While there are a myriad of cosmetic surgery options for staying young these days, many of us would prefer a more holistic attitude in the quest for the fountain of youth than the needle or the knife And remember, prevention is always better than the cure…

Here are some great (and painless) ways to stay younger for longer.

1) Weight Control
Stay young by eating a healthy balanced diet and getting a regular dose of energising cardiovascular exercise. Next to not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight is considered one of the most important things you can do to keep your body young. A healthy weight and a fit body not only mean you look younger, but it lowers your risk of Type 2 Diabetes, certain cancers and heart-attacks. Regular exercise will keep your heart functioning properly and your weight in check – aim to do at least 30 minutes of heart-pumping cardiovascular exercise five days a week.

2) Supplements
Of course you will want to eat a diet loaded with nutritious foods in order to get the majority of your vitamin boost, but there are some things that are a little harder to find naturally in your food that can really help keep you young. Here are some ideas for ingredients for healthy skin... Vitamin E is an excellent antioxidant that may also protect against heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Co Enzyme Q10 assists with cardiovascular health and may also help prevent Parkinson’s Disease, heart attacks and gum disease while assisting in reduced blood pressure. Echinacea is a fantastic all-round immunity protector keeping illness at bay. It is most effective when taken as one month on and the next month off, so try it as a way to stay healthier all year round. Alpha-lipoic and Acetyl-L-carnitine are shown to help reduce exercise induced stress on the body, but evidence also indicates this combination could be a powerhouse in the fight against cell ageing in the body. Another antioxidant which is useful in the battle against ageing is Gingko Biloba which is renowned for helping the memory.

3) Weight Training
As we age, hormonal changes in the body mean that the amount of muscle we have starts to decline. Our muscles help our day to day strength and functioning and also because muscle tissue is active, it helps to burn fat. Adding 20 minutes of weight training - either at home, or at the gym, twice a week tones your muscles, boosts your metabolism and helps keep your body in shape. Other benefits you’ll love include increased strength, stronger bones, more flexibility, an alert mind and additional protection against heart disease and diabetes. So start lifting those weights…

4) Reduce Stress
Stress literally speeds up the ageing process by harming the DNA of the body, which therefore contributes to the increased risk of age-related degenerative diseases. Stress also contributes to those nasty little furrows we refer to as frown lines! There are different strategies that suit different people when it comes to reducing the effects of stress and these commonly include; exercise - be it a boxing workout or be it yoga, exercise is a highly beneficial stress reliever. Meditation is also a popular stress reliever, as is practising deep breathing techniques that fill the lungs with oxygen. Find a stress relief technique that works for you and then stick with it. Techniques we don’t recommend include knocking back a bottle of wine with a tub of chocolate ice-cream, which only place the digestive system and liver under more stress!

5) Sleep
Lack of sleep puts the body (and soul!) under extra stress to function normally and can leave you irritable, prone to stress and forgetful. Not to mention, while we sleep our body is hard at work absorbing and redistributing nutrients that we consumed during the day as well as removing toxins and activating the cells of the immune system. The body is restored and rejuvenated by getting enough sleep. And there’s a reason sleep is often referred to as ‘beauty sleep’ – the skin’s rate of cell renewal is highest while we sleep, so you can look younger by getting the sleep your body needs. While we sleep our body also produces anti-ageing hormones such as melatonin which helps fight free radicals in the body. Aim for 7 and a 1/2 to 8 hours sleep per night. And if you really want to call it ‘beauty sleep’ sleeping on your back and using a satin pillowcase will reduce the impact of wrinkles on the fine facial skin.

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