Habits That Make You Age Faster and Look Older

Habits That Make You Age Faster and Look Older

Aging is inevitable. It also brings with it several types of health problems including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Plus, with age, the skin becomes thinner and drier. This leads to fine lines and wrinkles, increased pigmentation, loss of elasticity and firmness, and dull skin. But by taking care of your skin and overall health, and avoiding certain day-to-day habits, you can prevent premature aging...

Smoking...
It is a known fact that smoking harms your health in many ways. But smoking can also accelerate the aging process of your skin.
The harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke chronically deprive your skin cells of oxygen, which can lead to pale, uneven coloring. It even triggers the breakdown of collagen and can cause loose, saggy skin.
In fact, the whole process of smoking can cause deep wrinkles around the mouth.
A 2007 study published in the Journal of Dermatological Science reports that smoking tobacco leads to accelerated skin aging. So, those who are more concerned about their appearance should try to stop smoking.


Holding Grudges...
Forgiveness is something most of us believe in, but we don’t always practice it. Holding grudges against any person or situation is not good for your health as well as appearance.
If you are not able to forgive, you are adding more stress to your life, which boosts your level of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol leads to weight gain, high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
Stress even leads to more frowning, one of the key causes of wrinkles on the forehead.
A 2005 study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine highlighted the link between lack of forgiveness and reduction in stress. Stress is a common cause of a lot many health problems and also contributes to aging.

Sun Exposure...
No matter how amazing the sun feels on your body, regular and prolonged exposure to sunrays is one of the worst things you can do for your skin.
Long-term exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun weakens your skin cells and blood vessels, which causes a tanned, leathery-looking skin. It even leads to pigmentation, reduced skin elasticity and a degradation of skin texture.
A 2013 study published in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology states that UV exposure seems to be responsible for 80 percent of visible facial aging signs.

Too Little Sleep..
Just one night of bad sleep can make you look and feel tired. It can even lead to dark circles and bags under your eyes. Now, imagine what lack of sleep for days can do to your skin appearance.
Sleep deprivation can cause skin damage in several ways. First of all, it can increase your cortisol level, which in turn can worsen inflammatory conditions. Secondly, it can cause poor collagen formation, which leads to skin aging.
In a 2013 study by the University Hospitals Case Medical Center, physician-scientists found that sleep quality impacts skin function and aging.

Stress...
Stress even plays a key role in initiating and driving events that cause skin aging at the cellular level. Stress contributes to breakdown of the collagen, damages DNA and promotes the release of pro-inflammatory mediators (cytokines), which trigger premature aging signs.
A 2014 study published in Inflammation Allergy and Drug Targets highlights how the brain and skin communicate with each other, how the skin reacts to the stress by activating the endocrine and immune systems, and the negative impact of chronic stress on skin health.
Also, stress is a common risk factor for several chronic diseases including high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease.

Being a Couch Potato...
Instead of being a couch potato and increasing your risk of obesity and other health problems, make exercise a part of your daily life.
Exercise helps tone your muscles and gets your blood flowing so that your skin gets all the necessary nutrients.
This has a rejuvenating effect on the skin. Plus, exercise provides you with lots of energy that helps you look and feel younger, at any age.
Take a break from your sedentary lifestyle and get moving. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.
Choose any activity you enjoy – walking, swimming, cycling or dancing.

Why You Should Eat One Banana Daily | Benefits of Eating Banana

WHY you SHOULD EAT ONE BANANA A DAY....

Whether you're already a banana lover or someone who needs more reasons to up his or her fruit intake, here are big benefits of regularly eating banana...

Bananas Help you Breathe Easier...
Nearly 26 million Americans suffer from asthma, and it's the leading chronic disease among children. But preventing asthma could be as simple as eating a banana a day. A study at the Imperial College of London found that children who ate at least one banana a day experienced 34 percent less wheezing than those who ate less than one banana a month. If you're looking to prevent asthma-related symptoms and breathe better, reach for a banana.

cut your risk of dying from a heart attack...
JUST one banana a day could cut your risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke by a third, according to new research. Oxford University professors tracked the diets of half a million adults in China for seven years and discovered that just a 100g portion of fruit a day, the equivalent of one banana, can cut cardiovascular mortality by a third. And key to their findings was that the fruit had to be fresh.

Banana Help Control Blood pressure....
High blood pressure is a silent killer. Its effects include aneurysms, narrowing of the arteries, heart disease, brain disease, stroke and kidney failure. One way to lower your blood pressure is to consume more potassium—a nutrient abundantly found in bananas. One average-sized banana contains about 12 percent of your daily value of potassium.
A 2005 study conducted at St. George's Medical School found that potassium citrate—the type of potassium found in bananas—is effective for lowering blood pressure. In the span of only a couple of weeks, participants with high blood pressure who consumed potassium citrate daily lowered their blood pressure significantly.


Banana Can Help Ward Off Cancer...
According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, dietary fiber "convincingly" lowers the risk of colorectal cancer, and  vitamin C—of which a banana supplies about 17 percent of your daily value—"probably" lowers the risk of esophageal cancer. Fruits in general "probably" lower the risk of lung, stomach, mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus cancer, according to the institute.

Banana Build Stronger Bones...
Their high potassium content makes bananas a great food for anyone looking to build stronger, healthier bones. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, increasing the consumption of potassium-rich foods can help prevent osteoporosis; and a 2008 study found that a diet high in potassium-rich, bicarbonate-rich foods significantly reduces bone turnover (another term for bone loss). Bananas also contain 16 percent of your daily value of manganese, a nutrient that might help prevent arthritis and osteoporosis.

Eye Health....
Adding a banana to your diet also helps keep your eyes healthy. Bananas have a small amount of vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that is vital for protecting your eyes and normal vision.

Reduce Stress Levels...
Bananas are a great source of tryptophan which is a chemical that when released into the blood stream, converts into the feel good hormone, serotonin. When we have good serotonin levels our overall mood and stress levels are much better.