Actually, I believe nobody likes to be old. No matter how much we may say otherwise, getting old is a process that is hard to accept because being young nowadays is considered a value that decreases with age. This thought is something unique and recent as pertaining to our cultural patterns.

Since we are now enjoying May, I consider it very natural to write about aging. I am going to be 69 years old and I feel I am getting old. Each one of us is going to be an old person someday, well that if we are lucky. That is why, instead of struggling against something inevitable, the best thing to do is taking the most of it. Personally, I am delighted with getting old. I work and I love my job, I believe that I really know how to combine hard work with spare time, fun and the joy of life. I intend to keep on working, moreover, I find it very interesting that different scientific studies are revealing the fact that the more you work , the better memory test results are.

I am deeply thankful I have a job, I feel alive. In spite of conflicts and difficulties, which are also a part of life, I try to see the good side of things, this has become my motto. I have been very happy counseling and giving advice. I have always done my best and, as compensation, I have received and I still receive so many words of gratitude, so many smiles, jokes, hugs, kisses… experiences that I have been keeping in my heart and fill me now with great joy, happiness and wellbeing.

As I age, I feel my heart lighter. I am peaceful and happy with my existence. I still have curiosity and look forward to experiencing everything life offers me anew.

Our body continues its course and, while we grow old, it experiences biological changes: cardiac muscle gets thinner, our kidney´s working capacity diminishes and the same can be said of the rest of our organs. Nevertheless, it is important to say that all this changes do not take us necessarily to illness or other ailments. Pathologies related to aging are in great part the result of our lifestyles, environment, nutrition, and our life's vision. It is enough to take a look at other cultures where people live healthy and strong, working in healthy environments until they are more than 100 years old.

Diet - Make of it an amusing event
Eating healthy can help us keeping ourselves active and fit. As I grow older, I realize even more the importance diet has to make me feel good.

One of the things that are important for me is avoiding sugar. I was born under the zodiac sign with a weakness for sweets, so I have to struggle constantly to avoid or reduce my consumption. My joints inform me with several inflammations and deterioration of my immune system that I have been participating again in ¨sugar harvesting¨. With the advancement of age, due to the body having now a more restrained capacity to store sugar in the liver and muscles, sugar turns into ugly fat in our body.

So if you want to have a good aging process, make an effort with your diet and avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners, we are used to the fact that almost everything that we eat has a sugary taste. Eat better lots of fruit and vegetables. This is simply the best thing we can do to slow down the aging process. Get a kitchen robot and a good mixer, even if you live alone or on your own. If you do not masticate properly, you can always make delicious salads with assorted fruits, shakes, smoothies, ice creams and wonderful sorbets. The same can be done with vegetables and, though it may be a little tedious having to masticate them, with a kitchen robot and some imagination you can create very interesting salads, as well as many other raw food dishes. Generally, even the most exigent man succumbs to a good salad if we add a little bit of fresh cheese and horseradish. At present I love taking cold vegetable soups. Men, who usually do not stand vegetables, seem to accept them when these are prepared as a soup with a teaspoon of chili or spices such as herbamare, which has a very good taste. Dressing foods properly is important for improving taste and for the beneficial effects herbs and spices have on our health. Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables help us avoid aging degenerative diseases.

- Eat oily fish 2 or 3 times a week, but be careful with smoked fish..

- Get a good tea that contains antioxidants, for example green tea or teas with mint that stimulates your liver and vesicle.

- Be careful not to drink coffee in excess.

- Take also care with alcohol. In my opinion it is healthier having just 2 glasses of good quality ecologic wine a day.

- Reduce meat consumption. Decrease quantity and increase quality. It is better to eat meat from animals that have had a good life.

- Remember to drink water in sips all along the day.

Supplements, when wisely used, can help prevent diseases related to aging.
It does not matter whether you are young, middle aged or old, I have seen many times that vitamins and minerals supplements improve brain function, and they seem to increase our performance at intelligence tests, lift up our spirits, improve our memory and reduce the possibility of brain damage risk as we grow old. Take, for example, a little extra magnesium. Vitamins A, C, D and E also have an important role as protectors against the deterioration of joints related to aging.

Make sure to take enough essential fatty acids as, for example, Omega 3-6-9-7. All of them are found in Epa-Gla +. Many people chose taking just fatty acids Omega-3, mostly if there is an inflammation of their joints. Tolonens Cardiomega or Pharma Nord's fish oil, among other supplements, contain fatty acids of very good quality.

One of the most important antioxidants is alpha lipoic acid, which has the property to reach the brain helping other antioxidants as vitamins C and E getting rid of heavy metals as mercury, aluminum and lead to fight Alzheimer disease. It is both soluble in watery and fatty mediums. Alpha lipoic acid also helps prevent complications in diabetes disease.

Acetyl-L-Carnitinis a natural substance. Studies have demonstrated that ACL have a positive effect preventing memory loss in old people, even when there is already a case of dementia. There are studies that show ACL contributes to reducing depression symptoms, and it also may improve consciousness and various learning skills.

Carnosin Carnosine is a natural antioxidant that is produced in our bodies, but its production decreases as we get old. It has been demonstrated that long-lived people have high levels of carnosine. Carnosine helps us to maintain a youthful and elastic skin. This antioxidant is believed to help prevent Alzheimer. There has also been much talk about its effect against cancer and its ability to both get rid of heavy metals and strengthen the immune system.

Q 10 is also known as the elite of antioxidants. This is partly due to it being ¨the spark¨ that collaborates in producing cell energy while acting as a powerful antioxidant. A brain with little Q10 is not able to work in an optimal way. A little hint to take your daily supplements in the morning is turning that moment into a ritual, visualizing the stimulant influence and the improvement these supplements are going to add to your health

Small advices
Take care of yourself. As often as possible give yourself a massage and let your mind and body relax, providing yourself with a wonderful feeling of wellbeing.

I love to keep on teaching anyone that takes a few minutes to listen, and I still get nervous when dealing with ¨official¨ tasks…Teaching others helps me both keeping my knowledge up to date, which is extremely healthy, and supplying my brain with challenges. If you have the opportunity to teach others, do it, even if it is just within your circle of friends. With age we all have lots of experiences we could very well write down, which is good for us as a way to communicating our live experiences, based on our knowledge, while benefiting others as well.

Try doing some exercise, and keep fit without reaching an unhealthy thinness. Do some sport, try exercising 30 minutes, for example, 3 or 4 times a week.

As you are no longer in your working life, be sure you have many reasons to wake up every morning, somebody to get in touch and activities to participate in with joy and enthusiasm.

Keep your skin healthy with good products without artificial chemical agents. Many products that are good for your skin contain natural antioxidants that help fighting free radicals. Try to be positive and feel joy and gratitude in your daily life.

As we grow old, is important we use our time wisely.
Deepak Chopra gives us good advice concerning this in his book called 'The Book of Secrets'

Time is misused by
Reliving the past..
At genopleve fortiden
Regretting old mistakes.
Reliving yesterday.
Anticipating tomorrow.
Racing against the clock.
Brooding over impermanance.
Resisting change.

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