Best Ways to Slow Down Aging
I’ve gathered these awesome beauty hacks that can help you stay younger looking for longer.
1) Surrounding yourself with people you like
Blackburn’s research has proven that those people who live in safe and friendly communities have longer telomeres.
Therefore, you should invest in your neighborhood and take advantage of it. Another study have also showed that married people and those who maintain old friendships also have longer telomeres, which means that they grow older a little bit slower than others.
Some research has indicated that the optimum number of friends we need for staying healthy is six.
2) Managing stress levels
Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn found out that telomeres (the ends of chromosomes) are actually responsible for the aging processes in our cells. So, the shorter our telomeres are, the faster we age.
Chronic stress leads to shorter telomeres, which is why it is important to manage your stress levels.
Moreover, meditation is one of the best ways to lower your stress levels and feel more relaxed. It also helps to prevent the shortening of telomeres. Sign up for a yoga class and learn to let go of negative situations and thoughts.
3) Eat less and live longer
The caloric restriction, which basically means eating less, without malnutrition can slow down human metabolism and help us stay young longer.
Researchers observed two groups of monkeys for two years. They came to the conclusion that monkeys which were on a low-calorie diet lived longer and stayed healthier
You can also consider to adjust your diet. Avoid all types of processed foods because phosphates added to processed foods accelerate the aging process. Instead, ensure that you include anti-aging foods in your diet like blueberries, dark chocolate, nuts, figs, salmon, avocado or turmeric. By doing so, you’ll lower your risk of heart disease, protect your skin and vision, support cognitive function, and improve gut health.
A recent study that was conducted at the University of Scranton showed that walnuts contain the most anti-aging antioxidants. Eating just 3 walnuts a day will help you stay healthier and younger-looking. You should also try to limit your intake of added sugars and stop drinking soda and alcohol.
4) Rack your brain
Although physical exercise is important, but do not forget to train your brain. Read books, study foreign languages, and play games that involve mental activity. By making your brain actively work you can slow down the aging process. Recent studies showed that learning increases the number of neurons which helps the brain stay younger.
6) Use natural cosmetics
Try to wear less makeup because parabens used in cosmetics can disrupt estrogen and throw normal female fertility into premature aging. You can switch to more natural cosmetics instead. If you are a makeup junkie and just can’t wear it any less, make sure you clean your face well every day.
7) Spend around 15 minutes in the sun
Nowadays about all women’s magazines convince us that using SPF on the face, which is something we cannot skip even during the winter. Although Cancer Research UK suggests we spend around 15 minutes in the sun around midday without any sunscreen. This will help you to get vitamin D without the risk of getting skin cancer.
8) Dance more often
A Scientists also revealed that dancing is one of the most effective types of exercise that can reverse the aging process. Dancing, especially continuously changing choreography, can boost the work of the hippocampus and help you slow down aging
9) Going to bed one hour earlier
It is very important to have the right sleep regimen. Experts claims that the sleep we get between the hours of 11 PM and 3 AM is responsible for nutrition and regeneration, which is why you should go to sleep at 11 PM or earlier. Ideally, a person should get 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Chronic lack of sleep affects not only the way we feel, but also the way we look.
Harvard Medical School research showed that people who usually sleep for less than 7 hours and start to go to bed only one hour earlier had positive changes in blood pressure. It helped to lower the risk of stroke and heart attack.
9) Add more vitamins to your diet
Antioxidants prevent free radicals caused by sun damage or smoking from damaging the cells in our bodies. One way to do this is to use face creams with antioxidants. The other way is to take them orally. The most powerful antioxidants that slow down aging are selenium, vitamin E, and vitamin C.
Consider adding fish oil or any other anti-inflammatory supplements to your diet. Fish oil is rich with omega-3 acids which improve the heart function, boost the immune system, and improve hair growth. Omega-3 is also great for maintaining younger looking skin.
10) Lose fat.
If your body fat index is above 20% in a man, and above 25% in a woman, you will look older. Stop consuming fat.
11) Increases muscle level.
Muscles not only make us look younger, but also healthier. Muscles can slow down aging and help maintain strength and coordination as we age.
12) Do cardio exercise.
The benefits of a healthy heart and good lungs are multiple. Martial arts are great, but you should choose an activity that raises your heart rate and do it on a regular basis.
13) Do not use steroids.
Steroids accelerate the aging process by interfering with the hormone IGF-1, which is responsible for tissue growth. But tissues are not just muscles, cancer cells also grow after being exposed to the hormone IGF-1.
14) Watch the diet.
Follow a healthy diet at least 90% of the time. Include vegetables, low-fat protein, and carbohydrates. Also fats rich in omega-3 and amino acids.
15) Eat less meat and more vegetables.
Meat, particularly red meat, produces TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) when cooked and is stored in the liver. It can also cause cardiovascular disease and cancer.
16) Fast.
Fasting has been shown to offer many benefits such as cell regeneration.
17) Cool down.
Exposure to cold has been shown to activate genes responsible for longevity, increase blood circulation and reduce inflammation. So you should include cold showers or ice baths.
18) Don’t smoke. It’s obvious.
19) Sweat.
The sauna, followed by a cold shower, reduces mortality according to many studies.
21) Do not put plastic containers in the microwave when cooking. It is carcinogenic, avoid it.
22) Don’t get drunk or high on drugs. If you douse your body with drugs and alcohol, the result is toxic at the cellular and neural levels, speeding up the aging process.
23) Eat less sugar.
Too much sugar can speed up the aging process and make it harder to stay slim. It’s not because carbs make you fat, it’s because they make you hungry as soon as you eat them, and we tend to eat too many sugary foods.
24) Manage stress and take care of your mental health.
Learn to calm the mind by taking deep breaths. The 4-7-8 method is excellent. Breathe out, breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for another 7, and breathe out. Repeat it three times. It works great when I feel stressed, overwhelmed, or distracted.
25) Keep your mind awake, active and agile.
Read, learn languages, improve your memory. Stop searching for everything on Google and do not use online advice to make decisions, think for yourself.
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26) Adjust your nutrition according to your genetics.
It’s very important. Learn to distinguish which foods make you feel better than others, which ones give you farting, headaches, etc. It could be that your body does not digest certain foods well because of your genetics.