Health and slowing the age process

So, I'm about to hit 30, which I'm extremely unhappy about as I feel more like 20 (do we all say that?) and suddenly I start having thoughts of how I will age from now on? I feel like 30 is a good number to start taking things a bit more seriously healthwise.
I started thinking about my diet, which if I am 100% honest I follow for weight loss and maintenance, never really been fully about health, but I think this needs to change.

I currently follow low carb, helps with my weight, keeps my stomach problems to a minimum, and dumbs down my addictive personality to acceptable levels, I really do enjoy the diet, I cheat from time to time, but that's not really a problem. I'm starting to question what this diet can offer me long term?

Now, I'm also thinking about slowing the aging process, and being healthier just in general, I'm left wondering what other people do, what diets do you follow, what problems do you have? how do you cope? do you have tips you wish to share? how do you keep your skin looking youthful? I'd like to hear what you do that you think works for you, share your insight and tips!

Thank you

a reply to: valiant

I am turning 37, and I was diagnosed with a chronic degenerative illness called Behcet's in the beginning of 2012. It was wearing me down for years prior and I was looking very hagard. I found out that that pretty much every plant that we are told is a weed is really good for you. Stinging nettle, Mullen, dandelions, milk weed thistle, and many more. Research all plants and seeds before consumption. It is you taking control of yourself. Never eat a plant you are unsure of. Oh and don't forget about plantain. But do not use it if you have been diagnosed with cancer because it is a form of growth excelerant. It can heal wounds such as scrapes, warts and much more. You can make it into a topical poultace by chewing it, your saliva is OK for your own skin. Eating the insides of aloe vera (fresh) is very good for you, but don't eat the green outer layer or you will get the squirts. Certain plant oils are great for your skin such as olive oil, but there are others you can use as well. It helps your skin stay smooth and less wrinkley. Oil breaks down oil, but never use rancid oil, it can make you I'll. Also consume oils such as olive oil, when cooking with oils, olive is for low temperatures and coconut is good for high temperature. Cont..

It's simple, really:

Eat whole unprocessed, unpackaged foods
Avoid refined sugar, alcohol and smoking
Use sunscreen
Exercise regularly, 3-5x per week -- really break a sweat
Forgive people, including yourself

People tell me all the time how young & great I look, and shhh -- I'm old enough to be your mother.

a reply to: Fireflysky

Aloe is also good for your face and skin, always have several in your house. They heal burned skin super quick. Sun burn or oven burns. It is when the oxygen hits the burned flesh that makes scars and great pain, submerging in ice water also helps. Stinging nettle tea is a mild relaxer and helps you to not wake in the middle of the night to go pee, you can hold it without feeling the bladder pressure. Milk seed thistle seeds are good for cleaning your liver. I am not a doctor, I just like to share what I have learned. Please do not take my word, but research for yourself. Check out mayeux ministries this chick is awesome. Wise woman tradition is a good one as well. Dr Christopher's legacy is good. There are many sources, educate yourself and share it with friends and family. Oh and check out chaga tea as well. Cont..

a reply to: valiant

I wish you well in your journey, if you start to look into all these plants I think you will be amazed, it is a kind of addiction to learn about nature and what it has to offer. I wish I have known from the start. As for sunscreen, I personally avoid the the stuff even though I like to be outside, there are times of the day when you shouldn't be in the sun, think of siesta, be out of the noon day sun unless you are protected with a good wide brimmed light coloured hat and a water mister bottle to keep cool, also stay in the shade if possible. Avoid all processed prepackaged foods and grow a garden if possible. If I think of anything else I post later. And again, I am not a doctor, I can only suggest you look into all this since you were curious. Peace to you and love every day.

Check out the Auto Immune Protocol, it's a stricter version of paleo. I recommend it because I never felt better than while on it and when I went off I could tell a huge difference in the way my body felt and functioned. I am much more In tune with my body now, and can read it better as to what works with me and what doesn't . I plan on resuming in the near future, because I feel really crummy since returning to the "normal" eating habits (fried Oreos haha).

That being said, whatever your body feels best doing and functions best on, that is what you should do. The body is an amazing thing and varies so much from person to person.

Maybe, aging, is just a disease that someday, can be cured! Thanks, for posting!I've forgotten all about this topic!

Aubrey de Grey, molecular biologist and author of End of Aging Cambridge University researcher Aubrey de Grey argues that aging is merely a disease — and a curable one at that. Humans age in seven basic ways, he says, all of which can be averted.. De Grey is 46 years old, going on 1,000. He says old age is optional and why any rational being would choose it, is nuts. But others think de Grey is the one who’s “nuts”. Even so, no one has been able to show that de Grey does not have plausible scientific theory on his side. His well-thought argument that some people alive today could live in a robust and youthful state for 1,000 years is theoretically possible.

Back in 2005, the MIT Technology Review offered $20,000 to any molecular biologist who could demonstrate that de Grey's plan for treating aging as a disease and curing it was "so wrong that it was unworthy of learned debate."

The judges for the MIT Technology Review challenge prize were accomplished, respected, and highly intelligent scientists including Rodney Brooks, then director of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory; Nathan Myhrvold, former chief technology officer of Microsoft; and J. Craig Venter, who shares credit for first sequencing the human genome. What they found was that no one could punch any serious holes in de Grey’s unconventional ideas.

"In our judgment none of the 'refutations' succeeded," Myhrvold noted. "It was a bit ironic because they were mostly the work of established scientists in mainstream gerontology who sought to brand de Grey as 'unscientific”, but the supposed refutations were themselves unscientific.
Source
Just a thought.

a reply to: valiant

Oh, many flowers are edible as well, research. Pumpkin flowers are delicious mmm. Also look into sun flowers, not ornamental though. I read that you could steam the leaves and eat them and it is pure energy, but again, please don't take my word for it, research for yourself. Peace.

a reply to: valiant

Oh and slippery elm bark, look into that as well, plus tapping trees for SAP to drink such as maple and birch. Oh and research edible pollin. Natives use to make bannock out of pollin not flour. Pollin is pure protein. But research. Some plants have can effect hormones, like flax seed is high in estrogen so if you should avoid it unless you want to cry at the drop of a hat. Research everything.

I'm in my late 40's, tall, and I had virtually no energy. I'd get winded just walking up a flight of stairs. Also, being out of shape I kept feeling and telling myself that I felt fat and old. You definitely have to have a healthy attitude because you can talk yourself into an unhealthy state. At one point I was up to 245 lbs which was taking a toll on my joints, particularly my knees, my skin was dull, and I was losing hair. I decided to do something about it because I wanted to feel healthy again, have energy to do things I wanted and, enjoy life. So, I got a personal trainer, started to get exercise and develop my cardio fitness, first in the gym, then running outside in my neighborhood and hiking in the mountains. Zero to half marathon in 6 months, that is my goal! I’m up to 9.5 mi now. The key is to start, progress will come, have faith. Next, I took a hard look at my diet and started eating clean. This meant no processed foods, no fast food (not even Chic -fil-a) and I eliminated all soft and sports drinks -sooo much sugar in those. I would have weak moments when I got home from work and would stand in front of the fridge or pantry at times wondering what to snack on. I’d sit down in front of the TV with ice cream, chips, etc. No Longer! So, I started doing meal prep on Sunday evenings and prepared individual lunch and dinner meals for the week. This way I always had a healthy alternative ready when I felt hungry or wanted to reach for an unhealthy food choice. These days I don’t keep chips, ice cream or candy in the house, I have a wide selection of fresh fruit and vegetables available. I do however still enjoy a good beer from time to time. What also helped me was getting an exercise partner to accompany me on my journey to a healthy lifestyle, she wanted to get in shape too. We run every morning and it helps to have the obligation of someone expecting you to be somewhere to keep you motivated and you can share in each other’s success and support one another, it helps you maintain the momentum. So far, I've lost 27 lbs and 4" around my waist since early May 2015. I sleep better, have more energy and feel younger than my age. My trainer said metabolically, I was in my late 50’s when I started. With my new lifestyle I get younger (metabolically) every month. Cheers!

a reply to: valiant

Please also be aware that some plants are high in alkaloids which can build up in your body,and they can make you ill so always research from multiple sources.

a reply to: Fireflysky

I'm sorry about your condition, hope you're giving it hell though!

Something I should have said in the OP, I'm a bit weird with food, always have been, I never tried pasta till I was 16, and it made me gip when I first ate it, Bananas make me throw up, and i've never eaten a strawberry before, so yeah am a bit weird with food. I think there's about three vegetables that I will actually eat, this is something I need to address, i've tried before and failed. but thank you for this advice.

I never knew oils were good for skin? thought the opposite. I cook in butter almost exclusively (ok for low carb etc) my ex was all about the coconut oil so I know the effects of that stuff, the best thing that helps my skin right now is just drinking a ton of water, makes it soft and a bit of a glow, the best my skin ever looks is when I do a water fast, pretty incredible.

a reply to: graceunderpressure

Yeah I agree on the basics, I just want to learn about tweaks and hacks people use, or specific diets that differ from the norm.

You got me when you said forgive people, including yourself. This makes so much sense to me, not gonna write personal stuff on here but, a healthy mind and outlook are certainly a key element that I think needs attention.


Love your avatar btw

a reply to: chelsdh

I will check that out, I used to do paleo, just was expensive and I gifted myself too many potatoes ( potato addict here, i'd inject them if that was the only way lol).

Clarity of mind is a very important thing, that's another reason I like low carb, when you are deep into ketosis, your mind is just incredibly clear, it's hard to describe what I mean, you have to experience it, but I know what you mean about getting back into 'normal' routine again, the indulgence is great but the after effects .... *sigh* just crappy!

You made me grab some oreos last week, they're my favourite cookie and after our conversation I just couldn't stop myself, it was carb day though so I didn't feel too guilty, drank way too much pineapple juice that day though, one thing I constantly crave on low carb, fruit juice.

Don't forget the video before you go back into health mode!

a reply to: C21H30O2I

Thanks for this, very interesting indeed, this is something I'm gonna read more on

a reply to: gunaire

Really really pleased for you fella, I shared some of those bad habits, still do on occasion, like I've said , weird history when it comes to food, personal and awkward to talk about though.
I'm rooting for you, hope you reach your goals and keep your healthy lifestyle up!

a reply to: valiant
I have a long history of exercising... I used to ride my bicycle all over the neighborhood. I think being a very, very active kid helped a lot. I would let my frustration out by sprinting on the street at night, now my exercise consists only of stretching and kneading. My metabolism is through the roof. As a matter of fact, im 5'10 and one was at 140, recently been at 117, and even more recently discovered that I have gone down to 109.

I would recommend that you eat a diet rich in whole foods. Black beans, Kidney beans, tree nuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, lentils, grass fed/ pasture raised meat, the best thing you can do is know where your food comes from and know that it is clean. Drink green tea.

a reply to: Mousygretchen

I hope this doesn't offend you, but damn that is skinny especially for your height.

I try to keep it as whole as possible right now, have done for years. can't stomach green tea though

a reply to: valiant
That's perfectly understandable, its an acquired taste.

And yes I am underweight and need to gain about 40 pounds. My doctor and everyone else agrees.

a reply to: valiant
Oh btw, I don't want to see you putting yourself down about your weight or anything anymore. I've seen you point out your own flaws in the past and it is marginally upsetting to me.