The Fight Against Aging: What We Could All Learn From The Italians
The Italian people are looked upon as some of the most beautiful, or indeed handsome for the males, people in the world. Their gloriously shiny dark locks are envied, their clear complexions sought after, and their line-free faces the quest of many all around the world. Let’s face facts though; the Italian people are not genetically lucky as such. Their complexions, healthy glow and general happiness can be attributed to certain elements of their lifestyle, the very elements that are missing from the majority of people living elsewhere. There is no miracle, just a few sensible guidelines that we can all follow by taking a; leaf out of the Italians’ book.
First of all, healthy eating is a major element of the Italian lifestyle. So you get various pasta dishes with rich creamy sauces, but that does not detract from the fact that their main diet consists of fresh food such as fish, vegetables, ripe juicy fruits, olive oil and cheese. Whilst the latter two may be riddled with fat, olive oil contains so called good fats that the body needs to thrive and cheese is a good source of protein as long as it is eaten in moderation. In short, all of the above provide a great balance of all of the vitamins and minerals that the body needs to thrive. The good complexion owes a lot to that.
In terms of aging, the diet Italians eat can stave off the aging process because the nutrients that it provides keeps the skin supple, thus removing the possibility of getting wrinkles, and the natural ingredients mean that very few pollutants and chemicals get into their systems. Those chemical and pollutants tend to attack cells inside the body and can cause degradation and damage. This in turn would cause aging when our outer appearances begin to reflect the inner attack that our body is under.
The sun also contributes to aging if you read all of the beauty magazines on the shelves now but Italians tend to protect their skin more diligently than we do because it is so much stronger there than at home. They also tend to spend less time in direct sunlight and hydrate religiously. As a result, their skin receives the benefit of the sun without suffering the lasting effects.
The relaxed way of life is another aspect of Italian life that we could all learn a little from. The Italians are so laid back and take life in their stride. Most tend to take the attitude that whatever happens to them happens and they will deal with it as it comes. The elevated pace of life that many Western countries experience has no place in Italy and the majority do not feel the stresses and strains of daily life as a result.
You may well ask how does this stave off the effects of aging? Well, the facial features tend to age more quickly if an individual has had a more stressful life. Laughter lines and wrinkles will emerge unconsciously if we are stressed because our features tend to mirror the way we feel inside. If an individual rarely experiences stress then he or she is likely to age far less quickly than someone who feels the pressure and stress present in most Western working and living environments today.
Also, if an individual does not feel stressed then he or she is more likely to sleep well than someone that does. Eight hours of sleep a night gives the body time to recharge its batteries and can help slow the aging process. If you are not getting your requisite eights hours of sleep a night then you will begin to age, usually beginning with the area under your eyes that tends to become puffy as it retains fluid.
In short, we can learn a lot from the Italians. The way of life is much slower, the food much more healthy and the attitude in general far better than those living in the US, UK and other similar areas. Whilst this does improve general health dramatically, it can also help to slow down or even halt the aging process with no need for the expensive creams in store that may or may not work, regardless of how expensive they are. Instead of taking your chances with lotions and potions that profess to perform miracles, why not do something good for your body and take a leaf out of the Italians’ book?