Everything you want to know about aging (and how to delay it) in one place
This past weekend was a literal wash… Thanks to basically non-stop rain and frigid-for-Florida temperatures, our jam-packed schedule of lacrosse, football and endurance training was suddenly clear—and too much Fortnite and an outing to The Melting Pot (my stomach still hurts) took their place, and I used this “bonus” time to catch up on This Is Us, magazines and other reading. On my list has been Age Later: Look Seven Years Younger in Just Seven Weeks by Dr. Marc A. Ronert, since I’m never one to turn down some extra knowledge, pointers or just essential reminders about what’s really going on inside my body (in addition to the changes in my skin).
Consider this your manual for fighting the effects of aging—because in addition to what you should and should not be doing to look and feel your best, Dr. Ronert explains how the aging process affects every part of your body (down to the cellular level). From breaking down cellular changes (your cells’ mitochondria need love!) and advice on how to change the habits that accelerate the aging process to specific tips for taking care of your skin as well as optimizing your diet and fitness, this is a must-read for establishing an overall anti-aging lifestyle that can have a major impact on your overall wellness (and appearance, if that’s your main goal).
Seriously, I spend a lot of time on Google Scholar searching for studies that back the info I include in my writing (especially for my corporate clients—although I won’t ever promote anything that isn’t supported by science here), and this book relies on legitimate scientific evidence about the aging process (knowledge is power!), diet and exercise that trumps all of the trending buzz about paleo, keto, intermittent fasting and the like. If you want no-nonsense info about what’s good, what’s bad and how to make changes in your day-to-day life, this book is for you.
Even more, this is not a read-once-and-done situation. In addition to must-know info about the underlying factors that are part of the natural aging process, it’s filled with tips and tricks for tipping the scales to your advantage, whether through skincare, diet, fitness or mindfulness—and you can prioritize the approaches that work best for you (and potentially progress to the areas that might not be front of mind right now).
For me, a major stand-out was the information about stress and the effects it has on both how we feel and how we look. If you feel stressed more often than not, it’s likely affecting your blood pressure and circulation, which can lower the amount of oxygen each and every cell in your body gets. This is no bueno for your muscles, organs, brain, immune system, skin and basically every other part of your body—so it’s no wonder you feel fatigued and irritable.
We all age differently, which means we all have a different experience. They key to fighting aging both inside and out is understanding what’s going on—and actively taking steps to minimize its effects. Not sure where to start? This book can certainly help.
