8 Healthy Habits that Keep You Looking Years Younger

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The fountain of youth – it’s what we’re all looking for! Not only do we want to live a long, healthy life, we also want to look a lot younger than we actually are. And there is nothing wrong in trying to look fresher and more beautiful as long as it is done in a healthy manner.

Several men and women succumb to the temptation of going under the knife to enhance their looks, and smooth out their skin. Of course, doing so is a completely personal decision, but it is important to remember that such procedures often come with short and long-term side-effects.

The centuries-old quest to find the fountain of youth has made almost everyone spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on anti-aging products, beauty treatments and plastic surgeries.

The secret to turning back the clock (or at least slowing it a little), however, lies not in the above methods, but in your lifestyle.

Here are few habits you can include in the way you live to take the years off your face.

1. Start Eating Healthy

It is said you are what you eat. If that’s true, every fiber of your body is probably made from what you ingest. By that logic, it makes sense to banish unhealthy, junk food from your palate and stick to eating light and healthy.

Your diet definitely impacts your health and the way you look. Eating fresh, green, nutritious vegetables and fruits will keep you healthy from the inside, which will manifest itself on the outside through your glowing skin.

Make it a point to include carotene, vitamin C, selenium and zinc, which are abundant in fresh produce, in your daily diet. Vitamin E is essential for younger-looking skin and is found aplenty in nuts and seeds.

Antioxidant-rich foods help increase cell-regeneration as well as hasten the production of elastin and collagen, keeping your skin firm and wrinkle-free. Consuming flax seeds and fatty fish can aid tissue repair.

2. Keep Yourself Hydrated

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Keeping your body hydrated is essential to cleanse yourself internally and make your skin look plump, moist, and supple. Shun aerated and caffeinated beverages and drink water, juices, and other natural drinks.

Water is necessary for carrying out almost all important life processes including perspiration and removal of bodily waste. Keeping yourself detoxified and hydrated also ensures a delay in the appearance of the signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles, which become more conspicuous when you’re dehydrated.

3. Get Movin’

Being physically active not only keeps you fit and your weight in check, but also helps in offsetting the signs of aging. Exercising improves overall muscle mass as well as raises the HDL (High Density Lipoproteins a.k.a. good cholesterol) cholesterol level in your body.

Simple physical activities such as walking, jogging, and playing outdoor sports can keep you lean and strong, which in turn, will make you look and feel better and younger.

4. Wear Sunscreen

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One of the main causes that lead to premature or quick aging of the skin is the sun and its harmful UV rays. Too much exposure to it can result in permanent skin damage which brings about an early onset of wrinkles, sun spots, skin darkening, uneven skin tone, dryness and so on. These can make you look much older than your actual age.

It is best to wear high-quality sunscreen with built-in moisturizer and a high SPF every day throughout the year, whether you’re indoors or outdoors. Do not limit its application to your face, but apply it on your neck, hands, and all other exposed areas.

5. Ban Smoking and Drinking

We all know smoking and drinking is harmful to our health, but most of us indulge in them anyway. If you cannot completely give them up in an instant, you can do so gradually by cutting back on them.

Smoking gives you ‘smoker’s face,’ which cannot be good. Every puff you take makes you pay with your health as cigarette smoke contains toxins which are absorbed by your skin.

Smoking also thins your skin and reduces the production of collagen, which keeps it firm.

While drinking alcohol in moderation may have its health benefits, its consumption can be detrimental to your appearance. It dehydrates your body and drains out the essential vitamins and minerals. It also affects your liver negatively.

Cutting down on alcohol will result in your liver functioning more resourcefully and eliminating the toxins/impurities from your body more efficiently. This will make you look and feel younger.

Smoking and drinking have several long-term adverse effects on your health. Your appearance is just one of the several reasons why you shouldn't be smoking and/or drinking.

6. Get Your Beauty Sleep

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Whatever you do, ensure that you get enough sleep and rest to look youthful and more beautiful. When you sleep, your body starts to renew, repair and restore cells, which keeps you healthier and younger.

Experts suggest getting a good 8 hours of sleep daily.

7. Use Good-Quality Cosmetics

Makeup is applied directly to your skin, which is why it can have a direct adverse effect on it too. Low-quality makeup or one which has surpassed its expiry date can result in premature aging and damage to your skin. It is, therefore, important to buy high-quality, branded makeup which suits your skin.

To know which cosmetics work for you, pickup testers, freebies or samples of the beauty products you use. Depending on the results, buy your cosmetics. Choose cream-based makeup products over powder-based ones.

Never go to bed with makeup on as that is akin to asking for wrinkles. It is important to clean your pores before you hit the sack, or else you will be left with blocked pores, acne, broken-down collagen and elastin, and fine lines and wrinkles. Always clean and moisturize your skin before sleeping.

8. Learn to Relax and Smile Often

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Try meditation, yoga, or deep breathing to keep yourself calm internally and bring down your stress levels. This will result in a general feeling of bliss and reflect in your health.

Smile more often by doing so, you’re naturally exercising your facial muscles, which is important to firm up your skin.

Conclusion

While aging is a natural part of life, looking older or deterioration of health doesn’t have to be. With every passing year, it becomes more and more important to preserve our health to feel our very best for as long as possible. While making the above lifestyle changes is your choice, rest assured that these small changes can make a big difference in sprucing up your health and appearance.