Everyday Habits That Age Your Body

Aging is inevitable. But that doesn't mean you're powerless to slow it down a bit. The first thing you can do is stop giving Father Time a helping hand without realizing it, by indulging in everyday habits that actively age your body. Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You May Have Already Had COVID.

Not Getting Enough Sleep

Sad Woman Lying On Bed

Scientists at UCLA found that just one night of bad sleep actually makes older adults' cells age faster. Perhaps not surprising: During sleep, many of the body's vital systems repair and refresh themselves. Poor-quality sleep has been associated with everything from accelerated skin aging to a higher risk of chronic diseases including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and dementia.

Eating Too Much Sugar

Smiling young woman having an unhealthy snack, she is taking a delicious pastry out of the fridge

Consuming too many foods high in added sugar can age you inside and out, having a negative effect on everything from your brain to your skin. Researchers have found that eating excessive amounts of sugar can actually cause wrinkles by damaging collagen and elastin, the two proteins that keep our skin young. "Findings from research studies suggest that a diet containing lots of sugar or other refined carbohydrates can accelerate aging," says the American Academy of Dermatology.

Smoking

cigarettes

This week, it was reported that cigarette sales went up in 2020 for the first time in 20 years. Taking up smoking remains a very bad move for many reasons. One is that it ages you. According to a study published in JAMA, researchers found that cigarette smokers had three times the wrinkles of nonsmokers. The hundreds of toxins in cigarette smoke cause blood vessels to constrict, preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching the skin. "Smoking greatly speeds up how quickly skin ages," says the AAD. "It causes wrinkles and a dull, sallow complexion."

Stressing Out

Mature businessman experiencing a headache while working at his desk

"Chronic stress can age you," says Jeanette Kimszal, RDN, NLC, a registered dietitian nutritionist with Root Nutrition & Education. "Inflammation from stress can increase anxiety, poor cognition, and insomnia." Stress management techniques—like regular exercise and relaxation practices such as mindfulness, meditation and deep breathing—can help.

Staring At Screens

Woman texting on smartphone

You could be prematurely aging yourself right now. Scientists say that getting too much exposure to blue light, the kind emitted from phones and computer screens, may accelerate aging. A 2019 study published in Aging and Mechanisms of Disease found that blue light can damage cells in the brain and eyes. To avoid this, the researchers recommend getting as much natural light as possible, wearing blue light glasses, and limiting your screen time. And to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

The post Everyday Habits That Age Your Body appeared first on Eat This Not That.

Eat This Not That

These 5 Grocery Items Are Cheaper Than Ever Right Now

The grocery industry has been facing major disruptions. The combined effects of the pandemic, climate change, and economic uncertainty over the past couple of years have culminated in a series of supply chain breakdowns. For the consumer, this means supply shortages , shipping delays , and temporary store closures are becoming more commonplace – and all of the added production cost to suppliers is driving up food prices . The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index report for January 2022 was released on Feb. 9, and it tells the story of cost trends for every spending category over the past year. Now the numbers are in, and since January 2021, "food at home" spending has increased 7.4%. Consumers should use this number as a benchmark, Phil Lempert, the consumer behavior analyst and founder behind Supermarket Guru , told Eat This, Not That! "Anything that's substantially less [than the 7.4% increase] is a deal," said Lempert. "When you

When Should I Take Creatine?

Creatine is probably the most well-researched supplement on the market today. Numerous studies have found positive adaptations in strength, power and muscle mass thanks to creatine supplementation—especially when it's combined with resistance training. Although the benefits of creatine are well-known to lifters, the best time to take it isn't common knowledge. Which leads us to some important questions: Does an optimal time for consuming creatine exist? If it does, should you take it before or after your workout? According to a new study published in the Journal of Exercise and Nutrition, the timing of creatine ingestion does indeed play a role in getting bigger and stronger. Creatine supplementation before resistance training increases muscular strength and lean muscle mass. Interestingly, taking creatine immediately after lifting weights results in greater muscle growth than taking it immediately before. However, in terms of strength gains, no difference betw

Reentry Anxiety Is Real - Why You May Experience It as Stay-at-Home Measures Ease

When the coronavirus stay-at-home orders began in March, most people's lives changed in immeasurable ways. At the time, we were bombarded with (admittedly, very helpful) advice on how to cope with anxiety , should we experience it during this time of social distancing and sheltering in place. But with restrictions slowly starting to ease in many parts of the world, there are many people who have seen an increase in anxiety all over again, this time about leaving their homes and reentering society. Posts about people's growing anxiety have been popping up around social media for the past couple of weeks, and it's given rise to the term "reentry anxiety." We wanted to find out exactly what reentry anxiety is, whether it's normal to be experiencing trepidation about leaving your stay-at-home orders, and how to cope if you are feeling anxious. What Is Reentry Anxiety? The short answer is that "post-lockdown anxiety is real," said Dr. Balu Pitchiah ,

Weight Loss Tricks

Search This Blog