Most of us want to look younger than our actual age. Some of us look for products that will make us look younger. Some even have surgery to take away the years. No matter what age you are right now there are steps you can take to age gracefully. My goal is not to look like I am 25; although that would be nice. My goal is to life a fit and healthy life. I want to be sound in mind and body. I don’t dislike my age. I have much more wisdom now than I did at 25.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of components to aging well. Aging well is like a puzzle. There are multiple pieces we need to put together. First you should have a healthy diet. You want to consume fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats. Don’t eat a lot of processed foods, refined sugars, or unhealthy fats. Be careful of your sodium intake because too much sodium can add to high blood pressure. Read the labels of the food you purchase to see how much sodium, fat and sugar is in the product.

Regular exercise lowers your risk of suffering from a number of diseases including heart disease and cancer. Exercise helps you stay mobile. (Use it or lose it.) Exercising also helps to lower stress and improve sleep. Some scientists believe exercise helps to prevent Alzheimer’s.

Speaking of sleep, you should make getting enough sleep and rest a priority. Don’t push your body to its limit. Look at the people who brag about how little sleep they get. Do they look healthy to you? There was a time when I tried to function with a limited amount of sleep. I developed dark circles around my eyes. I tried different types of eye creams and could not get rid of the circles. Once I started getting a decent amount of sleep the circles cleared up. I wonder what the lack of sleep did to the inside of my body.

Don’t ignore your mental wellbeing. Find things that make you happy. There are scientific studies that show being happy benefits your health. I know we cannot be happy every day, 24 hours a day; however, you should have more happy days than sad ones. Don’t forget to laugh and enjoy yourself. Avoid stress to the best of your ability.

Take care of your skin. Wear sunscreen, moisturize, and make sure you stay hydrated. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on skincare products. I believe that a lot of the drugstore items work just as well as the expensive items found in department stores.

I have family members who lived into their 90s and a common thread with them was that they were spiritual people. We should not ignore the spiritual aspect of our lives.

Aging gracefully is not all about physical appearance it includes developing a healthy lifestyle that will help you age well physically and mentally.