Here is something that goes against the grain a little
AGING IS A GIFT!!!!
That being said, everybody wants to feel healthy for as long as they can right? I know I have felt the effects of aging and believe strongly in staying as fit and healthy as I can, not only for myself but those who love me. So I will share my tips for a lifestyle that will keep you feeling young and energetic.
#1 EAT RAW FOODS
The benefits of raw fruit and vegetables will speak for themselves as soon as you begin to appreciate them in their natural state. As raw food uses no energy to digest, your energy levels stay high and the nutrients from the fruit and vegetables will feed your cells and nourish your body. Even just increasing your intake of salad at meal time or changing your daily breakfast of bread and cereal to
FRUIT! 
I have changed my fruit intake to only on an empty stomach which is ideal first thing in the morning. This way I know that my body will take in all the goodness from the fruit and it will go straight to where my body needs it the most.
#2 DRINK WATER
This is very difficult for some. I actually have no problem guzzling down a litre of water. If this is super challenging for you here are some quick tips.
Drink a glass of water upon waking. This will help kick start your metabolism.
Drink a glass of water before a meal. This way you will feel fuller quicker.
Sip water during your meals. Helps with digestion.
Add a squeeze of lemon. Tastes great and helps alkalize your body.
#3 MOVE YOUR BODY
Move your body, someway, somehow. If you are an energetic person you will not need me to give you tips on this one. But if
this one proves to be a major struggle, here are a few tips..
Stretching is easy and can be done from a lounge chair. The longer we spend sitting in the same position for periods of time the more our body cries out to move. Am I right?
Walking is so, so good for you. The benefits of walking in nature impacts more than just staying in shape. It lifts your spirit and awakens your senses. To smell the freshness of nature is truly satisfying for the soul.
Rebounding or jumping on a mini trampoline is a personal favourite of mine. It can be done at any age as you are in control of the intensity of your movement. The point of rebounding is that it gets your lymph fluids moving. This is vital as we age. When we free up our lymphatic system our body is able to detox.
#4 AVOID PROCESSED FOODS
I know this is difficult to cut out completely as most things are subject to some sort of processing. But on the whole, I highly recommend making processed foods your enemy. They are filled with additives and preservatives and are so far removed from their natural state that I would be surprised if there is an ounce of goodness in them at all…..apart from taste.
Ditch the sodas and processed fruit juices filled with sugar. Switch to water!
Eat whole foods whenever you can. Even snacks. My personal favourite?
Cucumber spears with Raw almonds. These two area match made in heaven. Try them and let me know what you think. Cucumber has high water content and almonds are high in calcium. Win, win!
#5 SLEEP
In an ideal world we as adults should be getting 8 hours of restful sleep but I wasn’t born yesterday and I live in the real world.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Some people sleep better at the beginning of the night and some sleep better in the morning and if you are a shift worker than I sympathise with you. I know that you catch any time you can to get those hours in. Myself? I am an early bird. I sleep better early and struggle to sleep in. Sleep is yet another thorn in some’s side and it seems that as we get older we are getting less sleep. So with that said, some tips…..
Memory Pillows have proved to improve my sleep and I do not go without it if I’m going away.
Herbal Tea is known to help you calm down before bed but not to close to bed or it will have you up at the toilet in the middle of the night.
Weighted Blanket Believe it or not a little weight on your body may improve your sleep, especially in winter.
Lavender helps to calm. Having lavender oil on your pillow or wafting through a diffuser in your room is just the thing to relax your mind and let go of the worries of the day.
Reading from an actual book is a great way to get yourself drowsy. The only trouble with this tip is that you’re likely to forget what you have read.
Thanks for the tips. I really want to stay fit young and healthy for a long time. I really got to cut those processed foods though.
Just one question. I have a high meat and very low carb diet. It actually helps me keep the weight off but I don’t feel energetic. Ive started buying the digestive enzymes here. They actually help with my digestion. I just wish I felt more energetic.
Im worries that if I change to more plant based and carb rich diet that I might put on the KGs.
Hi Phoebe
I’m so glad you have enjoyed reading my info and it has got you thinking.
Just a quick fact… the American Institute for Cancer Research recommends to consume no more than 3 portions of red meat per week and advise not to eat any processed meat. You can visit their site wcrf.org where they clearly state that the evidence on processed meat and cancer are clear cut. Look, I’m from Australia… we have ‘eat more meat’ campaigns by the Australian government but they clearly say ‘three portions per week’. Just for health purposes transitioning to plant based and the recommendations on my posts will do you a lot of good. Our government always try to help our primary industries but they are obliged to put a disclaimer in. When people see the ads on TV, they hear ‘eat more lean meat’ and don’t realise that 3 portions out of 21 per weeks is very little.
When I cut out meat, I didn’t miss it. I was too focused on improving my health. I hope all goes well for you. Keep us posted.
Natalie 🙂
Hey Phoebe,
Im Jack. Ive been following these posts and they’re in line with most of my research in dietary health. There are junk carbs and good or clean carbs. I’m not sure you realise this but you need carbs to break down into sugars, in particular glucose. This is what fuels your body. The reason why you feel crap is because it takes energy to digest your loads of meat. The energy transfer between what you eat and what your body needs in unbalanced. Theres not much to turn into glucose directly from what you are eating. Not directly anyway. Thats the reason why you can lose loads of weight. Your body compensates by breaking down fats and proteins from your own cells to fuel you. I call clean carbs pretty much unprocessed plant base carbs such as bananas, dates, mangos and pretty much any sweet raw fruit. They’re easily digestible and usable fuel. Our metabolism is very complex. I’m just putting stuff fairy plainly and crudely. If you eat these raw plant based carbs without mixing any other foods, they digest nicely and what you don’t convert will likely come out the other end. Cooked foods of all kinds including carb high foods can sometimes play havoc with our metabolism, especially additives in processed foods which aren’t recognised as “food”. These can be wrapped up in a fat cell and sent to our skin or fat reserves as a way of protecting us. Hope this helps.
As a personal trainer working with an older demographic of 50-80 I love your list of recommendations! I find that the nutrition is the most difficult part of the equation for most folks. The processed foods tend to make people addicted to sugar and salt. Older folks are also struggling with metabolic and hormonal changes associated with aging especially woman. I get them lifting with compound, multi-joint movements that emphasize full range-of-motion and intensity. This is a great way to combat the hormonal changes occurring and amps the metabolism by creating new mitochondria. Also this kind of training contributes to the quality of sleep which is so essential for regeneration. Good food for thought!
Hi Stacy
Thank you so much for your feedback. It sounds like you know what I’m talking about.
I appreciate your support
Natalie 🙂
What a good site. Can I ask how much raw food/fruit you need to eat to make you look 20 years younger?
Hey David,
Ha Ha Ha, bathe in it!!!!
Thanks for the comment
Natalie 🙂
I really like your steps for anti-aging. I wish I ate more fruit every once in a while I eat an apple and peanut butter for breakfast but I feel I could always eat more. I drink water during but nowhere near a liter a day I feel that maybe adding fruit to flavor it would add more flavor and benefits to the water. I also feel that I should get more sleep and exercise and avoid more proceeded food.
Hi Delina,
Thank you so much for your feedback and comments. Any improvements are worth it and when you see the benefits you will want to improve even more.
All the best
Natalie 🙂
Great tips. Even though I don’t have a problem with drinking water, it does getting boring after a while, so I’m always looking for ways to make it more exciting.
Hi Jocelyn
Try the lemon water. I bet you’ll love it!
Thanks for your comment
Natalie 🙂
Great article! Everyone needs to read it. I especially appreciated the mention of using a trampoline and why it’s such a good thing to do for your body. I knew it was healthy, but never new exactly why.
Hi Manuela (lovely name),
Thank you for your feedback. Not many people are aware of the benefits of rebounding and how low impact it can be yet still is so effective for our bodies.
Let me know if you try it!
Natalie 🙂
I am trying to do all the things you have written in your article. I have been drinking a lot of water and trying to eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible. In regards to exercise, I still have to work on that but will get there. Thank you for this article.
Hi Sharon,
That’s great to hear. Keep it up!
Thanks for your comment
Natalie 🙂
I love this. Such simple rules to keep our mind and body young. I really need to work on moving my body more and ensuring I drink a lot more water (which explains a lot about how I feel when I neglect my body). Such a wealth of knowledge. Thank you. It makes very good sense to to stay away from processed foods ( we really don’t know what’s in them) Can’t wait to read more of your posts.