Americans spent nearly $45 billion on anti-aging products and services in 2006. That number is expected to reach $72 billion in 2009. And while those treatments may help fight the signs of aging, making simple lifestyle changes – including eating the right foods - also can help your skin look its best.

With all the creams, injections and surgeries out there to help us maintain a youthful look, it’s easy to forget there are a lot of things we can do on our own to slow the signs of aging. Here are five of the easiest ways to improve not only the way you look, but also the way you feel!

Sleep: In an ideal world, we’d all get eight hours of solid quality sleep. Some of us are very good about adhering to this standard, and some simply don’t. Our bodies have a need for a significant amount of uninterrupted sleep (right around eight hours), whether we feel we need this much or not. The less sleep we get, the less time our body has to repair and rebuild all the damage done throughout the day. Damage can be in the form of poor air quality while sitting in traffic, a hard workout or simply stress, to name a few. On a cellular level, we need time to rebuild before we start the “damage cycle” again the next morning. We’ll never wake to be as young as the morning before, but a good night’s sleep could just be the damage control your body needs.

Water: There is no greater enemy to wrinkles than water. Unfortunately, many of us make the mistake of drinking cola, juices or coffee in lieu of water. Chemicals in diet cola, sugars in juice and caffeine in coffee often negate the benefits of hydration, stripping your body of the nutrients it needs. The best type of water to drink is purified. Straight tap water with no home filtering process whatsoever is chemically-treated and can be harder on your body.

Antioxidants: Numerous berries, nuts, fish, vegetables and beans are abundant in antioxidant-rich foods. Antioxidants protect our body’s cells from free radicals that can damage our bodies in many ways, from premature aging all the way to cancer. Free radicals damage our bodies in much the same way rust that damages a car. Think of antioxidant-rich foods as a healthy way to keep the rust away.

Fat: As counter-intuitive as this may sound, a diet too low in fat is not only unhealthy, but can also make you look older than your years. Eaten daily and in moderation, healthy fats found in dairy products, nuts, fish and meat maintains healthy skin tone, shiny hair and keeps our appetite in check. What’s more, fat in the diet makes the absorption of the vital vitamins, A, D, K and E possible. If you’re not already doing it, try adding a small amount of fat in the form of olive oil, a healthy cheese, avocado, ground flax seed or even coconut oil to your favorite meal or as part of a snack.

Exercise: Exercise in the form of strength training or cardio is the best way to feel not only energized, but also youthful. Whether you’ve got 20 minutes for a quick walk or one hour for strength training, get your exercise in! The people I work with at the beginning of an hour are suddenly transformed into happier, healthier people after a good 60-minute workout. Exercise keeps you healthy-looking on the outside, and, more importantly, functioning healthy on the inside.

Protect Your Skin: We all know that ultraviolet rays can damage our skin and make us look older, but the statistics are still shocking. Up to 80 percent of wrinkles are directly attributed to daily exposure of UV rays, so be sure to incorporate a broad-spectrum UVB/UVA sunblock into your daily skincare regimen. Physicians recommend a sunblock with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater. Also, it’s important to remember that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov), UV rays do much more than contribute to premature aging – they also can cause skin cancer and cataracts, even on cloudy days.