Wish you could look and feel younger? These tips can help.

You don't have to be an adventure-seeking archeologist to dream of discovering the Fountain of Youth. As we age, most women are interested in knowing the secrets of looking and feeling younger.

Ready to fight the natural aging process? Before you go to drastic measures, like undergoing plastic surgery, check out these 9 tips to help rediscover your youth within:

1. Stay hydrated. Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day to help keep your skin looking healthy and hydrated. Water also energizes your muscles, aids in digestion and even helps with weight loss. In addition to drinking water, snack on hydrating foods, like oranges, celery or cucumber.
2. Manage stress. Ever walk into a room and have someone ask if you're feeling okay? When we feel stressed, it shows! Take at least 15 minutes each day to decompress. Go for a walk, meditate, or cuddle with a pet. Anything that slows down the heart rate helps ease stress.
3. Eat better. Some foods keep you energized and may improve your appearance. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are high in antioxidants that protect cells from free radical damage. Limit sugar, salt, processed foods and alcohol, which make you feel sluggish and wreak havoc on your body.
4. Stay active. Regular exercise is good for brain and bone health. Set aside at least 30 minutes a day to move. Take a yoga class, go for a bike ride or work in the garden. It's also important to keep your brain sharp as you age. Join a book club, enjoy a game night or do a crossword puzzle.
5. Don't smoke. We all know that smoking is bad for your health and leads to aging. But it doesn't just harm your insides. Smoking damages your appearance as well, leading to wrinkles and stained teeth.
6. Sleep more. Lack of sleep not only makes us look and feel sluggish, but also leads to health issues like depression, anxiety and high blood pressure. Create a bedtime routine and aim to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
7. Take care of your skin. Skincare is so important for keeping wrinkles at bay. Always wear sunscreen (SPF 30) when you go outside and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Hyaluronic acid is the holy grail of hydration to treat wrinkles and dry skin. A dermatologist can also recommend non-invasive skincare treatments, such as a topical peel to exfoliate the outer layer of dead skin.
8. Get screened. See your primary care doctor every year to make sure you're up to date on health screenings. Mammograms, Pap tests, colonoscopies and skin cancer checks are all preventative measures that can help keep you feeling healthy and young.
9. Stay young at heart. Sometimes the best way to feel young is to act young. Remember when you were a child and the only item on your to-do list was playing with your friends? This weekend, call a friend and have some fun instead of doing laundry or other chores. You only live once—and the laundry will still be there tomorrow!

For more LiveSmart articles, visit www.McKenzieHealth.org/LiveSmart.

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Date Last Reviewed: March 16, 2023

Editorial Review: Andrea Cohen, Editorial Director, Baldwin Publishing, Inc. Contact Editor

Medical Review: Perry Pitkow, MD

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