Firm skin and a youthful appearance are something a lot of us take for granted in our twenties. Because we feel like we’ll look this good for years, sometimes in our youth we’ll drink too much alcohol, lay out in the sun too much, eat whatever we want (because our metabolism is still in high gear), and stay up too late on the weekends. Then somewhere around age 35 we look in the mirror and think, “What happened to my face? What happened to my body?”
It’s a fact...aging catches up to each one of us. Of course, lifestyle and genetic factors play a key role, but the problem is a lot of people abuse their bodies until one day, they look like they aged 10 or 15 years out of nowhere. We all feel that “sinking feeling” at some point, though some people later than others.
Whether you’re in your twenties or fifties, the same lifestyle factors can either delay or speed up the aging process, so let’s look at the factors that contribute to early aging:
- Sun
- Toxins
- Smoking
- A poor diet
- Dehydration
- Excess weight
- Emotional stress
- Excessive alcohol consumption
If you have been living an unhealthy lifestyle, it’s going to show. Depending on your habits, an unhealthy lifestyle may lead to acne, obesity, a lack of energy, depression, anxiety, poor skin tone (due to smoking or sun exposure), cellulite, sleep disturbances, and let us not forget – premature aging.
A poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle especially, can lead to weight gain, and a host of preventable diseases, such as heart disease, Type II diabetes, and various cancers. If your lifestyle habits leave something to be desired and you want to tap into the Fountain of Youth, you must start replacing your unhealthy habits for good ones right away.
Tap Into Your Fountain of Youth
These are our tips for anti-aging. If you start incorporating them, you could not only slow down the aging process, but you could add years to your life!
- Get daily exercise. We recommend incorporating both cardio and weight training to achieve maximum results. If you’re over 40, weight training is essential for maintaining bone mass.
- Eat a clean organic diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods, such as eggs, legumes, fruits and vegetables, wild-caught fish, antibiotic-free chicken and turkey, nuts and seeds.
- Stay AWAY from processed foods and added sugars.
- Avoid monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is found in many processed foods.
- Drink loads of water.
- Remove soda from your diet.
- Get seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
- Use only quality cosmetics and skincare products.
- Wear sunscreen with a high SPF.
- Focus on appreciation and gratitude.
- Think positive thoughts.
- Find ways to de-stress, such as hiking, massage, yoga, exercise, and removing toxic people from your life.
- Stay within a healthy weight range for your height.
Our advice is to take care of yourself – you only have one body and you want to ensure it’s as healthy as it can be. When you’re eating right and exercising, you’ll feel more self-confident and you’ll know that you look good!
Of course, at some point, we all benefit by combining the latest non-surgical and surgical techniques with a healthy lifestyle – that’s how we look our 100% best. If you’re ready to explore your options, contact us today for a one-on-one consultation with our Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Yuly Gorodisky.