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You may not be able to fool Mother Nature, but you can certainly learn her trade secrets to beauty and longevity. Health experts agree that a well-rested, fit and fueled body will withstand the test of time. So rediscover youth with the tips offered here.

Get proper rest. Most people require about 8 hours of sleep a night, but few get it. The haunting truth is that those who don't may be hacking years off their life. "People who sleep better, live longer," says Dr. Alex Clerk, director of the Sleep Disorder Center at Stanford University. Regular exercise and avoiding stimulants, such as coffee, close to bedtime can lead to a more restful night, he says.

Get physical. An exercise routine, which includes aerobics, walking or other fitness activities, can make you feel and look better. It can also improve your posture and ward off osteoporosis.

Eat early (to boost your metabolism), eat often (to curb cravings) and eat a healthy balance of carbohydrates and proteins. "You can't be young and beautiful without getting proteins balanced with carbohydrates evenly spread throughout the day," says nutritionist Pamela Smith. "Proteins are what let us have beautiful skin, strong nails, shiny hair and clear eyes." A healthy diet should also be chock full of fresh fruits and brightly colored vegetables, which are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants (said to slow the aging process.)

Drink eight glasses of water daily. "Water provides people with smooth, resilient skin that has definition," nutritionist Smith adds.

Avoid constant stress. We function, in part, due to stress. But when stress is constant and unrelenting, it reacts negatively on the immune system, making the body vulnerable to disease and "we tend to age more quickly," says Michele Madison of the Mind/Body Institute in Chicago. The goal, she says, isn't to avoid stress, but to learn better ways of managing it.

Slow down, meditate and relax. Once or twice a day, find a quiet, out-of-the-way place to sit still and just focus on breathing. "Not only does [meditation] help to give a calmer beginning to the day, it also helps to ease us into a more restful evening," says Madison. It also helps to slow down the autonomic nervous system.

Release your emotions with a good laugh or good cry. Physiologically, both actions release chemicals in the brain that create a sense of well-being and act as a cathartic, or cleansing, mechanism in the body.

Pamper yourself. Get a new hairdo or a new haircut. Buy a new dress or shirt. Better yet, enjoy a relaxing and refreshing soak in the bathtub.

Pamper your skin. Youthful-looking skin begins with the basics. So keep it clean, moisturized and out of the sun because even though darker skin has natural sun screening capabilities, excessive exposure to the rays can lead to wrinkling and premature aging. "As people spend more time in outdoor recreational activities, we're probably going to see more damage related to sun exposure," notes dermatologist Denise M. Buntin of Nashville.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:28 AM