Many people are aware of the regular tips that increase wrinkles and make you age quicker — such as smoking cigarettes, exposing your skin to the sun, not eating right and not having enough rest. If you know and practice these tips, you’re right. But do you that there are some habits you are probably fond of and you’re unaware that it could make you look older?
I’d share some of those habits with:
1. HOLDING GRUDGES
Forgiveness is very hard for many people, and a lot of people tend to hold grudges and harbour things that people have done to them in the past without letting go. Do you know that this could make you age quicker?
Holding grudges add stress to your life, and boosts the stress hormone, cortisol which could even lead to high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
A study done in 2005 published in the Journal of Behavioural Medicine found a link between forgiveness and reduction in stress.
You tend to harbour more stress when you hold a grudge.
2. HIGH SUGAR INTAKE
This is no joke; an increase in sugar intake can also spike your aging process, and various researches have shown that.
A 2014 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that drinking sugary drinks may speed up your body’s aging process. A 2009 study published in PLoS Genetics found a connection between a rise in age-related diseases and overconsumption of sugar.
3. CERTAIN FACIAL EXPRESSIONS WHILE LIFTING WEIGHTS
Exercising might be a good habit, but then, certain facial expressions like squinting and groaning can strain your facial muscles.
Straining your facial muscles and some awkward expressions on your face can cause wrinkles in the long run.
4. NOT MANAGING STRESSFUL SITUATIONS WELL
Stress will never go away completely, but how you manage it will go a long way in making you look healthier. Stress increases the concentration of the hormones cortisol and norepinephrine in the bloodstream, which will increase blood blood pressure, weaken your immune system and shrink certain cognitive functions. This wouldn’t only make you look older, but would also make you feel older.
5. YOU DON’T EAT FRUITS AND VEGGIES DAILY
By now you probably know the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, but then do you eat them often? They have powerful antioxidants that will fight free radicals that could harm your body and skin, and a lack of these antioxidants creates room for free radicals to wreak havoc on your skin.
6. YOU DON’T MAKE TIME FOR SEX
A lot of married couples starve themselves of sex and don’t know the importance of sex. A particular study found that sex could make you look up to 12 years younger, and this is no joke. Research has shown that people with active sex lives have stronger immune systems and live a happier life.
7. RUBBING YOUR EYES
Rubbing your eyes is a normal practice for many, but it isn’t all that healthy. Rubbing your eyes aggressively can cause trauma to the under eye area and stress that area of the skin, making it to look darker and less youthful.
Have you been found wanting in any of these habits? The time for a change is now.
S.O.Z