the beliefs you hold about aging, and your ability to connect with your inner child.
Anti-Aging Tip #1: Mindset and Belief Systems
This is the foundation of youth and preservation. What are your beliefs about aging? What does your mental conversation around aging entail? Do you dread becoming older? Or maybe you fear the aging process? Do you think it’s only people with “good genes” that age well? These are all questions that you can check in with yourself to get an idea of the beliefs you hold and your attitude towards aging.
I was one of those children that didn’t align with the notions most adults held with regards to aging. People who would refer to aging and how it was going to be, telling me that I should enjoy being a child because it would surely pass quickly and that it would all be “downhill” from there. I just didn’t accept that as my reality.
I NEVER believed or bought into it. Somehow I knew that it didn’t have to be this way and that I could create a different reality for myself. Intuitively as a child, I knew that what I believed, and my choice to express my inner child, and my joy and wonder and gratitude for life, would ultimately have an effect on how I myself would age.
That was my choice – to live in my heart and believe that life didn’t require us to age quickly and live a life of illness, destined to wither away.
I was determined to show the world and all those adults who told me as a child that I too would have to “join the club” as I got older, that there was another way. My desire was to be an example for people, to show them that you can age gracefully and you don’t have to accept society’s ideas of what aging looks and feels like. I was on a mission to preserve my youth, not solely to stay youthful (though it is nice!) but to inspire others.
Anti-Aging Tip #2: Inner Child Connection
Staying connected to your inner child is number two on my list. This is vital. This is where your life force is pure, energetic, imaginative, innocent, joyful, gentle, excitable, open, vulnerable, whimsical, and vibrant.
I believe a driving force is staying connected to this aspect of ourselves at all ages.
Our bodies respond on a cellular level to our thoughts and emotions as well as what we choose to connect into. Staying connected to your inner child relays the messages to your physiology. The result of this transfers to your physical body and aligns with youth and mirrors those characteristics.
Practice lightheartedness, stay in touch with your laughter and sense of humor, it’s true what they say “laughter is the best medicine” in pure form.
Anti-Aging Tip #3: Diet and Exercise and Hydration
We all know that old saying that you are what you eat has tremendous truth to it.
Proper Hydration is EVERYTHING!
Drinking your recommended healthy water daily is vital to your skin and health. Typically if you drink an ounce of water for every pound you weigh you’re doing great. If you want to clear acne-prone, blemished and wrinkled skin, make sure you are drinking plenty of great water.
I personally drink distilled water. There is lots of information on the benefits of drinking distilled water. Water is the foundation of life and we are comprised mostly of water, so be picky about what you drink! It doesn’t need to be distilled, but do your research on your local water supply and get a good filter if needed! Stay away from fluoridated water at all costs, as fluoride is a neurotoxin that calcifies your Pineal Gland and brings a host of other maladies with it.
Throughout my life, I have gravitated towards a “clean” diet.
What does that mean exactly?
I believe eating live Whole Foods, non-processed, locally, organically sourced is the ultimate support for our bodies. Sugar intake, junk foods, starchy foods, fast foods, excess alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and caffeinated drinks are all components that speed up the aging process tremendously.
Find great superfood supplements to add to your daily diet, make sure you take iodine and magnesium. I take Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth daily for skin, hair, nails and parasite cleansing.
A few supplements that I use regularly are:
-Liquid Chlorophyll to enrich and oxygenate your blood
-Zeolite to capture and eliminate the inevitable toxins that are present in your system
-Curcumin (derived from Turmeric) for its highly anti-inflammatory properties.
-Cell Food naturally provides the highest levels of oxygen and hydrogen to the body.
-Kelp/Iodine as most people are iodine deficient.
There are lots more amazing supplements to help your body operate at its highest level, but these are just a couple of examples.
Finding an activity that promotes movement, strengthening, stretching, breathing, increased heart rate, focus, and discipline.
All of these are vital tools to maintain a youthful mind and body. Find something that is enjoyable to you personally. Don’t follow a fitness routine that you dread. Get inspired by what makes your heart excited, whether it be surfing, yoga, swimming, dancing, running, hiking, sports, etc.
Switch things up, try new things and dedicate some time daily just for you. This brings us back to that concept of recognizing your inner child who wants to play!!
Anti-Aging Tip #4: Gratitude for EVERYTHING!
Foster a grateful heart, start each day with deep gratitude for what is, everything you are, every struggle you conquered and have yet to conquer. Look around at the smallest of things and find beauty and gratitude for it. Say Thank you in honor of your temple and speak affirming language to your body. Our bodies are magnificent biological specimens that thrive on encouragement, love, and care.
Cultivating gratitude will change your life and cause a vibrant opening in your heart. This light shines from the inside out and is part of a youthful glow.
I hold silent Intentions of healing and health for all of humanity, even for the difficult ones. I believe that having and holding the highest intentions for all sentient beings promotes an upwelling of heart expansion and the results of this can be seen through youthful living.
Anti-Aging Tip #5: Face Yoga
Part of my nightly routine consists of face yoga. I was blessed with a mother who taught me this skill at a very young age, little did she know! As I watch my mother go through her beauty regimens I would see her staring at the mirror making the silliest faces, stretching and contorting her face and neck in the craziest expressions. As I got older I asked what she was making those faces for, and she said: “to help with the elasticity of your skin so that it stays firm and supple”. I was like “oh wow”, and it’s been one of my things ever since I can remember.
Just like our bodies need consistent exercise so do our faces, our daily expressions aren’t enough. Intentional stretching of the face, cheeks, eyebrows, and neck muscles, assists in keeping your skin smooth and taught.
Anti-Aging Tip #6: Moisturizing, cleansing rituals, and minimal products usage
My daily skin-care routine consists of a minimalist approach.
In my culture, it is common to be oiled head to toe from a newborn and taught very young to rub oils over your entire body. I’ve never not done this, for me, it’s no different than brushing my teeth. I’m currently using Bio Oil blend.
I have dry skin, so my skin loves the oils. Obviously, if your skin is on the oily side you would have a different approach to moisturizing. I use a mild Dr. Bronner’s soap to cleanse with my hands using lukewarm warm water, only. I follow with Thayer’s Rose Witch Hazel for toner and anti-bacterial. Then I follow that with Castor Oil (nightly) which I apply to the entire face, stretch mark prone areas, brows, and lashes and always include the neck and décolletage.
The benefits of Castor Oil are incredible and too many to list here. A few to mention are:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-bacterial
- Supports the lymphatic system
- Increases circulation
- Heals acne
- Promotes hair growth (lashes and eyebrows)
- Heavily moisturizes
- Smooths scars
- Fades blemishes
Exfoliate once a week
Using the dry brushing method, or my sonic facial cleansing brush, both are very effective. This process sloughs off the old skin, renews and brings forth your fresh new skin. Our skin regenerates itself approximately every 27 days.
Our treatment and nurturing habits are what yield results!
Use a face mask
I alternate using Aztec healing clay masks for detoxing impurities or Refrigerated Pacifica Single Vegan sheet masks bi-weekly for hydration and tone.
Go minimalist!
I’ve always been a minimalist when it comes to cosmetics and beauty products, I’m a firm believer in less is more.
Pay attention to what cosmetics you choose!
Most cosmetics in our beauty driven industry are full of toxic chemicals, which are often tested on innocent animals!
Experimenting with multiple products on a regular basis, and overdoing it with chemicals causes skin irritation and unbalanced PH levels, which in turn can cause acne breakouts and weaken the skin and disrupt our natural PH.
I rarely wear makeup, on the occasion that I do, I use safe, organic, clean products. I highly recommend that you do your research and find non-toxic, environmentally friendly, cruelty-free products to use.
A few brands are :
- Juice Beauty
- Iniki Organic
- RMS Beauty
- 100% Pure
Anti-Aging Tip #7: Sun Exposure and Connecting with Nature
Contrary to popular belief, the sun is integral to health and is a skin elixir. We are all vitamin D deficient. Daily sun exposure is optimal. Each person, no matter their skin tone can safely be in the sun for up to 25 minutes daily.
The most natural way to get vitamin D is by exposing your bare skin to sunlight (ultraviolet B rays). This can happen very quickly, particularly in the summer. You don’t need to tan or burn your skin to get vitamin D. You only need to expose your skin for around half the time it takes for your skin to begin to burn. How much vitamin D is produced from sunlight depends on the time of day, where you live in the world and the color of your skin. The more skin you expose the more vitamin D is produced.
Unfortunately, most sunscreens on the market are also full of toxic and cancer-causing chemicals that activate when they are applied to the skin and exposed to the sun. The great news is there are fantastic healthy options on the market that you can choose from. You want to look for the following:
- Mineral sunscreens vs chemical sunscreens
- Titanium oxide and zinc oxide is what you want.
Here’s how it works
Every one percent of zinc oxide gives you 1.6 SPF units. That means a 15 percent zinc oxide formula is only about SPF 24, which would be the bare minimum—ideally, we want to aim for SPF 30!
Any sunscreens with 20 percent or more zinc oxide will give you complete UVA and UVB protection.
My favorite is Eminence Organics skin care from Hungary.
Tropical Vanilla Day Cream SPF 32 this product smells delicious, is all natural, 100 percent certified organic and is moisturizing. On a side note, I love all of their products!
The sun heals us, is a mood booster, communicates with our DNA in a language that can only come from the sun, it activates our cells and sends light codes to our energetic and spiritual bodies. It enhances our innate abilities, and intuition.
I’m in love with nature and all that it has to offer. Being in nature allows us to ground ourselves, to oxygenate our bodies, soothes our nervous system enhances our mood and energizes our life force. By making time to be out in nature each day it’s revitalizing. Nature Assists in your clarity and heightens your intuition.
It is a gift!
Anti-Aging Tip #8: Sleep
Adequate sleep is paramount!
I don’t have to go into a bunch of medical and scientific research about how sleep deprived most people are. We live in a society where sleep has become unfashionable and reserved for those that are thought to be lazy. In truth, you heal, restore, replenish and regenerate more while sleeping than at any other time.
Give yourself permission to sleep a full 8-10 hrs nightly, early to bed, early to rise is a good motto.