Ageing it’s not just genetics; your habits, external factors, living conditions, and diet affect how your body ages, too. Smoking, stress, sun exposure, lack of sleep, lack of sport and other habits we all have developed play a role in how long you live, how you look, how healthy you are, and even how your body functions.
Even though ageing is a natural process, there are some habits that may speed up this process, cause health issues, lead to a weak immune system and so on. We usually don’t even realise these seemingly routine habits can shorten our lifespan.
In case you want to feel healthier, look better, live longer, stay sharp, and stay full of energy, below you will find some habits you may have that could make you age faster. Changing a few of them will help you feel better, and you will thank yourself later.
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Have a Desk Job
Most people believe that a construction job is harmful. However, experts revealed that having a desk job may be even more dangerous in some cases. Since the majority of people now work remotely or using a laptop, the amount of diseases is also growing. However, sitting for at least eight hours without any refreshing breaks with exercises can increase your risk of premature death by up to 60%.
In addition, an inactive lifestyle and sitting too much can also lead to severe heart issues and even cancer when combined with other harmful habits. The risk can be significantly lower when you add physical activity to your daily wellness routine. It could be one hour at the gym or 20 minutes walk. Sport helps to stabilise hormone levels, make us happier, increase energy levels, reduce the risk of health issues and improve overall health.
Too Much Sweet
Whether you always drink soda, eat candies as daily snacks, reduce stress by eating ice cream or can’t stop eating sugary cereals for breakfast, you’re ageing yourself in more ways than one. To put it simply, eating foods high in sugar can overwhelm our bodies with sugar molecules. Therefore, these excess molecules can damage vital proteins, including collagen and elastin. These proteins are in charge of keeping skin looking firm and young. As a result, your body increases levels of inflammation markers, which have been shown to cause countless age-related diseases while also making your skin dull.
Poor Diet
Modern people prefer fast food over healthy meals due to the speed of their life and the convenience the fast food market offers. However, poor diet is one of the biggest causes of faster ageing, both internally and externally. Processed food with high-fat levels also leads to many health issues that can increase cancer risk.
That is why a healthy diet is vital if you want to slow down ageing. A healthy diet should be filled with whole foods, veggies and fruits since they are packed with vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals that also support our health and skin. Eating more greens is also linked with glowing skin, fewer health diseases, better mood and more energy. You can make a biological age test to find out what nutrients your body needs and in what amounts. This will help you create a more personalised and healthier diet.
Lack of Quality Sleep
The majority of modern people don’t get enough sleep or have sleep conditions like insomnia. In fact, between 10% and 30% of adults are subjected to chronic insomnia. However, quality sleep is essential for our health and for slowing down ageing. Sleep is the time our body has to recharge and process emotions of resources spent during the day.
Since sleep is essential for hormone regulation, muscle recovery, memory development, and speeding up the metabolism, poor sleep can cause weight gain, anxiety, depression and insulin resistance. Quality sleep means at least 7 hours every day where you don’t wake up and feel refreshed in the morning. In addition, lack of sleep increases appetite and makes us stressed, which also causes ageing.
Chronic Stress
If you didn’t know, chronic stress means high levels of a hormone known as cortisol, the fat-storing stress hormone. When we stress, our bodies think we are in danger and need to survive, releasing the stress hormone cortisol. High levels of this hormone lead to high blood pressure, chest pain, a slower metabolism, and weight gain. In addition, chronic stress also affects the skin, making it dull, causing acne or severe skin conditions related to stress like psoriasis. Even worse, when we are stressed, we usually prefer something delicious and fast to eat – fatty, salty, and sugary — a triple threat when it comes to ageing.
A Coffee Lover
In case you are a coffee lover at heart and can’t leave the day without a cup of coffee, then you are in danger. While coffee definitely has its benefits for health, its constant consumption is harmful to health and wellness. Consuming too much caffeine during the day also leads to insomnia, and as we mentioned, poor sleep is a risk factor for faster ageing.
In addition, coffee affects our heart, which may lead to a higher risk of diseases related to blood. Since most people prefer latte and cappuccino, too much coffee with sugar or whipped cream causes obesity and slows down the metabolism, not talking about how it affects skin health. Try to swap your morning cup of coffee for a healthier alternative – green tea.
Sunbathing
Enjoying sunbathing can be highly beneficial to skin health and overall well-being. That is because the sun treats our bodies with vitamin D, which plays a key role in hormone balance and mood. However, sunbathing without sunscreen or during dangerous hours can put your health at risk. Sun exposure causes wrinkles and fine lines and increases the risk of cancer.
Final Thoughts
Everybody wants to look younger, feel healthier and live longer. However, the modern lifestyle forces people to develop bad habits that can speed up ageing and damage health. Even though ageing is a normal process, simple changes in your wellness regimen can slow it down and help you stay energised and healthy for many years ahead.
