"How can all these middle-aged models have such perfect skin and such thick shiny hair – it must be Photoshop!" All of us have said this at some point – of course it’s generally while going through beauty magazines at the salon! As the years pass by, our desire to look younger and never grow old only increases and so we desperately try out every new cosmetic that promises "eternal youth". We even choose painful and expensive cosmetic surgeries to try to erase all signs of aging which sometimes has disastrous results. Before you resort to drastic "nip-tuck" methods, you might want to try something simpler to keep those aging signs at bay.

Walnuts

Keep the Smile On: Smiling cheers you up, makes you look younger, and lowers your stress levels. Stress is one of the main causes of premature aging…so stay young with a smile! Right now, you are probably thinking "what about smile lines?" – use a good moisturizer, spend 15 minutes doing facial exercises, and massage the skin near the edge of your lips… do this and you will not have to worry about smile lines.

Eat Healthy: Just about everyone from your doctor to your cleaner has warned you about your increasing waistline. You figure that you can just tighten your belt and hide the effects of your "occasional" steak, right? WRONG! Your unhealthy eating habits affect your entire body including your hair and skin and no amount of cosmetics can hide the damage. Walnuts, berries, beans, and apples have extremely high levels of antioxidants and so you should include them in your daily meals. Antioxidants help to protect your skin and prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging. Dark chocolate too contains antioxidants so you should have a scrumptious dessert of fruits sprinkled with walnuts and dark chocolate shavings.

Exercise: Early morning exercises – the very thought can make your toes curl! Throw those covers off and start your exercises… this helps to get your sluggish circulation going and your skin will soon literally regain its youthful glow. Plan a day hike with your family to stay fit and active.

Meditation: Breathing exercises, meditation and yoga are also very effective options to maintain not only healthy skin, but also a healthy body and healthy weight.

Kick the Butt and Avoid Alcohol: Smoking and drinking are detrimental to your health and can wear you down. They also have severe effects on your skin and so you will notice that your skin looks leathery and sallow after a night out on the town. You can slowly cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke and reduce your alcohol intake. When you have had a little extra the night before, drink plenty of water and fruit juices the next morning to flush your system of the excess alcohol and revitalize your skin.

Sleep Well: To have skin like a baby you need to sleep like a baby! Make sure that you have a minimum of 8 hours sleep on a regular basis. Do not sleep for more than 9 hours or you will feel lazy and lethargic.

Health Benefits of Hobbies: Sing a song or play the guitar, write a diary or splash paint across a canvas. Your hobbies will help you to relax completely and this will lower your stress levels and help you to fee and look young!