There are several reasons why you might look older or younger than you are. Very often, this has everything to do with your genes and, of course, your lifestyle. You can’t do anything about the gene factor, but you can adjust your lifestyle. Because let’s face it: who wouldn’t want to look younger?
Indeed, it’s nice to look young, but the most important thing is keeping your body young. Here are some unusual things that can actually make you age faster:
1) Consuming Too Much Red Meat
It’s not so much about eating meat in general, but more about the amount and not in balance with the consumption of fruits and vegetables. This imbalance leads to an increase in serum phosphate in the blood. An excess of phosphate can lead to kidney disease. A balanced diet with enough meat, vegetables, and fruit keeps your body from aging prematurely and keeps you healthy.
2) Drinking Bottled Water
As tempting as it may be, drinking bottled water has lots of disadvantages. Not only has it been proven that if you drink from a bottle every day, you get more wrinkles around your lips, but older bottles may also contain chemicals that seep into the water. Besides, there may be other contaminants present in the bottle materials. Potential algae or mold growth issues may also be a problem, depending on how the product is stored.
3) You Sit More Than 8 Hours a Day
We have overlooked one thing with all the technological advances: we don’t have to move around much anymore. Most of our work is done sitting, sometimes 8 hours a day. Moreover, now that many people have to work from home due to all the Coronavirus measures, people are even more behind the PC and laptop. Unfortunately, a sedentary lifestyle is disastrous for your body. Are you sitting for 8 hours or more a day? Then your body is biologically 8 years older. Want to avoid that? Make sure you exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.
4) You Have No Close Friends
As crazy as it sounds, a lack of real friends can age your body. Studies have shown that loneliness has the same effect on the body as smoking. These effects are seen in people with few social contacts and people who devote little or no time to them. Doing something fun with friends will also keep you moving, which in turn affects your overall health.
5) Not Showering After Exercise
It’s not a matter of hygiene, but sweat irritating your skin. This, in turn, can cause damage and even aging of your skin. That is why it is crucial to cleanse your skin in the morning and just before sleep. You should also wash your skin after exercising. Can’t or don’t want to shower after exercising? Then try at least rinsing your face to remove all the sweat.
6) You Take Too Many Supplements
A lack of specific vitamins and minerals is indeed fatal. This is reflected in hair loss, but brittle nails are also a sign on the wall that there are deficiencies. The other side of the story is that people quickly start taking too many supplements. This can lead to your body becoming slightly poisoned, causing it to age faster. To avoid this, get your blood tested regularly, so you know for sure where and how much you are lacking. Think especially about vitamin B12 and vitamin D.
Aging is a natural process. If you suffer from a chronic condition or disease, the process could go much faster than normal. However, if this is not the case, pay attention to the things mentioned above to prevent your body from premature aging.
