How to Stay Young Forever Using Small Lifestyle Changes?

by - March 05, 2022

How to Stay Young Forever Using Small Lifestyle Changes?



How to Stay Young Forever?

Nothing is wrong with aging, but you don’t have to lose your looks and health while your body changes.

Looking for ways to turn back the clock of age?

This article contains tips and ideas that will help you keep your health— and your looks—intact.

Ready? Let’s get started!


1. Change Your Eating Habits


#1. Trade Soda for Sparkling Water

A single, 20-ounce bottle of regular soda can have more than 16 teaspoons of sugar. (*)

The fructose in soda stimulates a process glycation, which reduces your skin’s collagen and elastin, leaving you with sagging skin, and wrinkles.

Soda also causes inflammation that makes acne, eczema, and red skin worse.

Sparkling water is one easy way to get the same fizz without the negative consequences. You can even flavor it by adding fruits.

#2. Drink Plenty of Water

You already realize the importance of water to your overall health.

Water is especially beneficial to reduce skin dryness and wrinkles.

On average, women need 91 ounces a day (2.5 Liters), while men need 125 ounces (3.5 Liters), according to the National Academy of Medicine.

The Academy recommends getting 80 percent of your daily intake from water and other beverages, and the remaining 20 percent from food.

#3. Reduce Your Alcohol Intake

Other than the hangover, alcohol is one of the biggest causes of skin aging because it dehydrates the skin, which causes wrinkles.

Other negative consequences of alcohol consumption include brain damage, increased risk of cancer, heart problems, addictions, and a shortened lifespan. (*)

Instead, drink more water to help your skin stay hydrated.

Related: How to Stop an Addiction? 15 Actionable Steps To Help You Stop Any Addiction For Good

#4. Replace Processed Sugar with Fruit

Added or processed sugar creates harmful molecules called advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

These AGEs interfere with collagen and elastin your skin needs to maintain its youthful appearance, which causes premature skin aging.

Sugar has different names you need to keep in mind when looking for it in packaged goods sold in grocery stores, including agave nectar, caramel, corn syrup, rice syrup, molasses, and dextrose (and anything else ending in “ose”).

Whenever you’re craving something sweet, reach for fruit instead, like strawberries, pineapple, grapes, mangoes, etc.

#5. Reduce Your Salt Intake

Eating too much salt dehydrates your internal organs and skin, which causes fine lines and dulls your facial color.

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend limiting sodium intake to no more than 1,500 mg a day (One teaspoon of salt contains 2,325 mg).

It’s also important to watch out for high-salt processed and prepared foods.

Here’s a list of high salt processed and prepared foods: bread and rolls, pizza, sandwiches, cold cuts and cured meats, burritos and tacos, savory snacks (like chips, popcorn, and crackers), cheese.

Consider using other herbs and spices to flavor foods.

#6. Swap Fries for a Smarter Side

If you can’t avoid fast food, try to at least skip the fries and choose a healthier side.

Most fast food is high in fat and sugar, and low in healthy fiber. This causes inflammation in your body, heart disease, and diabetes.

Fries are nothing but refined carbs that can clog your pores, increasing pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads and causes cause premature aging.

#7.Switch To Non-Dairy Milk

Cow’s milk contains insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which can cause acne. Dairy has also been linked to increased skin wrinkling.

Soy milk is most similar in terms of nutrients and texture to cow’s milk. There are other alternatives like almond, coconut, flaxseed, and pea milk.

#8. Replace Meat With Bean At Least Once a Week

Beans are rich in fiber and protein, plus biotin for healthier skin.

They also nurture healthy bacteria in your gut, which helps improve your digestion.

Start swapping meat-based meal a week with a bean-based meal. Then increase to two or three bean-based meals a week.

#9. Load on Antioxidants

Antioxidants have powerful anti-aging benefits.

They help protect the skin's surface from oxidative damage caused by environmental aggressors like UV and pollution.

Food rich in antioxidants include; Red bell pepper, papaya, blueberries, broccoli, spinach, nuts, avocado, tomato, legumes such as black beans or kidney beans, red grapes, dark chocolate

Antioxidants’ benefits extend beyond the skin. They can also reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart disease and certain cancers.

#10. Drink Green Tea

There are many good reasons to drink green tea. One of them is boosting your skin elasticity. (*)

Green tea is rich in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a powerful antioxidant that can protect against UV damage and decrease inflammation associated with aging.

#11. Test For Vitamin D Deficiency

We get vitamin D from our food and being exposed to the sun

If you’re living in northern latitudes where the sun isn’t as strong all year you may be deficient in vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with numerous chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.

You can test for vitamin D deficiency through a 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test with your doctor and take vitamin D supplements

The Vitamin D Council considers 0 to 30 ng/ml to be deficient, and sufficient to be somewhere between 40 and 80 ng/ml.

The National Institutes of Health recommend that men and women aged 19 to 70 get 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily, and 800 IU if you’re older than that.

#12. Try Intermittent Fasting

“Intermittent fasting” could add years to your life and improve your health.

Studies show that it may decrease risk factors related to aging, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

You already fast every night when you go to bed, so you may consider extending that time by having dinner earlier.

#13. Filter Your Water

Even if your local authorities have deemed tap water safe, may be picking up all sorts of particles as it crosses miles of pipes to reach your faucet, including

Install some type of water filtration system at home and fill reusable bottles to take with you.

It’s important to note that bottled water isn’t any safer, as the Environmental Protection Agency even says that it’s not safer than tap water.


2. Get Moving


#14. Keep Your Waistline In Check

While a scale can tell you how much you weigh, it won’t tell you if you have dangerous visceral fat around your abdomen.

Visceral fat releases fatty acids, inflammatory markers, and hormones that damage your health and increase the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Measuring your waist is the best way to find out whether you’re at risk for health issues.

To measure your waist, place the tape measure right above your belly button. According to the American Heart Association, your waist circumference should be less than 40 inches (102 cm) if you’re a man and less than 35 inches (88 cm) if you’re a woman. (*)

Related: Dieting Makes Us Fat? How To Seriously Lose Weight Without Dieting

#15. Exercise In Ten-Minute Chunks

Exercise is the fountain of youth. (*)

Government guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderately intense activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity) every week. (*)

That means thirty minutes five days a week, which could be done in one chunk or several ten-minute chunks throughout the day.

What counts as moderate activity?

  • brisk walking
  • riding a bike
  • dancing
  • hiking

What counts as vigorous activity?

  • walking up the stairs
  • running
  • riding a bike fast or on hills
  • swimming
  • sports, like football, rugby, and hockey
  • aerobics
  • gymnastics
  • martial arts

#16. Get Some Exercise Done While Watching TV

According to one study, watching 6 hours a day on average throughout life means you’ll live 4.8 years fewer than those who don’t watch TV. (*)

This is because watching TV is a sedentary activity that increases the risk of diseases like heart disease and diabetes. You’re also more likely to eat junk food while watching TV, even when you’re not hungry.

It would be ideal to stop watching TV, but it is also helpful to move at least 50 percent of your viewing time (walking on a treadmill, pedaling a bike, or doing stretches).

#17. Give Yoga a Try

Studies show that practicing yoga twelve weeks of doing yoga six days a week significantly increased dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and growth hormone (GH), both known as anti-aging hormones. (*)

Yoga also helps you build balance, increase muscular strength to some degree, and fight age-related declines in your flexibility.

#18. Don’t Sit For More Than Thirty Minutes At A Time

Sitting for prolonged periods compromises blood flow in your lower extremities, slows down metabolism, and accelerates the rate at which your fat cells produce fat.

 Research suggests limiting sitting time to less than thirty minutes.

Make sure you take a five-minute standing break every thirty minutes.

#19. Walk Faster

Research shows that walking speeds of faster than 1.0 meter/second (m/s) helps you lose weight faster but also improves your joint mobility, muscle strength, sensory function, neural control, cognitive status, and energy levels. (*)

#20. Take The Stairs

Stair climbing is a cardio activity that’s perfect if you’re short on time or lack access to a gym.

You can do this on your lunch break.

In one study from BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, adults who climbed stairs for 3 minutes at a time one hour and then 2 hours after a meal had lower post-meal blood sugar levels.


3. Take Care of Your Skin


#21. Protect Your Skin From Ultraviolet (UV) Rays

Protect your skin by wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher each time you step outside.

Consider protecting yourself indoors, too. Although most windows block UVB rays, UVA rays can easily pass through windows. UVA rays can accelerate skin aging and even cause skin cancer.

Make sure you stay away from direct light as much as possible when you’re indoors.

#22. Wear Large Sunglasses

Sunglasses protect your eyes and the sensitive skin around your eyes from UV rays.

Invest in a pair and wear them whenever you’re outdoors, even on cloudy days.

31 percent of solar radiation can still pass through clouds and damage your eyes and skin. Snow-covered surfaces can reflect up to 80 percent and sand or water can reflect up to 25 percent UV rays.

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends larger frames and wraparound styles.

#23. Tint Your Car Windows

Studies show an increase in the sun damage on the left side of people’s faces, mainly caused by UV light pouring through the driver’s side window. (*)

Along with applying sunscreen on your hands, neck, arms, and face thirty minutes before stepping into your car and wearing sunglasses, consider tinting or applying a UV-protective film to your car’s windows.

Some states have laws and regulations about window tinting so make sure you check them before you tint.

#24. Exfoliate Your Skin

Exfoliating your skin removes dead skin cells from your skin’s outer layer, which increases your skin’s collagen production.

If you have dry or sensitive skin, use mild options like salicylic acid peels and if necessary, consult with a dermatologist.

If your skin is oily, use stronger chemical treatments like a salicylic acid wash or a scrub, or a brush.

Exfoliating once a week should be safe for dry or sensitive skin.

#25. Dry-Brush Your Skin

Dry brushing is an exfoliation-plus-massage treatment for your skin.

You basically move a dry brush (or mitt) with hard bristles slowly over your body in circular motions three to four times a week.

Experts say that doing this can increase your body’s blood flow and circulation, help remove dead skin cells, and get rid of cellulite on your body.

Make sure you use gentle pressure so you don’t damage the skin.

#26. Do Facial Exercises

Facial exercises help your skin look younger and firm, according to a study conducted by Northwestern University. (*)

Researchers explain that the exercises strengthened the facial muscles, making the face look firmer and more toned.

Here’s an exercise to get you started: start by smiling. Then make an “O” with your mouth, folding your upper lip over your front teeth.

Smile again, using the corners of your mouth to push your cheek muscles and toward your eyes.

Repeat ten times.

#27. Visit A Sauna

Beyond pleasure and relaxation, saunas have been associated with a number of health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia, and respiratory diseases. (*)

Saunas also help enhance collagen production, and get rid of dead skin cells, promoting the growth of newer and healthier ones.

#28. Soak In A Salt Bath

A salt bath will lessen the skin's roughness and redness and help bring moisture deep within the skin.

Get some Epsom salt. Add 2 cups of the salt to warm bath water and soak for a minimum of twelve minutes.

#29. Add Retinol to Your Skincare Routine

Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that’s been proven to smooth wrinkles, and reverse damage from the sun. (*)

This is mainly because retinol helps retain water and increase procollagen, a precursor to collagen.

When buying skin lotions and creams, check ingredient labels to find one that contains retinol.

Related: Best Skin Care Routine: 8 Steps to Build the Ideal Skin Care Routine At Home

#30. Use Coconut Oil to Minimize Eyelid Wrinkles

The skin on your eyelids is especially prone to dryness, and thus, wrinkles.

To keep your skin moist, apply a little coconut oil to your eyelids daily and massage it in gently in a circular motion.

#31. Let Go of Your Furrowing Habit

Many people are not even aware that they’re furrowing most of the time. This habit cause wrinkles and the more you frown, the deeper those folds can become.

Become aware when you’re furrowing and deliberately relax your forehead or put a tape on your forehead when you’re at home to remind you not to furrow your brow.

#32. Turn Down The Heat And Turn Up The Humidifier

High temperatures can dehydrate your skin, leading to dry and sometimes inflamed skin.

Aim to keep the temperature in your house no higher than 68°F (20°C).

Also, consider adding a humidifier (Set it to around 60 percent) to increase the water content in the air in your house and moisturizes your skin.

#33. Shorten Your Shower

While long, hot shower feels luxurious, they can be a drain on not only the environment but also your skin’s natural oils, which worsens your skin’s dryness and can lead to skin aging.

The hotter the water, the more moisture you lose.

Keep your showers under 5 minutes long and lower the water temperature so it’s warm rather than hot.

You may also consider applying a moisturizer after a shower over your entire body when your skin’s a little damp to lock in hydration.

#34. Stop Using Straws

Straws are not just harmful to the environment, they’re also harmful to your skin.

As with smoking, the movement you make with your mouth when using a straw promotes the breakdown of collagen and elasticity more quickly, causing unnecessary wrinkles and lines.


4. Lifestyle Changes


#35. Breathe Stress Away

Stress triggers a fight-or-flight response, which increases your heart rate and makes your breath shallow. Once the stressful situation ends, everything should return to normal.

However, many people today live in chronic stress, which means their bodies stay on high alert for long periods of time.

By deliberately breathing slowly, you help your body return to a relaxed state.

Try breathing into your belly for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7, then breathe out for a count of 8.

Related: How to Have a Less Stressful Life? Definitive Guide to Relieve Stress Instantly

#36. Avoid Pollution

Although your skin constitutes a barrier against pollution, exposure to harmful pollutants weakens that barrier, causing unwanted substances to penetrate the skin.

Research shows that an increase in exposure to particles from traffic causes 22 percent more pigment spots on the forehead and 20 percent more on the cheeks.

While it’s impossible to completely avoid air pollution, you can still take steps to prevent your skin from pollution-related damage.

  • Choose routes that don’t have as much traffic and avoid rush hours.
  • Roll up your car windows.
  • Use home plants to purify indoor air.

Related: Natural Living Checklist: The Beginner Guide to Non-Toxic Living

#37. Be Aware of Secondhand Smoke

Even if you’re not a smoker, secondhand smoke can age your skin as if you were smoking.

Even brief exposures to smoke can cause heart and breathing problems like coughing and shortness of breath.

If you live with a smoker, support them to quit and enforce a no-smoking policy in your car and house.

When going out to eat, avoid restaurants and cafes that allow smoking.

#38. Ventilate Your House

Studies show that people are spending 90 percent of their time indoors, and that indoor air could be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air.

This may cause respiratory illnesses, headaches; irritation of your eyes, nose, and throat; and even fatigue.

Make sure you ventilate the house during the day. You can also get indoor plants to help purify and improve the quality of the air.

#39. Correct Your Posture

A good posture helps improve your breathing, digestion, and blood circulation.

It also increases your positive feelings and boosts your confidence.

To improve your posture, make sure your shoulders are pulled back, your head is level, and your knees are slightly bent. When sitting, keep your feet on the floor

#40. Bring Your Phone to Eye Level

Using a smartphone for a long period of time can cause tech neck and increase lines and wrinkles around your neck.

Try bringing your phone up to eye level and notice your posture.

Related: How to Break Tech Addiction Using Digital Detox?

#41. Soothe Dry Eyes

Dry eyes can affect your vision.

Exposure to dry climates, wind, smoking, wearing contact lenses, looking at screens too long, medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes can cause dry eyes.

Ask your optometrist about prescription medications or try over-the-counter drops. Looking away from screens every few minutes can also help.

For immediate relief, apply a warm compress to your eyes to stimulate oil glands in your lids.

#42. Become A Morning Person

A study in the journal Chronobiology International found that night owls were nearly twice as likely as early risers to have a psychological disorder and 30 percent more likely to have diabetes. (*)

Although being a morning person or a night person is largely determined by your genetics, your environment plays a role, too.

Keeping regular bedtimes, rising up early, exposing yourself to natural light in the morning, and getting things done earlier can help you become a morning person.

#43. Enjoy The Morning Light

Morning light can help your body wake up as it resets your circadian rhythms.

Research also shows that people who are exposed to higher amounts of morning light fall asleep faster and stay asleep better.

Consider logging an outdoor workout during the morning, or simply open the windows as soon as you wake up.

#44. Sleep On A Satin Or Silk Pillowcase

Dry skin can make you look older. A cotton pillowcase absorbs moisture causing you to look dehydrated when you wake up.

To prevent that try sleeping on a pillowcase that’s made from satin or silk.

Silk or satin pillowcases, not only don’t absorb moisture, but their slippery surface lets your skin glide over it, reducing sleep lines.

#45. Invest In a Wardrobe That Fits and Flatters You

A British study shows that choosing the right clothes can make you look 15 YEARS younger. (*)

Consider investing in clothes that truly fit your shape.

#46. Start Wearing Higher-Waisted Pants to Avoid Muffin Top

You typically gain fat as you age, especially around your midriff, and can be difficult to get rid of – It’s often the first type of fat you gain and the last you lose.

Reducing stress, adopting a healthier diet, and exercise should help you lose and avoid accumulating fat in that area.

In the meantime, get high-wasited bottoms to smooth over bulges at your waistline.

#47. Read A Book For Thirty Minutes A Day

A study in the journal Social Science & Medicine revealed that people who read as little as thirty minutes a day (most likely fiction, versus newspapers or magazines) lived almost two years longer than non-readers. (*)

Researchers suggest that books promote cognitive functions, but also emotional intelligence and empathy, all of which lead to overall well-being and happiness.

Start carrying a book with you wherever you go to read when you’re stuck waiting or listen to audiobooks while commuting or exercising.

#48. Establish Good Sleep Habits

Poor sleep causes health issues, like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity, weakens your immune system, contributes to depression and other mental health disorders, and triggers premature skin aging and permanent skin discoloration.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that individuals older than eighteen get seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

Establish a nighttime routine that helps you relax and unwind at the end of the day. Try taking a relaxing bath, journaling, listening to soothing music, reading fiction, meditating.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends sleeping temperature to be between 60°F and 67°F.

Make sure the room is dark, stay away from electronics, and reduce noise around your bedroom as much as possible.

Related: How to Stop Bad Dreams and Nightmares and Have a Good Sleep?

#49. Shut Off Your Router At Night

Wi-Fi, computers, cell phones, and power lines emit electromagnetic radiation that can pose a danger to human health.

The World Health Organization believes electromagnetic fields could be carcinogenic to humans.

This is even more critical if you have kids at home, as electromagnetic fields pose the most danger to developing brains.

Turn off the Wi-Fi router at night and if possible keep electronic devices outside of your bedroom.

#50. Volunteer Regularly

Studies show that volunteering regularly can improve your well-being and make you look younger.

Even thirty minutes a week can make a difference. With technology, you don’t have to go anywhere physically to help.

Visit volunteermatch.org or contact an organization you’re passionate about to find opportunities to volunteer.

If you enjoy listening to other people, try volunteering as a listener in a platform, such as 7cupsoftea.com

#51. Take a Yearly Vacation

Vacations boost your mood and add years to your life. Even planning or anticipating an upcoming trip can lighten up your mood.

According to a study from the State University of New York at Oswego, vacationing every year reduced the risk of death from heart disease by as much as 30 percent.

#52. Adopt A Dog

Researchers found that people with dogs live longer and healthier. (*)

Why? Some studies have shown that dog owners tend to be more physically active and more social. (*)

Regardless of the mechanism, spending time with a dog can increase happiness and well-being.

If you can’t adopt one, consider visiting a local shelter and spending time with them or volunteering there. Also, you may offer to walk a friend’s or a neighbor’s dog.

#53. Whiten Your Teeth

White teeth have been shown to make you look five years younger and increase your attractiveness by 20 percent. (*)

Whitening your teeth can also boost your confidence.

Before you whiten your teeth, talk with your dentist to see if whitening is an option for you, as whitening can increase tooth sensitivity, although only temporarily, and gingival inflammation.


5. Harness The Power of Spirituality


#54. Practice Gratitude

Think of three things you’re grateful for right as soon as you wake up and right before you close your eyes to go to sleep.

Research shows that people who are more grateful experience less anxiety and depression, are more satisfied with life, and have better overall health. (*)

If you find it hard to remember practicing gratitude, try attaching it to another habit like brushing your teeth. Each time you wash your teeth, think of things to be grateful for.

Related: How to Express Gratitude? 10 Ways to Practice Gratitude Every Day

#55. Forgive

A growing number of studies are showing the connection between a long life and forgiveness.

Forgiving is not about the other person – it is about you and your peace of mind.

Free yourself from your suffering and allow yourself to enjoy your life again.

Related: How To Forgive And Free Yourself From Resentment And Bitterness?

#56. Have Faith

No matter what your spiritual inclinations are and whether you were religious or not, having faith can help improve your wellbeing and boost your longevity, according to a growing number of studies. (*)

One of the reasons is faith keeps you focused on the bigger picture and gives you life meaning.

#57. Meditate For At Least Five Minutes A Day

Meditation is a great stress buffer, which boosts your mood and health, according to a growing number of studies.

The good news is you don’t need to spend hours meditating every day to get the benefits. Even five minutes a day before you get out of bed or right before you fall asleep can be enough.

You may want to start with a guided meditation using an app before you do it on your own.

Related: Listen to Your Inner Guidance: A Beginner's Guide To Meditation

#58. Journal

Stress can wreak havoc on your mental and physical health.

One great way to reduce stress is journaling.

Keep a worry journal where you dump your worries from your head onto a paper.

This will not only help you feel less stressed, but can also clear your mind, leading you to find effective solutions.

Related: +100 Journal Prompts For Self-Discovery & Emotional Awareness

#59. Laugh More

Laughter is great for your mental and physical health.

It helps improve memory, decrease stress and muscle tension, boost your immune system, and build social connections.

Hang around funny friends, watch a comedy show, or pull up a funny video on YouTube.

#60. Cherish At Least Three Friends

Having close friends you can trust significantly reduces your stress and improves the quality of your life.

This makes sense when you consider how a compassionate ear can reduce your pain and make you feel cared for, and how sharing time with your friends can make you feel happier.

On the other side, people who are lonely have greater rates of depression and other chronic physical issues.

Related: How To Beat Loneliness And Enjoy Supportive Friendships?

#61. Work on Improving Your Relationship

A happy relationship has been linked to fewer severe diseases overall, less physical pain, and fewer hospitalizations.

Read books and attend workshops. Look up some romantic ideas and try some at least twice a week.

Related: How to Improve Your Social Skills? 30 Little Tricks To Success In Relationships


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How to Stay Young Forever Using Small Lifestyle Changes?


References

  • Portions of this article were adapted from the book Why Talking Is Not Enough: Eight Loving Actions That Will Transform Your Marriage, © 2006 by Susan Page. All rights reserved.

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