Our day-to-day behavior plays a pivot role in determining our longevity. Aside from environmental toxins that we unwillingly are exposed to, we do have some control over other chemicals substance like - drugs, alcohol, food preservatives etc.
There are some factors that are making us age more quickly that we bet you haven't thought of, here are 7 topics that must be brought to your attention.
Note: Recognizing behaviors that induce inflammation and stopping them is a key factor that allows us to stay healthy. It’s become evident that chronic inflammation plays a huge factor in illnesses like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, in fact almost all serious ailments. We would like to let you know in advance that inflammation is the result of most of the points listed below.
1. Allergies - For the most part, getting an allergic reaction equates to inflammation – and if your allergies are extremely severe, this means you continue to suffer through chronic inflammation. It is highly recommended that you take time to visit an allergist to check what you are allergic to – you may have a hidden allergy that you may not be aware of.
2. Sleep - We can all understand the toll taken on our body when we don’t get appropriate amount of rest. Bad mood and physical grogginess is much easier to observe from lack of sleep but, inflammation is also a result of consistently not getting enough rest. Along with triggering inflammation, lack of sleep also tampers with your metabolism and compromises your immune system. Most importantly, studies have shown that lack of sleep is a top tier contender for the reasons behind heart disease – and also in triggering allergies and asthma. Interestingly, consistently sleeping more than what is required also impacts your body negatively – try to hit 6-8 hours each day!
“Several studies have shown that both short and long sleep duration are associated with negative health outcomes, as well as all-cause mortality. Two recent meta-analyses of population based studies examining the relationship between sleep duration and all cause mortality reported a 10% and 12% increased all-cause-mortality in individuals with habitual short sleep duration. These same two meta-analyses found increased mortality associated with long sleep 23% and 30%, respectively.”
You can read a full depth analysis of sleeps relationship with inflammation shared by the
National Institutes of Health.
3. Weight - Not being able to fit into your favorite outfit should be last on your list of the side effects of being overweight. While being on the higher end of your recommended BMI isn’t all too bad, tipping over that point is. Once you are in the obese category, you are at risk for a huge list of ailments – a list we are quite sure most of you are familiar with. But just to throw some names at you, here are some illnesses that are caused from being obese: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, kidney disease, and pregnancy problems. Check out
this article to expand your understanding on the topic.
The weight issue is not exclusive being overweight, similar health issues can arise from being underweight. One of the main issues regarding being underweight is the deterioration of muscles.
“BMI reflects not only body fat, but also muscle mass. If we want to continue to use BMI in health care and public health initiatives, we must realize that a robust and healthy individual is someone who has a reasonable amount of body fat and also sufficient bone and muscle,” says Dr. Ray, a physician-researcher at St. Michael’s Hospital and the hospital’s Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.
Anemia, serious vitamin deficiencies (you don’t even understand the severity of the diseases that are cause from being vitamin deficient), organ damages/failures, and infertility are just a few of the conditions faced by an underweight person.
4. Retiring (early) - The beauty of modern technology and science has allowed mankind to extend its lifespan. Keeping this in mind, many people choose to not retire well into their 70’s instead of the usual 60s. The results of a study conducted by Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) showed that:
“Retirement decreases the likelihood of being in very ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ self-assessed health by about 40%.
Retirement increases the probability of suffering from clinical depression by about 40%.
Retirement increases the probability of having at least one diagnosed physical condition by about 60%.
Retirement increases the probability of taking a drug for such a condition by about 60%.”
The trick to staying healthy is reaming active and busy. This necessarily does not have to mean that you maintain your job. Travelling is one great way to keep the body and mind in check. Another great idea is to perhaps earn another degree or take classes! Adopting new hobbies will also help with this purpose. Bottom line, keep yourself occupied, and if you do feel depressed yet physically capable, then perhaps looking for a simpler second career may be ideal.
The report from the study done by Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) can be found
here.
5. Your Headphones and Concerts - The rush of being at a concert is like no other and we encourage everyone to go to as many as they possibly can, there is really nothing that can substitute a good live performance. But, depending on how close you stand to the speakers at a concert, and/or how loud you listen to your music, you may be seriously damaging your ears and nothing will make you feel older than not being able to hear properly.
While listening to music through headphones, it is logical to listen to the music with the volume at more appropriate level. For concerts, you can relieve your ears by using plugs. You can find them being sold at almost all venues.
Most people almost never consider getting a checkup done on their ears. If this sounds someone like you, then it may be in your interest to take these precautions.
6. Loneliness - It is easy to expect that feeling lonely can create depression and stress, but it also influences the blood pressure and immune system and can be the root of heart attacks and strokes. This situation is exponentially worse for those at older ages.
A study states that loneliness, or social isolation, is as hazardous to your overall well-being as being obese. “Not only are we at the highest recorded rate of living alone across the entire century, but we’re at the highest recorded rates ever on the planet,” says Brigham Young University psychology researcher and co-author of the study, Tim Smith. Their study showed that loneliness increased a person’s risk of death by 26%. More details on the study can be found
here.
Love is quite a crucial component of our well-being and sometimes imposing your presence on people who want to stay away from the world or are socially different is necessary.
7. Processed Carbs & Fake Food - We have all heard the saying, “you are what you eat.” The quality of the foods you eat is a quintessential factor in maintaining your health; your diet really is everything! Fast-food, junk food, sugary food, processed foods – you know what is good for you and what is not. Aside from gaining weight, certain questionable ingredients in packaged foods have raised numerous concerns ranging from cancers to organ failures – how they manage to be labelled “safe” is beyond us. You have to realize that food isn’t just calorie; all foods metabolize differently therefore quality of the ingredients matter significantly! Aside from completely avoiding hazardous foods, do your very best to stick to grass-fed animal products and organic produce also; for whatever reason, if you cannot access the organic fruits and veggies, then buying conventional ones is okay – just make sure to clean them thoroughly for harsh pesticides!
It is also highly encouraged that you adopt a regular exercise regimen also!
