If you've always suspected that life is unfair, you'll be interested to know that the latest research confirms it. People who spend their lives stress-free in the lap of luxury, it turns out, also get to look younger and live longer. It's not just that they can afford more plastic surgery and capped teeth. No. They may actually be aging more slowly than the rest of us!

It turns out that stress sucks the life out of you, and if your stress lasts long enough, it will alter your hormones and begin to kill you. That's the bad news. The good news is that you can be one of the lucky ones. You many not have life-long financial security but, according to many of the country's foremost physician-authors, you can at least beat stress and improve your odds of looking younger and living longer.

According to expert Shawn Talbott, Ph.D., who has come out with two new books on the subject, The Cortisol Connection, Second Edition and Cortisol Control and the Beauty Connection: The All-Natural, Inside-Out Approach to Reversing Wrinkles, Preventing Acne and Improving Skin Tone, "one of the most exciting findings in the last few years of stress research has been ... made by scientists at the University of California at San Francisco. Researchers... there have shown a distinct link between psychological stress and accelerated rates of aging in humans."

Dr. Perrricone, author of the new Perricone Weight Loss Diet: A Simple 3-Part Plan to Lose the Fat, the Wrinkles and the Years and other bestsellers, recently told Oprah that stress is the most pro-aging force that he's seen in all his years as a doctor. And Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of The Wisdom of Menopause and other bestsellers, has been warning women for years to pay attention to signs of adrenal exhaustion.

These docs-and so many others-are talking about the essentially the same thing: the dangers of out-of-control levels of the hormone cortisol, which is produced by frequent, high levels of stress.

Most hormones gradually decline with age. For women, it is the loss of estrogen production that leads to menopause. For both men and women, the loss of growth hormone over the years leads to a loss of bone mass and a weakened immune system. And reduced levels of melatonin can lead to insomnia, a need for more sleep, or a loss of refreshing sleep.

Cortisol is different: our levels of cortisol rise as we age. Most people in their 50s and 60s have considerably more free-circulating cortisol in their blood than people in their teens and 20s. And the older we get, the longer that elevated cortisol levels remain in our bloodstream after a stressful event-and this concerns researchers.

You see, when we're under stress our hormone levels shift, and this alters the function of our vital organs. Cortisol is churned out by the adrenal glands to help us respond to a crisis, but when we go from crisis to crisis to crisis, prolonged elevations of this hormone begin to produce insomnia, weight gain (especially around the tummy), and depression. Our inflammatory response can get out of control - and Dr. Perricone points out that this resulting inflammation is responsible for most of the effects of aging, from wrinkles to heart disease.

What's more, if our adrenal glands cannot keep up with the stress, they may eventually lose the ability to produce even normal levels of cortisol. And that's just as problematic as too much cortisol. When it comes to hormones, balance is the key.

We do need this hormone in moderate amoungs. Cortisol is naturally higher in the morning for both men and women, yet a scientific investigation of 30,000 women and men in 30 countries showed that women were more likely than men to report feeling stress and more likely to have still-elevated levels of cortisol in the evening. Not surprisingly, employed women with children were found to have both the highest stress and cortisol levels.

Prolonged high levels of cortisol are thought to play a significant role in auto-immune diseases, memory loss, insulin resistance, and Type 2 diabetes, as well as the aforementioned wrinkles, weight gain, and depression. A wide array of problems caused by inflammation - including heart disease - may also be linked to high levels of cortisol.

Can we do something to stave off all these ugly effects? "Yes!" say the doctors. Here are ten steps to maintaining the healthy,low cortisol levels that the experts say will keep us looking young and feeling healthy:

1. Simply wanting to rid yourself of the stress hormone can help. Making it a habit of avoiding situations that you know will be stressful can have an anti-aging effect on the body.

2. Learning to relax can also help bring cortisol levels under control. How to do that? Try any of the following: guided imagery, prayer, journaling, mild exercise, play, yoga, meditation, relaxing music, sex, and/or breathing exercises. If most of the items on this list are not part of your life, it's time to start learning! One unique approach to spiritual practices can be found in the "Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy" at spiritualityandpractice.com.

3. Getting enough sleep can help preserve emotional balance and keep cortisol at reasonable levels. Dr. Perricone recommends 1/2 to 1 milligram of melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime if you're having trouble getting restful, refreshing sleep. Other doctors express concern about the possible negative effects of melatonin and prefer to prescribe valerian root or a little lavender oil dabbed on the pillow. Scientific studies support all these remedies. You can also help your body regulate melatonin levels naturally by keeping a regular bedtime, getting enough z's, and making sure that the room you sleep in is very dark.

4. Some people naturally produce more cortisol than average, and it shows up in a tendency to crave carbohydrate-rich foods as well as fat and salt. If that sounds like you, it's especially important for you to learn stress management techniques and maintain a low-stress lifestyle.

5. Everyone has different triggers. But to keep stress at bay, most people need to examine their level of stress related to the following areas of life: environment, body, spirit, time demands, and level of social support.

6. It's no wonder that people living in the fast lane wind up eating fast food. It's not just that it's quick and convenient. It actually feeds the cravings that come with high cortisol and, in turn, keeps those levels high. Switching to a healthy diet, full of fresh fruits, vegetables, and plenty of pure water, can begin to restore a healthy balance. Dr. Talbott recommends "shooting for five different colors each day: one serving each that is red (tomato), blue or purple (berries), yellow (melon), orange (carrot), and green (broccoli)."

7. Massage may help. In a Duke University study, feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine increased while cortisol decreased following massage therapy. And Dr. Talbott comments on a" a University of Miami [study]... that showed a remarkable 31 percent reduction in cortisol levels following massage therapy, as well as a 28 percent increase in... serotonin." Dr. Talbott also recommends baths, mini-vacations, long weekends, and pets.

8. Caffeine keeps us from giving in to fatigue. While that may sound like a good thing, caffeine can take a toll on the body, especially if we indulge several times each day. We're better off listening to that fatigue and responding with extra sleep. A good rule is one cup of java, max. And the new super-caffeinated energy drinks? Forget it!

9. Are you aware of the biggest sources of stress in your life? They may not be the things that first come to mind. Expert Henry Neils, claims that stress is often the inevitable result of spending your days doing something other than what you were made to do. If you're a mathematician at heart, but you spend your days supervising people, you will suffer more stress than if you're being true to your real skills and interests. Not sure what it is you were made to do? A career counselor, or even the right assessment, may help you begin to get in touch with your truest self and find your way to a less stressful life.

10. Not sure if you're under stress? Neils says to watch out for warning signs that include chronic fatigue, frequent anger, self criticism, negativity, a sense of being besieged, shortness of breath, suspiciousness, feelings of helplessness, and uncharacteristic risk-taking.