The Real Fountain of Youth

The anti-aging industry is one of the fastest growing in the country.  Lotions, potions, pills and injections generate 80 billion dollars a year in the U.S alone, and that number is expected to rise to 115 billion over the next 3 years.  Americans are OBSESSED with beating the clock.  We will give a doctor, or some elusive online pharmacy our hard-earned money.  We will have painful and sometimes dangerous procedures done, and we will put weird substances on and in our bodies.  But the idea that the fountain of youth is in our kitchens is just too crazy to wrap our minds around. I’m just as guilty as the next girl of wanting to try the next big breakthrough.  My medicine cabinet is chock full of magical bottles that will keep my skin as smooth as the day I was born.  I take supplements to enhance my overall health and performance, and avidly believe that they do just that.  But the truth is that the only thing proven to really postpone the aging process is….drum roll…eat right, and exercise. Over the last few years human growth hormone has been a buzz topic.  There’s a doc-in-the box on every corner just waiting to write a prescription, to the tune of $400-1300.00 per month!!!!  While short-term studies do suggest an increase in lean muscle mass from added HGH, there are always risks when introducing a foreign substance into the body.  The benefits to HGH typically cap at 24 months, and long-term use can result in diabetes, muscle disease, kidney and liver problems and death.  Want a safe, free way to reap the benefits of HGH?  Lift heavy weights.  Heavy training loads result in an increase of serum testosterone and human growth hormone production.  You get all the benefits safely and organically; you just have to work for them. For the external organs, no cream, filler or peel can do what a healthy diet can.  The best ingredients for youthful skin are antioxidants and healthy fats.  In my opinion the best investment you can make in your skin is to buy a juicer.  Juicing fruits and vegetables allows you to consume more, in liquid form, than you could ever physically eat.   Also, because you’re consuming them raw, you get the full potency of the nutrients.  If juicing is not your thing, aim to eat at least 4 servings of raw produce every day.  The brighter they are, the more age defying antioxidants they contain.  Make sure to include a wide array of omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids to really have your skin glowing.  These wonder fats act like fillers from the inside, increasing collagen production and plumping up the skin around those pesky fine lines.  The third factor is proper hydration.  Dehydrated skin doesn’t have moisture to fill in , so every etch on your face is visible when you’re lacking H20. I’m not saying to ditch your creams or supplements, but the basics of nutrition will do more, in terms of anti aging, than anything you can buy.  Like grandmothers have been saying since the beginning of time, beauty really is on the inside.   Erin stays busy pursuing her own fitness goals, and helping to educate and inspire those she loves to live healthier lives.  A hair stylist by trade, she manages a salon, and is chipping away at a degree, ultimately in dietetics and kinesiology.  She lives in South Florida with her husband and a “pound puppy” named Pedro.