A healthy approach to ageing
We’re all living longer and that should be cause for celebration, yet society seems obsessed with turning back the clocks. The word ‘anti-ageing' says it all – it implies we should wage war on our own bodies and cling to our fading youth by our fingernails.
Yet it needn’t be this way. There is a growing movement of people who talk not of ‘anti-ageing’ but of ‘youthful longevity’. By living healthily they maintain mid life for as long as possible. They neither cling unrealistically to former times nor do they let themselves go, accelerating rapidly into old age. And those who embrace their maturity tend to live longer than those who shun it. A study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests you get an extra 7.5 years of life if you feel good about ageing.
Simon Biggs, professor of social gerontology at Kings College, London, says ageing gracefully is about distinguishing between the ‘youthful self’ and the ‘mature self’. Those who only aspire to their ‘youthful selves’ use the past as a benchmark for how they should look and feel now. It is these people who may rush into expensive surgery or have unrealistic expectations of their skincare products.
Far better, says Biggs, to respect where you currently are on the life cycle and to focus on its benefits, which includes a greater capacity for happiness – with research showing a surge in happiness from the age of 50 onwards. Biggs believes this is because people in later life are better able to put things in perspective. With this perspective comes the realisation that simple lifestyle changes including stress management, a healthy diet and ample exercise can help you to live younger for longer.
Raised levels of the stress hormone cortisol are associated with age-related diseases and there is evidence that women with chronic stress have shorter ‘telomeres’ - enzymes that regulate how many times a cell divides. Each time DNA replicates these shorten until the cell dies making us feel and look older.
A good way to manage stress is to follow the lead of centenarians. Studies show these old-timers cope with life’s problems by; taking each day as it comes, accepting rather than worrying about problems, strengthening social ties and by finding meaning in activities. This positive attitude should be combined with frequent exercise (say a brisk 30 minute walk, daily) because research shows that it’s the women who are stressed and sedentary who have shorter telomeres and not the women who exercise rigorously.
Couple this with healthy eating and you’re well on the way. The British Nutrition Foundation’s Healthy Ageing taskforce recommends eating antioxidant-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables which fight free radicals which are bad for the skin. Apples for example have been shown to reduce wrinkling in some studies. As well as antioxidants they contain tannin and pectin which are useful for toning the skin and tightening skin pores. They also improve blood circulation (as does exercise) which will give your skin a younger more radiant look.
Kiwi and spinach (containing lutein and zeaxanthin) are good for eye health, while leafy vegetables contain folate and omega-3 fatty acids (also found in oily fish) for heart health and a sharp brain.
The message is simple: keep fit, eat well and be happy. In doing so you can extend your youthful longevity.
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Jo Carlowe
Psychological Beauty Journalist