In my post A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, I made a comment that I believed my youthful appearance was more so the result of my genetics than actual lifestyle habits.
Well, in response to a recent post by Miles Mathis, on aging, I thought I should elaborate a bit more, as well as explore some of the multiple factors involved in why some people age better than others.
(By the way, surprisingly I'm more of a hippie than Miles is, except I don't believe in "free love", and lean more conservative than I used to, but I love patchouli oil, I drink beer, and sometimes smoke pot, but lately am leaning more towards CBD.)
There are two primary reasons why I think genetics is a stronger predictor than lifestyle in whether a person appears youthful.
One, if you look at a group of children, even babies, that are all the same age, and the same race, you'll notice that some look older or younger than others. Of course, it could just be dietary or environmental influences, but personally, I remember classmates who looked older or younger for their age as teenagers, that when I saw them again 30 year's later, it was pretty much consistently the same, that the ones that looked older then, still looked older now, and the ones that looked younger then, still looked younger now. And I'm sure there are exceptions to this, like if any of the youthful looking ones had become crackheads, I'm sure the outcome would have been different, but in general I've found this to be the case 99 percent of the time, that people that looked older as kids, usually looked older for their age as adults, regardless of the cause.
Why would this be? Could be that the people who looked older for their age as kids, were more likely to engage in activities that promoted premature aging, such as smoking and drinking and bad diet. And the more youthful looking people like myself, were less likely to engage in habits that promote aging, or if they did, were more likely to only do so in moderation, or were more likely to quit before it caused any noticeable damage.
So there could be some correlation between having youthful genes, and being naturally predisposed to engage in healthy habits and to avoid unhealthy influences.
But what about the ones that used to look younger for their age, but now don't? Well keep in mind that looking youthful is pretty much synonymous with looking healthy, so if you look prematurely older than your actual age, especially if you are over the age of 30, it's probably a pretty good indicator of some underlying illness. If you could effectively cure the illness, let's say cancer, that persons appearance is going to improve, and they'll probably look younger too, once they are completely free of the illness. So it may not necessarily be that they didn't age well, but just that they are sick.
Two, both my mother and my mothers mother, looked very youthful for their age. My grandmother had a healthy youthful glow even into her eighties. So, there's a genetic connection right there, three generations, that all looked youthful for their age.
The strange thing about my grandma though is that she wasn't even really that health conscious. I mean she wasn't athletic. She rarely exercised at all. She ate a traditional American meat and potatoes diet. And probably didn't drink enough water. But she never smoked or drank, other than a glass of wine around the holidays, and never used recreational drugs. She also wasn't taking any prescription medication in the last decade of her life, and stopped getting the flu shot on her own, when she noticed that every time she got the flu shot, she got the flu really bad, and as soon as she stopped getting it, she rarely ever got sick. She never overate. She never overindulged. She was very strait, conservative woman, and probably the complete opposite of a hippie, but she had grace. She was also a very nice looking woman, very social, extroverted personality, with really good people skills, was a very kind and generous person, and even though we didn't have much in common, we got along really well.
In a recent post by Miles Mathis on aging, he comments that he doesn't believe genetics is a satisfactory explanation for a persons youthful appearance, simply because while he still looks youthful at age 60, his brother who used to look younger for his age, has aged terribly.
So if you've got two siblings, and one ages gracefully, and the other one doesn't, then there must be some other reason then genetics.
It's true that if you look at people in your extended family, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. that in most cases some have aged better than others. I wish I could say that everyone in my family looked great for their age, but honestly some haven't aged well at all. This is true. So if I have good genes that are responsible for my youthful appearance, how come not everyone in my family has it?
Of course, there are many factors.
1) One of those factors could be blood type. People in your family, which although they share common genetics, may have different blood types. I don't know the blood type of everyone in my family, but I do know that I have the same exact blood type as my mother and my mothers mother, which happens to be a very rare blood type, and all three of us looked very youthful all our lives. So, there could be a blood type factor to looking youthful. And which could also explain why two brothers, who share the same genes, could age so differently, having totally different blood types.
Now if their blood types are the same, then obviously that would negatively effect the validity of that argument, but not having any siblings myself, I really can't say for sure.
2) Another potential factor could be astrological. The exact date and time and location of your birth, could have some bearing on whether you appear youthful in old age, or not, if you believe in that.
3) A very good point Miles mentions is that of grace. A person living in grace, inwardly beautiful, spiritually pure, being a good person, might appear younger. What are some of the characteristics of grace? Being open and honest. Unpretentious. Being humble and meek. Being kind and compassionate. Trustworthy. Ethical. Not wishing ill will upon anyone. Not stealing or cheating. Not taking advantage of, exploiting or profiting off of another person misfortune. Not getting rich at another persons expense. It means how you act when no one is looking, that your soul remains clean and unblemished. Anyone who lives in such a graceful manner, it must show on their face, manifest in the way they look, and could perhaps slow down the aging process.
4) Rest and Relaxation. Stress is a big killer, so it's probably a big contributor to aging, too. One reason people may prematurely age is if they aren't getting enough good quality sleep. Also, being all work and no play, isn't healthy for your soul either. Why? Because contrary to what the materialists want you to believe, you are not a machine, you are a living divine soul, but if you insist on living like you are a machine that doesn't need to rest so long as you drink a bunch of coffee, parts are going to start breaking down just a like machine, from all the extra wear and tear and overuse, and you'll start looking like a corpse, pale yellowish gray complexion, soulless lusterless eyes, and old before your time.
5) Occupation. Where you work and what you do for a living has a strong impact on the quality of your life, on the quality of your health, and whether you age gracefully or not. Occupational hazards are a real thing. Almost every job has some negative associated with it. Working under fluorescent lights all day, is not exactly conducive to health. Looking at a computer screen all day, isn't ideal either. Exposure to chemicals, strong smells, bright lights, loud noises, repetitive motions, heavy lifting, etc. is something that may have some bearing on whether you age gracefully or not.
6) Diet, exercise, lifestyle habits, etc. Of course, anybody who destroys their body with drugs and alcohol, or has a terrible diet, with high stress, and doesn't exercise, or who works in an unhealthy occupation, such as coal miner, or foundry worker, it would take a miracle for even the most youthful, graceful, and beautiful looking among us, to still look youthful after 30 plus years of abuse.
The point is youthful looking genes give you a genetic advantage, which may predispose you to making healthier choices, but it doesn't make you immortal, and it doesn't make you immune to the damaging effects caused by bad habits, negative thinking, exposure to infectious diseases, or environmental and occupational hazards and risks.
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