Health
16 Bad Habits That Make You Look & Feel Old
Getting old happens to everyone eventually. And while age is just a number, how you choose to age depends on you and the lifestyle choices you make. Choosing poor habits over a healthy lifestyle has its side effects, and it is bound to start showing with time. Your biological age is not necessarily bound by time, unlike your numerical age, and this is where you need to jump into action!
If age is starting to catch up to you, here’s 16 habits worth kicking to keep everyone (and maybe even yourself) fooled!
Dining out too often
A healthy diet is extremely crucial to glowing skin and proper body functioning. While a lot of us are aware of something so basic, a lot of times, we still choose to go out and eat in different places. Sure, hanging out with friends in diners is fun, but what you end up ignoring is that while you are at it, you don’t know what you are feeding your body during this time. Even if you are eating out, try to choose restaurants that offer healthy food – otherwise, all that junk is only going to bloat you up and give you clinical conditions in the long run! Also, try to be more inquisitive about the ingredients of your meal while you’re eating out.
Soda consumption
Everybody knows that consumption of soda has no benefits apart from the fact that it is available purely based on its taste. It’s also been scientifically established that an abundant consumption of soda leads to decline in brain and memory function and even contributes to higher risk of early death. As the cherry on top, drinking soda at least three times a day puts you at a higher risk of having a heart attack. In case you find it challenging to get rid of this habit, you may choose more feasible and healthy options like green or black teas, or flavored carbonated waters. I’ve personally been able to ween myself off soda completely by switching to sparkling water like La Croix and Perrier.
Consumption of processed foods
Processed foods contain an array of ingredients like extra sugar, unhealthy oils, flavors, preservatives, and colorants, which happen to be a sure shot recipe for premature ageing. Opt for more natural and home-based foods instead.
Drinking inadequate water
Not drinking enough water can further add to premature ageing, as it is highly essential behind your body’s regular functional abilities and replenishments. Drinking inadequate amounts of water can lead to dry skin, low energy, and dehydration.
Frequent coffee breaks
Too much of anything is bad for health, no matter the many health benefits it might have. Caffeine leads to fluid excretion and can deprive your body of moisture. This can lead to premature ageing as it is the primary reason behind dehydrated skin.
Not enough fats
It would help if you ate more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These are fantastic skin-boosting elements present in avocados, nuts, and olives. They promote healthy skin as they are high in vitamin E, essential body fats, and antioxidants. A study has also discovered that regular consumption of nuts can help you live longer.
Staying inactive
Exercising is extremely crucial if you want to lead a fit lifestyle. Even just 15 minutes a day can have a significant impact on your heart and overall health. It promotes good skin health and blood circulation to every part of the body. Try meeting with friends routinely at the gym to keep yourself accountable, or learn some at-home fitness tricks if the trek to the gym doesn’t fit into your weekly schedule.
Not sleeping enough
You must get 7 to 8 hours of sleep regularly, the deprivation of which can lead to premature ageing. Your body produces collagen while you are asleep, and this keeps your skin smooth. Not getting enough sleep leads to a faster appearance of wrinkles.
Using gadgets all the time
Using gadgets in abundance can lead to premature ageing as the blue light emitted from mobile phones can further lead to vision impairment in severe cases. It also affects sleep patterns and leads to a hormone imbalance.
Not being able to manage stress properly
Too much stress can lead to ageing faster as it leads to unusual sleeping patterns, puffy eyes, good and bad bacteria imbalance in your skin, and cortisol that disrupts tissue elasticity. Proper medication and exercise can help in such cases.
Drinking and smoking
Drinking and smoking have been the age-old reason behind premature ageing. Smoking can deprive your skin cells of oxygen chronically and disrupt the production of collagen. On the other hand, too much alcohol consumption can lead to dehydration as it causes depletion of natural moisture from your skin.
Latching on to grudges
Latching on to grudges is not suitable for your heart as it leads to unwanted stress. Stress is again, one of the most significant factors behind premature ageing. This increases cortisol production, high sugar and blood pressure, and weight gain.
Improper skincare (Protip: Wear Sunscreen!)
Proper skin care is essential for the eradication of premature skin aging. It is imperative that apart from maintaining a healthy diet, you also use the right doses of serums, moisturizers, or supplements like phytoceramides that can become an essential part of your healthy skin routine. Cleansing, toning, and moisturizing should be made a crucial part of your daily routine. If nothing else, WEAR SUNSCREEN!
Slouching
Improper posture reeks of bad body language. This leads to muscular and skeletal changes with age, which can further lead to premature ageing. Maintenance of good posture is key to leading a healthy lifestyle.
Sleeping upside down on your belly
Sleeping upside down on your belly leads to your skin’s wrinkling as your face is squished into your pillow. Wrinkles go on to make you look older than you are, thus leading to premature ageing.
An abundance of heat in the house
Heating your house is uncalled for, especially during certain times of the year. The winter air combined with the heating system can lead to a dry atmosphere inside the house, further leading to premature ageing. A humidifier can help in such cases.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to the choices you make for yourself! Your lifestyle choices and habits will decide how long you are going to live – ensure you use this power carefully.
