9 habits to help slow down the aging process

Stay away from stress

Nobel Prize-winning physiologist and medical researcher Elizabeth Blackburn has shown that telomeres (a structure at the end of chromosomes) are responsible for the aging process of cells. The shorter the telomeres, the faster the aging process will occur. Chronic stress will shorten telomeres. This is the explanation for why frequent stress will make you age faster. To avoid accelerating the aging process, you need to think positively, eliminate stress, and find a way to balance life and work.

Be with the people you love

Blackburn’s study also found that people who lived happily in a community had longer telomeres. Another study found that people who were married or had long-term friendships had longer telomeres, which means they age more slowly. Spending more time with family and friends can help increase emotional connection and slow down aging.

Eat fewer calories

A two-year scientific study on monkeys showed that the group of monkeys with a lower calorie diet lived longer than the other group. Adjust your diet, cut down on unnecessary calories from fast food and carbonated drinks. Increase your intake of green foods or nuts. A recent study by the University of Scranton showed that walnuts contain the most antioxidants of all foods. Eating 3 walnuts a day will help you stay healthy and younger.

Brain Training

Exercise is important, but don’t forget to exercise your brain. Reading, learning a foreign language, and playing games that involve brain activity can also help slow down the aging process. Recent studies have shown that learning increases the number of nerve cells, making the brain younger.

Light makeup

You should wear light makeup and limit the use of cosmetics containing parabens because parabens can disrupt the production of estrogen, accelerating the aging process in women. You should use cosmetics with natural extracts and limit heavy makeup.

Spend 15 minutes in the sun

Using sunscreen is a very important factor in reducing the harmful effects of sunlight, which causes aging. However, a recent study by the British Cancer Institute shows that you should spend 15 minutes a day in the sun without using sunscreen so that your skin can synthesize vitamin D. This is an important ingredient in preventing skin cancer.

Dance more

A recent study has shown that dancing is the most effective exercise to fight the aging process. Regular dancing helps increase the activity of the hippocampus (a part of the brain involved in information retention, long-term memory formation and spatial orientation). Thanks to that, you will stay younger longer.

Go to bed before 12 o'clock

Researchers agree that the time between 11pm and 3am is when the skin regenerates and recovers. That's why you should go to bed at 11pm or earlier and get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Chronic sleep deprivation not only makes you feel tired but also actually ages you. Research from Harvard Medical School also shows that people who sleep more than 7 hours a night have more stable blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Vitamin enhancement

Antioxidants help prevent the harmful effects of sunlight and cigarette smoke on the body. The simplest way to supplement antioxidants for the body is through diet. The most powerful antioxidants that slow down the aging process are selenium, vitamin E and vitamin C. Selenium is abundant in Brazil nuts, beef, tuna, beef liver... Vitamin E is abundant in chestnuts, green vegetables, spinach, avocado, papaya... Vitamin C is abundant in guava, broccoli, strawberries, kiwi...