Good health times four

Your ability to love and care for self—physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually—is your assurance of a long and healthy life. Longevity is worthwhile only when it comes with the following types of good health:Good physical health—you know when your body needs exercise, rest, or nourishment. You balance work, play, and good nutrition.

Good psychological health—your ability to think abstractly, to imagine all good things to be possible, to feel safe, and to feel your life is worthwhile.

Good emotional health—to be happy or sad, to laugh, to cry, to feel and express the rich range of emotions necessary to celebrate life and your humanity.

Good spiritual health—compassion for and truthfulness to others and yourself helps you to experience inner peace that is so necessary for a less stressful, longer life.

Your good health in all four areas is anti-aging and is manifested as a youthful attitude and appearance. Your longevity depends on your good health—all four types!

Beautifying oils

You’ll have an edge over aging if you oil yourself up, inside and out.

Nutritional oils

• Eat salmon, mackerel, sardines, walnuts, or fish oil capsules to provide omega-3 fatty acids for healthy, smooth skin, hair, and nails.
• Take supplemental capsules of black currant oil, primrose oil, borage oil, (difficult to obtain from foods in your diet), to provide GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) for glossy hair and dewy skin.
• Take vitamin E oil capsules for added elasticity to skin and blood vessels. Be sure to buy the natural form of d-alpha tocopherol combined with other tocopherols, not synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol.

Therapeutic oils

• Rough heels and elbows? Warm a few drops of grape seed oil and use for massage. Its penetrating power and softening ability will really make a difference.
• Dry, itchy ears? Warm a small amount of olive oil to body temperature, then place two or three drops in your ear canals—this will soothe the ear canal and stop the itch.
• Stressed? Light a candle under an aromatherapy diffuser, add two or three drops of lavender oil to the water and let the scent relax you.
• Fatigued? Put three drops rosemary oil, four drops peppermint oil, and two drops ginger oil in a warm bath to invigorate and re-energize you.