Healthy Habits That Will Keep You Looking and Feeling Younger

 

Are you beginning to be conscious about the steady progress of aging in your body? Since it is a natural process, aging is something you cannot avoid. But you can slow it down by eating healthy foods and a proactive lifestyle.

 The following are ways in which you can look and feel younger by living a healthy lifestyle:

 

Brain Function

 

 

The human brain starts to shrink by 2 percent every decade once you hit your mid-twenties. That is a big issue in the part of the brain that deals with short-term memory and problem solving also known as the frontal lobe. However, scientific research has shown that eating at least two servings of green leafy vegetables gave individuals the mental focus of people who were five years younger.

  

A Healthy GI Tract

As people age, the nerve cells linked to the gastrointestinal tract die off slowly. It, therefore, becomes hard for individuals to move waste through the duodenum. That is why older people tend to be constipated more frequently. They don’t feel like they used to, especially when it comes to the health of their digestive system. Eating more fiber can help. You can get that from fruits, beans, vegetables, and whole grain bread and cereals.

 

Glowing Skin

After the twenties, the body tends to produce collagen more slowly and shed dead skin cells even slower. If you have the genetic disposition, you may keep the youthful look. For the not so lucky, you have to eat more beta-carotene and lycopene which reduce the free radicals that make the skin look aged. The best foods to have in your diet include watermelon, tomatoes, leafy greens, cantaloupe, carrots, and sweet potatoes

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Building and Maintaining Muscle Mass

After the age of 30, the metabolism rate slows down by between 1 and 2 percent every decade making older individuals more prone to accumulate fat. Muscle mass also diminishes around 3% to 5% a decade in physically inactive people beyond the age of 30.  It may not be possible to completely prevent muscle loss, however with regular exercise you can certainly mitigate the effects . Together with eating  nutrient-dense, high protein foods and exercising with weight or resistance training, you will be sure to maintain  and even gain some lean muscle mass in some instances. It may be necessary to consult a health professional to assess the level of activity that is appropriate for your age, but with some cardio, resistance training, and proper nutrition know that it is very well possible to stay lean and healthy even with age.

Heart Health

With the passage of time, the walls of the heart and arteries tend to grow thick and stiff. This is a major cause of the buildup of plaque and high blood pressure. The best diet for preventing high blood pressure should essentially consist of olive oil, dairy, poultry, fish, beans, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. 

 

Also consider incorporating garlic, ginger, and apple cider vinegar into your diet, as these have been noted to be extremely helpful with heart heath. Consume theses items and you and also likely to have very minimal blood cholesterol and weight gain.

Bone Health

As the bone-building process slows down after age 30, the wastage rate increases. That is especially serious in women who suffer from osteoporosis due to the postmenopausal decrease of estrogen. Foods that contain vitamin D and calcium such as yogurt and milk should make part of the diet. Eating leafy greens that contain vitamin K can also help.

 

Look and feel your best at any age.

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