Have you made a decision to stay young and vibrant for as long as possible? Then read on. Below are some easy steps to longevity, youthful glow, and quality long years of life.

Daily Step 1

If you are using organic vegetables, make sure to save their vital water. After boiling or steaming, the water that is left is densely packed with nutrients. Save it and use in soups, smoothies, or just drink plain. The way these nutrients are extracted from the vegetables leaves them highly available to your system. If you are eating your vegetables raw (which is the optimal state), water them before eating. Much like you do when putting flowers in a vase, place the raw veggies in a vase or container with purified or filtered water. This will fill the cells of the vegetable full of water, and provide you with additional naturally filtered water when you eat the vegetable. And after the veggies are eaten, once again nutrient dense water is left over. These nutrients are not to be wasted. I drink a glass of ‘veggie water’ each morning along with a pinch of Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt. This opens the body’s absorption channels (allowing other nutrients that I eat as well as my whole food supplements to be readily used), gives the body needed minerals, and decreases histamine responses. It is important to be sure your vegetable water is from organic vegetables (otherwise you’ll just be drinking toxic chemicals) and that the pinch of salt comes after drinking the water.

Daily Step 2

For an even greater increase in the amount of nutrients you absorb and utilize from your food, remember that digestion starts with the mouth. The chewing action itself not only breaks down your food properly but it also stimulates acid production in the stomach. The typical American diet is wearing out the stomach and forcing it to be alkaline due to the processed foods, sugars, and over use of acid reducers. Enzyme activation in the mouth and small intestine needs to be stimulated and is key for proper digestion. Ensuring the right amount of acidity in the stomach to continue the break down process can be handled a few ways. If you are not seeing a natural health practitioner, the easiest and safest way is to use Raw Fermented Apple Cider Vinegar. Typically one tsp in the middle of each meal. Another key to proper digestion is to limit your fluid intake during meals. Drinking too much fluid during a meal will dilute the digestive juices rendering them incapable of doing a proper job. What does digestion have to do with longevity? If undigested food continually passes through the digestive tract, the immune system will mount mini attacks on a continual basis in order to eliminate proteins that have not been broken down completely. These undigested proteins leak through the gut lining into the blood stream causing aging factors to accelerate. Just like a household lightbulb that is left on all the time, the immune system and your body wear out much faster when constantly turned on.

Daily Step 3

Antioxidants are an important part of any regime especially with the amount of toxin we are exposed to on a daily basis. Foods, air, and even physical activity can increase bad free-radicals in our bodies. Protection from free radical damage (cellular destruction that can potentially cause strong carcinogenic factors) comes from the body’s ability to naturally detoxify itself. Taking good care of the detox organs is paramount to a youthful body. The main detox organs include kidneys, liver, lungs, skin, small and large Intestine, lymphatics and sinuses. Antioxidants are one of the best ways to combat the detrimental free radicals. Did you know that exercise itself can cause free radical damage? Working out at a higher level of intensity causes the body to detox at a more rapid rate causing more of the free radicals to be released from tissues into the blood to be handled by the liver. Don’t let that deter you from the benefits of exercise (as exercise will keep you young and vibrant as well), just insure you are supplementing with or eating enough antioxidants. My favorites include Spirulina (great in smoothies), whole food vitamin C (not ascorbic acid as found in many over the counter vitamin C molecules), OPC Synergy by Standard Process, Chlorella, Cod Liver Oil, berries, and Green Tea.

Daily Step 4

This step should actually be step 1 but I wanted to leave it for last so that hopefully it will stay fresh in your mind. STRESS! Stress is a healthy life’s worst enemy. Stress will age people faster than anything else. The studies indicate that 80% of all hospital visits can be related and traced back to stress. How do we reduce it (I say reduce because we actually do need some to be able to thrive)? There are obviously many ways but finding the way that works best for you is the key. Meditation, exercise, fishing, quitting your job, finding a new hobby, going on a trip, you get the idea. Most importantly though is to find time for just you. If you don’t take the time for yourself, your body will start to deteriorate and if you fall apart, who’s left to take care of all the people who are depending on you? Work on letting go of the little things, on striving for imperturbability. When you are able to let things that may have bothered you before bounce off of you, your true strength will shine through. Instead of negatively effecting yourself and those around you, your entire day, week, month, and even year can be turned around for the better. Just think of how productive you will be.

I urge you to find a regimen for a vibrant quality life that fits best for you. Remember to listen to your intuition, let your imagination guide your creativity, and you will realize the greatness you can accomplish and achieve while looking and feeling young at the same time. Find us at www.EducatingWellness.com for more great articles and recipes!