What Does It Mean to Age Gracefully?

My studies in biology during college taught me one thing… there are things around us that we can use continually to help age gracefully. I’m talking about the food we consume and the way they can help replenish our bodies with nutrients. As we age, healing and body function slows down. This was pretty evident in the way I never needed to use beauty products when I was 18, while I need to at least put lotion now or my skin will dry up during the day.

The body continually replenishes its cells, but a lot can make it difficult. Although cellular metabolism comes up with the energy we need to heal our cells and produce the necessary stuff to live, cell repair may slow down because of accumulation of unstable molecules called free radicals.

Fruits and vegetables have necessary antioxidants but these too could get lost with processing. However, there are some herbs that are rich enough in these compounds, and it doesn’t matter if they get processed. There are sufficient free radical fighting antioxidants in them. Free radicals may come from external sources l: cigarette smoke, radiation and the sun’s UV rays. Intense accumulation may lead to diseases, particularly cancer (many people are discussing treatments for Mesothelioma online right now.)

That said, the more free radicals we eliminate as we age, the greater the chance of aging gracefully and healthily. So, as a parent would tell her child… eat your fruits and vegetables.