What if you can escape the inescapability of time and just enjoy the pleasure of looking young? Quite difficult? Definitely not. Looking youthful and chirpy is just a matter of giving extra care for yourself and emphasizing your features, surely bringing out the best of what you got. So start defying your age now with some easy steps.
Stopping smoking
As early as 1800’s, it was already observed that smoking has detrimental effects on the skin. Two centuries later, people became more aware of this because these effects are evident among chronic smokers. Some of these consequences include premature lines and folds stemming from the corner of the eyes to the zygomatic area (in the aging process, wrinkles are a natural element , but smoking speeds this up); dry and leathery appearance of the skin; grey-pallor complexion; a haggard appearance; and some more.
These changes are brought about by the processes that a cigar’s ingredients bring about to the body. Nicotine, a vasoconstrictor (one that constricts the blood vessels), inhibit the smooth and easy flow of oxygen and nutrients to their destination. Nicotine also causes a diuretic effect on the body which causes a reduction of the skin’s moisture level, hereby making it tough and dry.
Carbon monoxide, a harmful component produced by smoking, has higher affinity to blood cells than oxygen. That means it reduces the amount of oxygen to many areas.
Smoking also contains a large number of free radicals that attack healthy cells and damage normal tissues.
Smoking reduces Vitamin A and collagen in the body. Vitamin A is used in the repairing function of the body. Collagen, on the other hand, is a protein that produces new and healthy skin.
Proper posture
Sitting up straight and putting shoulders back are very important for your health and appearance. A good posture can make you look slimmer, taller, and confident. Many regard people with correct posture as young, happy, and at ease with their disposition. A good posture can even give you an instant weight loss of
10 pounds in the eyes of others. Its benefits, by the way, are not just for the outside.
A correct posture primarily puts muscles, joints, bones, and your organs to where they are supposed to sit. It reduces the risk of having back and neck problems, arthritis, and other pains. A proper one too can help prevent the spine from becoming abnormally fixed which can lead to fatigue, headaches, and some problems with organs and functioning. With a proper posture, one can also experience less strain because one wouldn’t overuse his muscles.
Stretching hourly and practicing the proper posture every hour can help strengthen the muscles that will be needed to hold the body erect.
Having sex at least three times a week
A 10-year study indicated that couples who are in their 40’s who have sex at least three times a week look younger than those who enjoy it less often. The study even indicated that the faces of these couple have less lines and wrinkles, and have smoother and suppler skin. They credited this to the wonders of Oxytocin. It is a hormone released during sex that reduces stress. Having sex at nighttime is helpful, too!
It helps you to have a tight sleep so body is more rested. So, what are you planning to do now? Go ahead and feel young.
A long life is one of man’s greatest dreams. But this dream can never be pulled off by chance. A long and healthy one starts with having good genes, but definitely, it is not your genes alone that can determine if you’ll live past the 100 mark. What you take and what you do is a huge factor. But many age-conscious people in the world find very notable places where many inhabitants live long and healthy lives. What then can we learn from these distinct communities?
Okinawa, Japan
With over a million inhabitants in this southern Japanese island, more than 900 of them have already lived more than a century. There are five more Okinawans who live to be 100 years old or so compared to other places in Japan. And the number of their centenarians is four times as many in America and in Britain.
One distinct characteristic of the Okinawans is the ability to be healthy even until their end. Researchers observed that these people tend to age slower than others. They even work as long as they can which grants these people ikigai, a sense of purpose.
Okinawans eat low-salt, low-fat, anti-oxidant rich foods such as fish, tofu, soya products, and seaweeds. A wide range of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables are also included in their rainbow diet. Not to mention, the age-defying tea is a mainstay in any meal.
But what they don’t eat may also be their secret to long life. Hara hachibu is a distinct cultural practice in this place wherein they eat until they are 80% full, consuming around 1, 200 calories in a day. Why this practice makes them young is still not understood that much.
Loma Linda, California
In this Californian city populated by the Seventh-day Adventists, citizens observe the healthy lifestyle the church promotes –having a vegetarian diet, and abstinence from smoking or drinking. That is why a lot from this city are living five or ten years longer than their neighboring areas.
That practice can well-explain that. However, scientist discovered that this practice is not done by everyone in this area, yet, they still live longer than the average.
As many claim, this community’s secret is their faith. It really does raise a question if there is something about being spiritual that makes their life longer.
Researchers don’t fully understand but there’s this remarkable fact that makes everyone curious. It’s been known for a couple of decades already that people who regularly go to the church, whatever their religion is, live more than those who don’t. Some say that those who go to church on a regular basis have considerably lower levels of stress, and perhaps, because of this, these people are able to deal with stress better.
Ovvoda, Sardinia
This small town in Italy boasts many centenarians among its 1, 700 residents. Even more notably, there are as many men who live longer as women, kicking the trend in the world. Their secret is not only the Mediterranean diet, but also their genes.
For centuries, the families in this place lived in isolation, and married only their fellow Sardinian. So, from a genetic point of view, marriage among relatives provides positive results like centenarians.
With that said, interbreeding in this place seems to have caused their people to live a longer life. This phenomenon even made some scientist discover specific genes that are associated with long life.
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