But here's the thing: You can steal back the youthful qualities you're nostalgic for. All you need is 8 weeks.
Research shows that you can turn back the clock by making a few science-backed changes to your diet and daily habits. One key has to do with telomeres—bundles of DNA that cap chromosomes. The longer your telomeres, the less likely you may be to develop conditions like cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, dementia, and many cancers. Telomeres naturally shrink with age, but studies have shown that it's possible to curtail the process and even lengthen your telomeres by making diet and other lifestyle changes.
Another huge factor is inflammation: It's the common denominator in diseases such as arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer's. Aging is associated with increased inflammation, but as with telomere length, certain lifestyle habits can help prevent and even reverse the inflammation that leads to premature decline and disease. (This handy chart shows exactly what inflammation's doing to you.)
The best news about all the new research? It suggests that it takes only 2 months to lower inflammation, lengthen telomeres, feel more energized, and improve your odds of living a long, healthy life. We recently put 21 women on a plan designed to do just that. After 8 weeks, these women lost an average of 10 pounds, lowered their total cholesterol by up to 39 points and their blood sugar by as much as 14 points, boosted their energy, and saw younger-looking skin.
Pretty amazing, right? And you can do it, too. Start with the tips below, adapted from the new book Younger in 8 Weeks by the editors of Prevention. Then check out Younger in 8 Weeks to get a copy of the full plan.
1. Eat Clean and Green
Eating clean bolsters gut health, triggers better fat burn, and gives your cells the nutrients they need to fight inflammation. Here's how to do it.
Fill your plate with plants.
A plant-based diet is rich in inflammation-fighting antioxidants. When combined with other lifestyle changes, like exercise and not smoking, this way of eating has been shown to lengthen telomeres, according to Harvard research. "Compared with a meat-centered diet, plant-based eating offers far more fiber and antioxidants," says Andie Bernard Schwartz, a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer based in Pine Hill, NJ.
Kate Pelham-Hambly, Age 41
Photograph by Ari Michelson
Increased energy level 23%
Lowered high blood pressure
Eliminated migraines
Boosted confidence 17%
"I finally learned to love veggies."
Usually it's the kids in the household who complain about having to eat their vegetables. But in Kate Pelham-Hambly's home, she was the veggie hater.
Fast-forward a few weeks, and Kate is eating an entire head of broccoli. What changed? One of her fellow test panelists suggested that she roast her veggies. "I liked how the broccoli became kind of crispy," she says. "It transformed the flavor."
Kate now does most of her shopping in the produce and natural food sections, skipping the soda and junk food aisles. And her ordinarily picky family isn't complaining.
Instead of red meat, they now eat mostly turkey or chicken. The family's go-to pasta is whole grain, and rice is either brown or wild. In place of chips, everyone snacks on roasted chickpeas, steamed edamame, low-fat mozzarella sticks, almonds, apples, or clementines. "My 13-year-old daughter has taken to looking up clean-eating recipes on Pinterest," she says.
Kate is feeling the payoff, too. She no longer mindlessly eats in front of the TV, in the car, or standing over the sink. "I really focus on the food and savor it," she says. "When I slow down, I eat less."
And that's not all. "I feel like I've been given the code to healthy living," she adds. "I'm shopping, cooking, and eating with the knowledge of what is good for my body and why. I'm consistently exercising 5 or 6 days a week. So many other programs seem like finite plans—'30 days to a better you.' This one teaches you what you need to live your life in the healthiest way possible."
Go organic.
A major analysis published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that switching to organic fruits, vegetables, and cereals can increase your intake of telomere-lengthening antioxidants by 20% to 40% over eating conventionally raised foods.
Ax added sugars.
Excess sugar is linked to many age-related conditions, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease. (Here are 7 things that happen when you stop eating sugar.) Sugary drinks in particular have been implicated in cell aging: People who drank more soda had shorter telomeres, according to a study from the University of California, San Francisco.
Power your gut.
Do you like creamy Greek yogurt? So does the colony of bacteria that lives in your intestinal tract, known as the gut microbiota. This microscopic universe plays a crucial role in overall health, enabling your digestive system to perform at its peak while boosting immune function and helping your metabolism fire properly. Plain yogurt is one of the best food sources; you'll also find probiotics in tempeh and sauerkraut.
Lisa Boland, Age 50
Photograph by Ari Michelson
Eliminated joint pain
Lowered borderline-high blood pressure 15 points
Improved sleep
Reduced skin blemishes and fine lines
"Now I exercise instead of eating when I'm stressed."
Lisa Boland is lucky to be alive. In January 2012, she faced not just one but two life-threatening health crises—a heart attack and a perforated colon—within 9 days of each other. During the long recovery, she gained 40 pounds. That may seem like a small price to pay, but this mom of a 12-year-old boy was feeling the effects of her excess weight—fatigue, joint pain, trouble sleeping—and she knew that things would only get worse. "The clock is ticking, and I need to make changes now," she said before starting the Younger in 8 Weeks plan.
Her biggest change was taking control of stress eating. "I'd reach for sweets or salty snacks whenever my stress level was high," says Lisa, who works full-time as an administrative assistant and has a jewelry design business on the side. "The junk food would make me feel better briefly, but then I'd feel guilty and end up feeling worse than before."
To her surprise, the antidote was to up her activity level. "Instead of eating when I'm overwhelmed, I exercise. Sometimes it's a brisk walk, sometimes strength training or even yoga. Afterward, my head is clear and I'm reenergized to tackle the problem at hand."
Every healthy choice Lisa made increased her confidence to make more healthy choices—even during crunch times. The result: She lost weight, lowered her blood pressure 15 points, and feels great.
Now she's ready for new adventures. When her son suggested they go geocaching (a high-tech scavenger hunt), she was game. "I discovered how much I missed being out in nature. Now I love hiking. And, more importantly, I have the energy to do it."
2. Move for More Energy and Strength
Research has found that regular exercisers have telomeres as long as those of sedentary people 10 years younger. Working out also reduces inflammation, says Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon and healthy-aging expert.
Start the day with a stretch.
Regularly doing flexibility exercises can combat tension and achy joints.
Do less instead of more.
Interval training—alternating between short bouts of high- and low-intensity activity—burns fat more efficiently than exercising for longer at a steady pace. You can do intervals with any type of cardio, like walking or biking.
Don't skip strength training.
Lifting weights and doing resistance exercise not only firms muscles and strengthens bones but also boosts mood and self-confidence.
Sandy Franklin, Age 55
Photograph by Ari Michelson
No more joint pain
Thicker hair
Fewer and less noticeable crow's-feet
Sharper memory
"I got my glow back."
Sandy Franklin is a new grandmother, but lately people have been mistaking her and her daughter for sisters. Before Sandy started the program, that wouldn't have happened.
After eating her way through menopause and gaining 50 pounds, she threw in the towel. "Once you see the wrinkles and weight gain, it's easy to say, 'Why bother?'" Meanwhile, this former avid runner and skier could no longer enjoy those activities because of chronic knee pain.
With her first grandchild on the way, Sandy was inspired to become a role model. She started making healthy meals and getting more protein from tofu and tempeh instead of meat. The pounds started melting off, and her energy level soared. "I'm now eating to live long rather than living to eat long," she says.
The extra energy came in handy when she hopped back on her bike, an activity she can now do without knee pain. "I forgot how good those endorphins feel!" she says. Sandy even uses her bike time to pray and meditate. "It sets the tone for my day."
3. Engage to Live Better and Longer
Adults who are open to new experiences and able to take life as it comes tend to live longer, healthier, happier lives. Relationships matter, too: Research has linked low levels of social support to shorter telomeres.
Strengthen your connections.
In one meta-analysis, researchers looked at data from 148 previous studies that compared people's social habits with their health records over a period of more than 7 years. What they found: Compared with weak social ties, strong connections boosted odds of survival by 50%.
Help yourself by helping others.
A meta-analysis of adults over age 55 found that regular volunteers were 24% less likely than others to die over the course of the study. Feeling useful may cause your brain to make more oxytocin and progesterone, which help curb stress and reduce inflammation.
Think of meditation as medicine.
Taking time to reflect regularly can reduce blood pressure; boost immunity; lower stress; and ease insomnia, compulsive eating, and depression.
Sip this for younger skin
Photograph by Ina Peters/Westend61/Shutterstock
Getting plenty of beta-carotene can make skin look more radiant from the inside out, says dermatologist Jeannette Graf. (Research shows that 15 mg a day gives you a golden glow.) This smoothie serves two and packs 6 mg of beta-carotene into less than 100 calories. (Here are more smoothie recipes for glowing skin.)
1 c chopped kale
2 lg kiwifruit, peeled and chopped
½ c orange or tangerine juice
½ c chopped cilantro
1 rib celery, chopped
¼ c ice
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
NUTRITION (per serving) 92 cal, 3 g pro, 21 g carb, 3 g fiber, 12 g sugars, 1 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 36 mg sodium
4. Glow Inside and Out
Following the right skin care routine can help restore fullness and luster to your skin in just a few weeks.
Use an antioxidant serum.
Antioxidants fight free radicals, rogue molecules that are like kryptonite to your skin. "They damage DNA," says Jeannette Graf, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Make moisture your BFF.
Moisturizers trap water, helping to reduce the appearance of lines and give you brighter, more youthful skin. Graf likes products with hyaluronic acid and/or glycerin, both of which are "moisture magnets" that plump up parched skin.
Wear the right sunscreen every single day.
A broad-spectrum lotion, which protects against UVA and UVB rays, is the cornerstone of any youthful skin strategy. But SPF tells you only about UVB protection, so make sure to check the package for UVA-blocking ingredients such as avobenzone, ecamsule, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide.
Kathy McCarthy, Age 57
Photograph by Ari Michelson
Lowered total cholesterol 27 points
Shrank waist and hips by 3 1/4" each
Reduced foot and knee pain
Erased breakouts and bloating
"I discovered healthy carbs."
"I was mortified," says Kathy McCarthy, recalling the day she took her self-assessment and learned she was "aging fast."
Kathy had lost 15 pounds a year earlier on Weight Watchers, but the Younger in 8 Weeks plan showed her how to adjust her diet for bigger benefits. Although she was already eating fruit, veggies, and lean meats, her diet also included a lot of processed foods. "Now I'm appalled at some of the things I used to eat."
Cutting out white flour was Kathy's biggest challenge, so she started experimenting with alternatives. "One night, I mixed edamame spaghetti with a little olive oil, fresh basil, and roasted tomatoes—delish!" She now snacks on crunchy foods like nuts instead of pretzels.
Her old exercise plan wasn't up to par, either. "I avoided sweat at all costs," she says. Today she's doubled the length of her cardio workouts and pushes herself with intervals. "If I don't work out a day, I feel off, like something is missing," she says. "And that's a far cry from the old me!"
