The promise is beautiful. But far from being unreal. An agile brain, a well-chosen diet, a forward-looking mind … this is what we need to stay young (and appear) for a long time.
1/5 Turn to action
We must place ourselves in the “do” rather than give in to dark and anesthetic thoughts: “I am old, no one will hire me”, “I no longer seduce”, “I am 45 years old, tomorrow is retirement ”, so many weapons of massive self-destruction.
“We have to escape it through action,” says Bernard Anselem, doctor with a master’s degree in neuropsychology and a Science of happiness certificate from the University of Berkeley (USA), to act does us good! When attention is captured by action in the present, regrets or dark prophecies are kept at bay.
” Gardening, swimming, watching a TV series are as beneficial as going around the world or taking part in the Paris marathon, says the author of “Je ruminine, tu ruminines, nos ruminons” (Eyrolles). “We have to choose an activity that we like to fuel the brain’s reward circuits,” he adds. And release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that acts on mood, memory, sleep … and pleasure, of course!
2 / 5 Live a creative life make you young
“A stimulating environment improves brain activity in a concrete way, the cortex thickens and new nerve cells are formed,” said Kaja Nordengen, a neurology specialist in Norway.
The brain indeed needs to be nourished by beautiful and new things to continue to perform:
go to see an exhibition, leaf through an art book, debate with (benevolent) opponents, commit to a cause that fascinates us. , always pushing your curiosity further … so many stimuli that slow down premature aging.
Nothing to do with the frenzied overactivity in which we sometimes lock ourselves: answering an email with the left hand by making a phone call and signing the book of homework with the right hand, that’s all, except productive. “The brain can only do one thing at a time, the prefrontal cortex cannot change its focus immediately, it can paralyze,” said Kaja Nordengen. Hence this impression of floating or space-time bug that sometimes hugs us … stay
3/5 Practice anti-wrinkle self-massage
“Acupressure is a natural, non-aggressive but powerful tool for rejuvenation,
” said Anne Cossé, a certified acupressure practitioner trained in reiki and shiatsu. The principle: by simple finger pressure on targeted areas of the face (forehead, eyeballs, temples, neck, chin, etc.), we decongest the tissues, relax the muscles, tone, eliminate toxins and relaunch the energy.
Each evening, press the palms of your hands on your temples, tilt your chin down, open your mouth, smile. Inhale and exhale deeply five times, put your hands on your thighs. Result: faded lines and dark circles and crow’s feet cleared in a few months, a few minutes a day. stay young
4/5 Stop oxidation of the skin, organs and brain
“We age because we oxidize,” says Juliette Pouyat-Leclère, doctor of science, specializing in nutrition and health, author of the Antioxidant Food Guide (Thierry Soucar Éditions). This “aging by oxidation” (or free radicals), a theory brought to light by research since the 1950s, causes massive damage to the body, the skin (brown spots are made up of debris from oxidized molecules) and cells brain.
How to fight against this oxidative decline? By increasing our consumption of antioxidants! “Particularly the most commonly found in food, polyphenols,” notes the researcher. Green tea, coffee, red wine, black grapes, red fruit, onion … are responsible for it. They are therefore preferred, without forgetting to consume fruits and vegetables for vitamins, but also vegetable oils, aromatic herbs, Brazil nuts, seeds (sunflower and squash), oysters and veal liver (if , yes!) rich in selenium and zinc, powerful trace elements against oxidative stress. Our body will thank us!
5/5 Fight gravity young
stay young ….. “Smiling makes you happy,” says Kaja Nordengen, author of My Superstar Brain (Eyrolles). The muscles in our face send signals to the brain that affect our mood, ”notes the doctor. Conversely, puckering the forehead is activating the tonsil, the center of anger and the skin in the brain. This is why Françoise Colombo, yoga teacher, offers to “smile from the forehead”. How? ‘Or’ What ? By simply imagining the skin on his forehead stretching towards the temples.
Relaxing and stunning, from the first try! In her book “The Art of Aging in Shape”, she also offers a “mental detox” made up of a host of very simple exercises, to get rid of overwhelming parasitic thoughts. An example ? To eliminate the word “fear”, write it in capital letters on a sheet of paper.
Take a good look at the word. Then erase the letter P. Close your eyes, visualize the word EUR. Then erase the R. Close your eyes again to mentally visualize the EU. Erase the U and look at the E. The next time you feel fear, close your eyes and mentally visualize this letter, which you will hum. Objective: vibrate your internal organs to achieve a state of relaxation.
“You can preserve your youthful capital by learning how to choose, preserve and prepare foods to benefit from their nutrients”, affirm nutritionists and dietitians Elisabeth Cerqueira and Marise Charron, who have brought together in a very beautiful book * 20 anti-aging superfoods , rich in omega 3, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and of course, antioxidants. The top 5 of an anti-aging shopping list:
garlic, to be eaten raw, once a day, chopped and mashed in a little olive oil. Avocado also, to eat twice a week as this fruit is full of good fats that improve the elasticity of the skin and fight against wrinkles. As for kale, packed with vitamins A and K, it contains twice as many antioxidants as other green leafy vegetables.
In the end abut the young
Serve three times a week as a salad, soup or smoothie. Another antioxidant food, to snack on as an aperitif this time: edamame, an Asian bean very protein with anti-wrinkle properties and whose many nutrients (magnesium, phosphorus …) strengthen the bones. What about dessert? Strawberries ! They fight against aging of the skin and the brain. When you know that eight strawberries contain more vitamin C than an orange, you don’t hesitate to chew them or mix them in a juice.