People ask me all the time how old I am. Sometimes people are just being nice, but some really want to know. How do we keep ourselves feeling and looking so young? What is our youth serum?

I always laugh and say things like happiness, moisturizer, and fun grandkids help us look and feel younger. But, it is a combination of those along with a healthy lifestyle, healthy habits. We don’t always do all of these, but implementing all at once is the daily goal.

Youth serum is a lifestyle.

Even better it doesn’t take much effort to make these things a habit!

Here are my Top Ten ways we kick age in the gut.

1. First, smile more.

People will wonder what you are up to and you will feel better. Nothing looks more radiant and young than a big healthy smile.

2. Drink lots of pure clean water. Best youth serum by far.

Our bodies run on water and it is the most vital fuel we have. To do it one better, drink water without chemicals in it. Use a filter. Tap water is not necessarily always safe to drink. Contaminants are not unusual. Bottled water is often tap water, so most are not better than the faucet.

Get a filter like Zero Water or Brita and stop some of the chemicals and contaminants before they get to you.

Also, ditch the soft drinks and other chemical and sugar laden drinks.

There are substitutes if you enjoy the carbonation like the drink Zevia. It is a cola substitute that doesn’t have the sugar.

Limit alcohol to one day a week and only two drinks for a myriad of reasons. The calories, carbs, and mental impairment are enough to cause anybody to rethink how much alcohol is consumed.

3. Take vitamins.

Our bodies function better with all the nutrients. Unless you have an organic garden in your backyard and eat a carefully crafted vegetable heavy diet, you will benefit from vitamins. If you have a chronic illness, give your body some more fighting power. Pick up a multi-vitamin and take it with food.

If you see someone with glowing skin, they will tell you three things. Drink water, don’t smoke, and take vitamins.

Pick a time of day and take your vitamins at that same time of day every day until it is a habit. My hair, skin, nails and eyes usually show if I am taking vitamins regularly.

Vitamins are the long game. Keep it up.

4. Cut out fast food. I can hear the groans from here, but saying goodbye to the empty calories, trans fat, chemicals and lack of nutrition are a no brainer.

The junk that is in most fast food and processed foods is appalling. Most fast food contains high doses of bad fats, salt, calories and chemicals. Regular consumption can put you at risk for obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Your cells are screaming for nutrition.

5. Wear sunglasses with UV protection to keep the UV damage to a minimum when outdoors or in the car.

Your eyesight with thank you and you will look younger longer.

Save your eyes, your skin, and prevent wrinkles. Squinting causes premature wrinkling too. Sunglasses are youth serum for your eyes.

6. Take care of your skin.

Sunscreen, moisturizer, good cleansing habits keep you looking younger and help prevent skin cancer and early wrinkles.

Do go outside and get some vitamin D, but use sunscreen. Every burn, every time you over-sun, you are aging yourself and creating an environment for skin cancer .

It is so simple to rub some sunscreen on your face and arms and whatever else is uncovered.

Burns cause long term skin damage.

You might not care now, but people who tan obsessively show age quicker. I have several friends who say they never use sunscreen because they don’t want to block a tan. I am usually tan in the summer and I never use less than SPF 15, so sunscreen does not keep you from getting sun.

Stop tanning indoors. Read about indoor tanning and  your long term skin health.

Use a moisturizer with SPF when you get up  even if you are a guy, especially on your face and arms, and especially in the summer. At night use a moisturizer around your eyes, mouth, and on your neck and chest. It is youth serum for your skin.

7. Get up and move every day. Nothing ages people quicker than sitting on the couch every night after work.

I gained 10 pounds in a month once when I was injured because I had to sit on the couch with my foot up!

Ten minutes at a time, several times a day getting your blood pumping and fill your cells with oxygen . Better yet move until you sweat, so your body will rid itself of toxins.

I am writer, so I sit a lot. Sometimes I am propped up in bed for hours, but I get up and stretch, walk my dogs outside. Most articles say walking 30-45 minutes 3-4 days a week is the best general feel better and weight loss solution.

I clean house at high speed for cardio and do a series of stretching exercises morning and night. I hate methodical exercise but since I have to clean anyway, I just do it in a way that makes me sweat.

I also suffer from fibromyalgia, but fight the symptoms by stretching and moving.

We need our cells to be properly oxygenated for our bodies to function well.  A healthy diet, proper breathing, hydration, and exercise help restore oxygen levels. Oxygen is youth serum.

8. Don’t smoke or stop smoking if you do.

It ages you physically, creates lines in your face, dulls your skin, changes your voice. Not to mention the worst, its relation to lung cancer. The smell alone makes you feel bad if you think about it. Save yourself and those that love you.

Stop.

9. Eat green food for a youthful glow.

Green beans, broccoli, green peppers, green spinach, dark leafy greens, and more leafy greens.  The more organic vegetables in your diet, the better you will feel. Look up superfoods and incorporate those into your diet.

Things like avocados, nuts, Greek yogurt, dark berries, eggs,  pomegranates, and of course dark leafy greens give you energy and vitality.

Most of all:

10. Spend time with people who make you feel great doing things that make you feel great. Happiness radiates youth and vitality and is a lifetime youth serum.

Feeling youthful, 

Barefoot and writing,

Kim

Looking and feeling young, the real life youth serum list.