It has been said that one of the greatest paradoxes of life is that when you are young, you have not gathered enough experience to know what to do; yet when you have gained the wisdom of age, you have no energy to do anything with it. Nowadays, the lack of youthfulness is no longer a preserve of the elderly, it affects even the young. But what if you could have it all? You can enjoy every bit of your life with vigour from your youth to old age. This can be achieved by developing the following habits of healthy and youthful people.
- Get Enough Sleep
The consequences of lack of enough sleep are both immediate and long term. A person who has not had enough sleep is usually irritable, groggy and generally unfocused. It is indeed difficult to stay positive having not had enough sleep. It has been confirmed that when lack of enough sleep becomes a regular occurrence, it increases your chances of suffering from diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It also leads to low immunity and it makes it difficult for you to lose weight. With the above information in mind, it is imperative for you to form a habit of getting enough sleep every day.
The recommended amount of sleep for adults is 7 to 9 hours every day. If you have trouble getting to sleep you should consider natural aids such as almond milk or valerian root. Another thing you can do is to create a sleep friendly environment – get rid of all electronics that glow and consider investing in a cooling pillow and / or a white noise sound machine.
- Keep Your Skin Protected from UV Rays
Exposure to direct sunlight damages your skin by causing free radicals to form in it. When these free radicals form, they destroy the DNA of your skin. In the worst-case scenario, it causes skin cancer. Even if the exposure does not cause you to get cancer, it causes the collagen in your skin to break down. When collagen breaks down it leaves you with a thinner skin which makes you look aged. The effects of this, however is not only in the appearance. Being the biggest organ in the body, an unhealthy skin negatively affects your overall feeling of wellness. There are several ways you can protect your skin from UV rays. They include regularly applying sunscreen when going out in the sun or being appropriately attired. Forming a habit of taking fish oils is also helpful. Fish oil protects your skin from sun rays at the DNA level.
- Maintain a healthy diet
Eating healthy is probably the best way to maintain your health and youth. It is true we are what we eat, and a well-balanced diet will leave you with a well-balanced body. Although the allure of fast foods is great, make a deliberate effort to avoid them and take full meals. Highly refined foods such as canned foods should be avoided. There are many unhealthy preservatives used in them. If it is not possible to completely avoid fast foods, they should not form a significant part of your diet. One other important thing you should reduce from your diet to a bare minimum is sugar. Sugar has been associated with obesity, diabetes, memory loss and many other diseases. It is impossible to maintain health and youth when your sugar intake is high.
- Exercise
Exercise is one of the most important ways of maintaining health and youth. The human body loses vitality when it is not exercised. According to research, a life without exercise is 50% more likely to cause death than obesity.
Some of the diseases that can be avoided by regular exercises include cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, certain cancers, hypertension, diabetes and many others. With all these benefits, it is no wonder that regular exercise is one of the most common habits of healthy and youthful people.
- Avoid stress
Stress is a big risk to health. It has been associated with numerous illnesses including cardiovascular disease, depression, obesity, back pain, neck pain, sleep disorders and headaches. Stress also changes insulin levels and blood sugar levels. When the levels of the two are changed, it becomes more likely that the body will store fat in the abdominal section. Such an eventuality might lead to insulin resistance.
It is not possible to completely avoid stress, but it can be reduced by forming such habits as being more organized at work and in your finances and minding your own business. Finding your purpose and pursuing it is key to reduction of stress.
- Avoid drugs
This would probably fall under habits to avoid but it is important to mention. But even legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco have negative effects on your health. Smoking is probably the greatest preventable cause of diseases and death in the world. it causes heart disease, different types of cancer, stroke, hypertension and so on. Smoking also leads to the breakdown of collagen in the skin causing wrinkles. Alcohol, on the other hand destroys the liver and inhibits cognitive ability.
- Drink water
Drinking water regularly helps in rehydration of the skin which helps you maintain that youthful look. It also prevents muscle fatigue which keeps you energetic. The kidneys also benefit when you drink water as does the digestive system. When the digestive system works well, it helps in reduction of weight. You should form a habit of drinking at least two liters of water per day.
While old age is inevitable, it doesn’t have to be degenerative. Adopting these seven habits of healthy and youthful people will help you enjoy the benefits of age with vitality. Poor habits are likely to rob you of your youth due to illnesses and lack of energy.
Author bio:
Amina Spencer is the Senior Editor of TodayBestReviews.com. She reviews different products that belong to various niches. Amina worked as a Content Marketer for almost two years, but she decided to make a change in career. That is why now she provides useful information about different products to her readers. She graduated from International Marketing, Hult International Business School.
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