Everyone's looking for the fountain of youth, but you don't have to wait for a (fictional) fix to look young while you grow older. Aine McAteer reveals what you should do, eat and avoid to look your best and help slow down the aging process.
"May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young."

—Bob Dylan


I read a newspaper headline recently: "Senioritis, the diagnosis; the race for a cure is on." I have to say, it saddened me to see such a natural part of the process of life being declared an illness.

Sure, if I had a genie to grant my every wish, among them might be that I stay youthful and beautiful forever, but that's never going to be a reality. I do have a wish—it's that I embrace all stages of my life with grace and acceptance.


One day, while driving through the English countryside, I got a flat tire and was standing by the side of the road looking every bit the damsel in distress. Along came a lovely gentleman on his bicycle, and he stopped to help me. We chatted as he deftly changed my tire, and he told me that he had just ridden his bicycle for 30 miles and had another 10 to go before he got home! He did this three times a week—he was 86 years of age.

Later that evening, I met a wonderful lady at a dinner party in my neighborhood. She told me that she never starts her day without lighting her candles, putting on some mellow music and doing a one-hour yoga session. She looked like she was in her 60s, but, coincidentally, she was also 86.

Meeting people like these is truly a revelation and an inspiration, and I only hope that by the time I'm 86, I'll at least be able to bend down to tie my own shoelaces!


Get the secrets to healthy aging
Published 06/25/2010

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