8 Ways to Fight Aging and Look Great at Any Age

We recently caught up Danielle Pashko, a wellness and nutrition expert who recently released a brand new book Smile At Your Challenges.

With 15 years of experience working as a massage therapist, yoga instructor, nutritional consultant and model, Danielle knows a lot about how to help people look and feel great. So we asked her to give our members some advice about looking great and staying healthy and youthful regardless of how many birthdays they’ve celebrated.

Here’s what Danielle had to say:

The rules of aging are changing and each birthday is not something to be afraid of. I’m not the only one that thinks most of today’s most gorgeous actresses are not in their 20’s but in their 40’s.

Jennifer Aniston, J Lo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sophia Vergara, Salma Hayek, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Halle Berry, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Elizabeth Hurley, Uma Thurman, Jennifer Connelly, Rachel Weisz, Amanda Peet, and Kate Beckinsale are by no stretch of the imagination cougars. I don’t think there is a man on earth that would kick any of those women out of bed!

Not only are those women physical beauties but their elegance, sophistication, sensitivity, confidence, and warmth shine through both onscreen and off. This is the true essence of a woman that makes herself alluring beyond perky boobs and a bubbly personality.

Men age differently than women and yet still engage in similar attempts to hang on to their youth with a vise-like grip. Instead of freaking out about getting older and having a midlife crisis, a man should embrace his age, chill out, and take pride in his decades of accomplishment.

Listen up, guys: Trying to pull off being a playboy in your fifties isn’t going to fool anyone, much less make any woman want to be with you. If you look like Pierce Brosnan – now 60 – why are you trying so hard to project Zac Efron? Not only is a mature man “seasoned” – and recognizes that salt and pepper hair and expression lines can be sexy – but the right wardrobe also speaks volumes about his confidence.

Why is it that there are some parts of the world – particularly the Mediterranean and the Orient – where the local denizens live measurably longer lives than anyone else? In 2005, author/explorer/researcher Dan Buettner advanced the concept of “Blue Zones” (so named for the blue pen he used to circle target regions) and suggested that cultural, environmental, dietary and spiritual practices are contributing factors to extraordinary longevity.

Do these elements hold the secret to the fountain of youth? Buettner’s demographic findings based on the following common denominators make a strong argument to that effect:

1. Find your purpose.
When you wake up in the morning, create something meaningful to do or work towards.

2. Have faith.
It doesn’t matter if you pray to God, Buddah, Allah, or The Universe, knowing that you have some divine help will get you through the toughest of times.

3. Love and community
Keep family and loved ones close by for support and guidance.Stay social. A social life with healthy behaviors will keep your mind and body active.

4. Relax.
Don’t underestimate the importance of downtime. Rest, pray, meditate, and do things that don’t create stress.

5. Move naturally.
Pumping iron, triathlons, and no pain/no gain mentality are American hobbies. Garden, take a walk or ride your bike outdoors in nature.

6. Eat less.
Eat slowly and stop when you are about 80 percent full. We have a limited amount of enzymes to break down the foods we eat. Eating smaller quantities helps to use fewer enzymes, therefore, prolonging life.

7. Stay away from processed foods.
The food in the Mediterranean and Japan is not tainted like in the United States. GMO foods are widely cautioned against. The food you buy at the market during the day is then cooked for dinner, not kept in the freezer for weeks.

8. Drink Wine.
While alcohol has a bad rap, red wine has antioxidants, polyphenols and flavonoids that are very beneficial for the heart.

So how many practices on that list do you follow? Do you take care of your physical body and spirit or live a stressed existence without enough time in the day, surrounded by the wrong people with not enough emphasis on your own wellbeing?

The more stressed and unfulfilled we feel, the more it shows in our appearance. And, yes, while it’s easy to be nostalgic and to even long for the past, you still have the rest of life’s journey ahead of you.

You’re only as old as you think, but wanting to feel young enough to create new and exciting experiences is a dynamic that can occur at any age…and does.

For more information about to Danielle, check out her website.

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