7 Things to Stay Away From to Age Gracefully

Aging is inevitable. We all age as years pile up on us. A few, unfortunately, get to look older before they are really old, while some don’t seem to age at all. It as if time stood still on them.

They are said to have “aged gracefully.”

They are either admired at parties, or subjects of nasty and envious rumors. Either way, they seem successful holding back the effects of aging, physically and mentally.

While a lot would immediately genetics as their secret for remaining youthful, what is unknown to the rest of us are the habits they developed early on that made them look young while the rest of us are as wrinkled as prunes that have been left out of the box too long.

Here are some of there that made them forever young:

1. Wearing too much make-up:

Mireille Guilliano, author of “French Women Don’t Get Facelifts,” stresses the importance of keeping makeup clean and natural.

She says, “Stop trying to dress like your daughter or younger self… go lighter on makeup. Too much makeup as we age generally makes us look worse, not better. Think twice about drawing attention to your sags and wrinkles.”

2. Too much salt in the diet:

Aging gracefully is not just about your outside, but inside as well. What ails you internally will manifest externally.

Salt causes blood pressure to rise which could lead to hypertension which, in turn causes serious medical conditions like heart attack, stroke and a decline in cognitive functioning.

If you don’t want to look older than you really are, or succumb to cardiac arrest or stroke, don’t take foods containing sodium that is more than 20% of your body’s daily requirement.

3. Negative thoughts:

Numerous studies have shown that positive people are less prone to mental decline and lead happier lives.

In a 2011 survey (Huffington Post), it was shown that older people leading happier lives have a 35% lower risk of dying early than unhappy ones, and they

are less likely to develop coronary heart disease.

4. Watching too much TV:

An Australian study showed that people 25 yrs old us, lose 22 minutes of their life expectancy for every hour of watching TV – even if you are watching your “Sex and the City.”

Watching too much TV makes you vulnerable to several aging agents like sedentary lifestyle and social isolation.

5. Too much sun:

Too much exposure is definitely not good for the skin as it damages the skin.

If you like to bask in the sun or work where too much sun is unavoidable, always use a sunscreen. This seemingly little protection will prevent premature skin spots, skin drying and wrinkles.

6. Stress:

A life without stress is impossible. Ironically, too much stress makes life even more impossible.

Stress causes a barrage of health problems like sleeplessness, depression, heart disease, and obesity among other.

Studies show that stress makes you 10 years older.

People who have managed to “age gracefully,” are not stress-free. They are just more successful in managing their stress.

They exercise, do yoga, or something that takes their minds off what are stressing them; or simply isolate themselves from the world even a few minutes in a day.

Whether you intend to age gracefully or not, controlling stress is necessary if you want to enjoy life a little longer.

7. Overindulging:

Ever heard of the saying, “too much of everything is harmful?”

Too much joy or too much sorrow will both overload the heart. While alcohol is good for digestion, too much of it destroys body cells.

There is nothing in this whole, wide world that is failsafe. While everything can be considered safe at a certain point, beyond that can do untold damage to your body, especially if done repeatedly.

So exercise moderation. Life will not end tomorrow if you don’t satiate yourself today.

Take a lesson from Democritus who said, “Throw moderation to the winds, and the greatest pleasures bring the greatest pains.”

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