Everyone wants to live forever, but NO one wants to grow old. Well, at least no one wants to LOOK old! That paradox has been ingrained in most of us from the moment we feel the effects of aging! It is a deep-rooted desire to fight the process of growing old tooth and nail. While it’s true that no one can stop maturing, there are ways that we can slow it down or at the very least look younger. Here are some suggestions.
1. You Are What You Eat
Or, you are what your body absorbs. If you are eating foods that are prohibiting you from absorbing needed nutrients, then that can most definitely be the culprit to looking older. That is why consuming a diet that is nutrient-dense is so important! Avoiding sugar is something you may also want to consider. A diet that is low in sugar keeps insulin levels low. It is important to understand that a consistent spike in insulin levels accelerates aging.
2. Sleep
It is no secret that the body needs sleep but not just any old sleep will do. Our bodies require six to eight hours of recuperative sleep every night. If we regularly deprive ourselves of that then we will begin to age faster, and it will show! If you are suffering from long-term sleep deprivation it is best that you find the root cause and resolve it because sleep is vital to our longevity.
3. Let’s Get Physical!
There is a reason why exercise is often advised when wanting to look younger. That’s because regular exercise dramatically slows the aging process in our chromosomes (thread-like structures housed in the nucleus of each cell). Our telomeres (caps placed at the end of chromosomes like shoelaces) controls aging. As we age, our telomeres become shorter. Regular exercise halts that process helping us maintain longer telomeres which are linked with a prolonged existence. Not to mention that exercise also relieves stress and anxiety which can take its toil and show on our faces prematurely aging us.
4. Water
Hydration is very important in maintaining our youthful appearance. Especially when you consider that the human adult body is 60% of water. Not only does water cool down the body but it also delivers nutrients to the cells and removes waste. Along with drinking water, you can also eat fruits and vegetables with high water content such as watermelon, grapefruit, and cucumber.
5. Protect Your Skin
The sun is a great source of Vitamin D which is necessary for our immune health and absorbing calcium, however, the sun also ages our skin due to its harmful ultraviolet (A and B) rays. These are the types of sun rays that reach the earth’s surface. UVB rays produce sunburn and are associated with the formation of most skin cancers. UVA rays are also the cause of some cancers in the skin. Finding a sunscreen with SPF 15 (at least) that protects against both rays is ideal, also wearing hats and using umbrellas will help.
6. Skin Care: Gel
Keeping in line with skin protection, there are products that can be used that can help with the skin’s appearance. If you are having difficulties with your skin texture or if you have scars, you can use natural solutions like aloe gel or coconut oil. These can be very effective in helping the skin to heal properly and natural. Also, a good scar gel will help.
7. Make-up
How you apply your make-up can make a significant difference in how young or old you appear. Advice on make-up tips can be found all over social media platforms such as Pinterest, Facebook, or YouTube. Be sure to incorporate good habits like removing your make-up and cleaning your face before going to bed and make sure that your make-up is not too old or unsanitary.
What is all comes down to is that, we have to live a healthy lifestyle. I know that we hear this advice over and over again to the point of it being a cliché; however, there is a reason why we hear it often; BECAUSE IT’S TRUE! There’s really no way around it. If we want to look youthful yet live as long as possible, we must develop good lifestyle habits.
