It’s inevitable… as beings on this planet, we are going to age. With every passing moment in these bodies, we get older. With that being said, getting older doesn’t have to be a bad thing. At Olivespa, we like to think of aging as a privilege. It is an opportunity to grow wiser and become more consciously aware of ourselves and our surroundings. We want to share a few ways to support a graceful aging process, so you can have the tools and knowledge to help yourself along the way!
1. SLEEP 7-9 HOURS A NIGHT
Sleep is one of the best and easiest ways to gracefully age! Getting high quality sleep for 7-9 hours helps with the majority of processes going on in our bodies, from hormone regulation to immune system regulation, to cardiovascular health, to DNA and cell repair. Most all tissues and systems in the body are positively impacted by a good night’s sleep.
*Not sleeping well?
We recommend a nice nervous system relaxing practice before bed! This could be a strong cup of chamomile tea, reading a book, a warm and relaxing bath, some calming essential oils diffusing, a short meditation or bit of breathwork. There are many options to choose from, so find the one that resonates best with you and your schedule so you can make it part of your evening routine.*
2. NOURISH YOUR BODY
We mean this on a physical level, actually nourish your cells with good, nutrient-rich foods! Make it a point to get a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, high quality meats and dairy, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds and high quality fats like extra virgin olive oil and grassfed butter.
We like to say, make and eat the foods your great-great-grandmother would have been serving for dinner to her family. Remember to eat real food that our bodies recognize as food and can utilize as energy. Try your best to avoid all the processed “food stuff” so easily available everywhere these days.
Remember that your body is a temple, and it deserves to be nourished with the best building blocks possible!
3. HYDRATE
Hydration is hugely important for graceful aging. Did you know that the human body is about 60% water, give or take depending on age, gender and body composition. Our bodies need water for the most basic functions, like delivering nutrients to the cells, supporting digestion, ridding waste, protecting our tissues, and so much more.
At Olivespa, our water rule of thumb is drinking your weight in ounces divided by 2 plus 20! So for someone who weighs 150lbs, drinking 95 oz of water daily is the goal!
We also think it is very important to try to limit your alcohol consumption and limit other consumables that dehydrate you, like smoking, sugar-sweetened beverages, and alcoholic beverages.
Fun tip: Drinking spring water is a bonus because it provides trace minerals that help to increase our mineral stores and balance our electrolytes.
4. MOVEMENT & EXERCISE
We are born to use our bodies! Movement is one of the most primal parts of being human, so why are our lives increasingly becoming more and more sedentary? Did you know that a sedentary lifestyle is strongly linked to an increased risk of chronic illness and early death? Staying active and moving your body will help stimulate lymphatic flow, increase blood flow and cardiac output, enhance metabolic systems, and support general muscle maintenance.
Fitting intentional movement into your week, like exercise is even better! Aerobic (walking, cycling, hiking, swimming) and anaerobic (HIIT, strength training, circuit training) exercise are both important types of exercise for longevity. Overall, movement and exercise help our bodies to utilize energy more efficiently and effectively. On top of that, exercise has a big impact on mental health, it helps to lower stress, improve sleep patterns, and help boost overall mood!
5. MANAGE STRESS
Stress is not cool. Our bodies don’t like it either. Stress is actually good for us in small doses, but most of us lead very stress-filled lives and are living in a chronic stress state of being. This state tells our bodies we are unsafe, which then triggers hormonal secretions that interfere with our day-to-day lives. The main culprit is cortisol. When our bodies produce excess cortisol they tend to become very imbalanced. For example, blood pressure skyrockets, moods change, libido disappears, weight is gained, hormones shift, menstruation becomes irregular… like I said, not cool, at all. Actually, chronic stress is strongly linked to inflammation and accelerated aging (!) because of the toll it takes on each of the cells in the body. This is why it is important to manage your stressors! Taking a few moments out of your day to practice mindfulness has been shown to be enough to help reduce stress. This can be anything that helps you relax your mind, things like breathing exercises, meditation, coloring, yoga, journaling, getting outside for a few minutes to take in the beauty… it can really be anything you make it, the act of doing it and doing it consistently is the most important part, so once you figure out what works for you, work it into your daily routine.
6. PROTECT YOUR SKIN
Protecting your skin may not seem as important as these other points, but it is in fact, hugely important, especially when it comes to graceful aging. Being smart about sun and environmental exposures from a young age can be really impactful on the way your skin ages. Wearing sunscreen, protective clothing and using non-toxic skincare and laundry products can make a world of difference in the way your skin grows old with you. Topical support is something that we, at Olivespa, of course indulge in as well! We are constantly moisturizing with high polyphenol extra virgin olive oil and other natural ingredients that support skin cell regeneration, boost collagen and help to deeply moisturize.
Our favorite item, as of late is our Ageless Face Night Oil. This oil is a beautiful blend of nutritious oils, including sea buckthorn, helichrysum, plum kernel, and the star ingredient: bakuchi oil. This oil deeply hydrates and repairs your skin while you sleep, find out more through this link, here.
Thanks for stopping by, we hope you found this information helpful and easily digestible! If you did, please share it with your friends and family, so we can all age gracefully together.