Are you an adrenaline junkie?  If you are, you should know that chronic stress is anti-Aging Fabulously!

We recently learned that many medical doctors have determined that chronic low level inflammation is the root cause of most age-related diseases.  We experience inflammation as a result of a number of causes but one that we can control is stress.

As healthy aging lifestyle counselors, we help clients learn methods to keep stress in check.  Of course, it can't be eliminated altogether.  Nor do you want that.  Some stress is actually good for us.  It's motivates us and keeps us on our toes.  But there is an upper limit.

The fact is stress ages us prematurely.  It sends our sympathetic nervous system into over drive and floods our bodies with hormones that are not cool if your goal is healthy aging.  But, by the miracle of nature, there's an antidote to stress.  It's called relaxation.  Duh!

When we are totally relaxed, our bodies are flooded with the exact opposite hormones that are created by stress.  Our nervous system shifts into what's called parasympathetic mode, which is basically the chill out gear.  For healthier aging, we must learn to turn stress off more often by invoking a more relaxed take on things.

Here's a few easy tips from our healthy aging programs. 

-  Learn what you can control.  Release everything else.
-  Sleep well.  Quality slumber replenishes our supply of relaxation hormones.
-  Monitor your diet for food choices that cause your digestion to go into toxic over drive. 
-  Learn to laugh.  Laughter releases soothing brain chemicals that help buffer a bad day.

Of course, there's more to it than this.  But, start here and notice more often whether you are relaxed or taxed.  If you're the latter, take measures to enjoy life more. 

That's an order!