“People don’t grow old; when they stop growing, they become old.”
Deepak Chopra
In the 21st century, many more people are living longer and more vitally.
Skin ageing is affected by a huge variety of biological processes influenced by a combination of factors. A beautiful, glowing, healthy skin is considered one of the principal factors showing “well-being”, no wonder why several anti-ageing remedies have been developed during the last decades.
Prevention of getting wrinkles, sagginess, dark spots and fine lines that tack years onto your appearance, starts with making smart lifestyle and nutritional changes in your day to day life.
Here are some simple tips...do try this at home!
1. Increase Sleep:
Not getting enough sleep can sabotage health and speed up mental decline quicker than we think.
Ageing is nothing more than a collection of symptoms signalling that our body isn’t repairing and reproducing itself the way it should.
Lack of sleep can lead to issues such as an ageing brain, growth hormone deficiencies, high insulin levels and other markers.
Our bodies start to go through many physical and mental forms of deterioration at times of sleep deprivation. When we lack sleep the first place where it's going to show is around the eyes. Under-eye wrinkles, neck & forehead wrinkles, crows feet. Other signs of ageing, triggered by continuous lack of sleep may be heart rate irregularities, aching joints, overweight, a challenged immune system and difficulty in maintaining one's temperature.
When one doesn't sleep enough ones simply produce more of the hormone cortisol (also called the ageing hormone because it breaks down the body's skin cells) and less of the human growth hormone, that keeps the skin more supple and youthful.
2. Cut out sugar
Here is the bad news. Sugar affects your ageing process massively.
6 years ago I embarked on a sugar-free journey I never regretted.
My health, skin, energy improved more than I would have thought. Many symptoms I was experiencing before, disappeared.
By no means I'm saying giving up the white stuff was easy but with a good dose of self-love and appreciation, it can be done!
Sugar intake shortens your life
Studies have proven how sugar converts to belly fat, leading to a path of extra weight — and other issues. 24 teaspoons of different sugars, including sugar from “healthy” honey and orange juice, decrease your neutrophils’ ability to destroy bacteria, thereby compromising the immune system.
Another study found sugar triggers buildup of toxic amyloid proteins, responsible for dementia. Older adults who consumed excess sugar and other carbohydrates increased their risk for dementia compared with older adults who ate a higher-fat and protein diet.
Sugar makes you age faster.
Scientists have carried on studies proving how chronic sugar intake produces glycation in the body, a process that damages collagen and elastin fibres in the skin. Glycation is a process in which the sugar in the bloodstream attaches to proteins, forming harmful new molecules.
In the long run, it may result in, wrinkles, sagginess and discolouration.
This process not only further contribute to accelerated ageing, but can also make the skin more vulnerable to damage from the sun. Even greater concentrations of free radicals are generated by consuming high fructose corn syrup.
One last thought DESSERT is the anagram for STRESSED!
3. Increase anti-oxidants
Your body needs different types of antioxidants as each one targets different types of cells and tissues to counteract free radicals: water-soluble (like Vitamin C, glutathione and catechins) and lipo-soluble (like Vitamin A, D, E and K)
Vitamin C is the major water-soluble antioxidant and acts as first defence against free radicals in whole blood and plasma.
It helps to fight off the damage caused by chemicals toxins and chemicals from our daily life. Sun exposure, tobacco smoke, pollution, and even stress hormones from our own body, promote ageing.
It can be consumed via a healthy diet of oranges, grapefruit, broccoli, sweet red pepper, strawberries, kiwi, watermelon, spinach, etc., or can be taken in supplement form, either topical or oral.
Vitamin E is a lipo-soluble vitamin found in cell membranes. It protects against oxidative damage by acting directly with a variety of radicals. Some researches have highlighted Vitamin E to play a role in the prevention of atherosclerosis inhibiting oxidative modifications of LDLs.
Astaxanthin is potent anti-inflammatory addressing many conditions, from joints pain, rheumatoid arthritis, carpal tunnel, ageing skin, eye, brain and heart health and even radiation protection.
According to Dr Mercola, a leading US expert, astaxanthin has 550 times stronger antioxidant power than vitamin E, and is 6,000 times more potent than vitamin C.
Unlike other antioxidants, Astaxanthin can scavenge multiple free radicals at the same time, can cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore act as neuroprotective and supports the immune system.
4. Reduce Stress
Everyone suffers from some sort of stress. Psychological stress arises when you are under mental, physical, or emotional pressure and when the individual perceives that the pressure had exceeded his ability to adapt to it.
For instance, stress destroys cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory storage and retrieval.
When we are under stress, the blood backs up in your vital organs to give them more energy and oxygen and to give you the means to react quickly to the situation which you have to face. Our the skin is not a vital part of our body, therefore at times of stress, (when the blood needs to irrigate life-preserving organs) it finds itself being less 'nourished' by the blood cells. The skin becomes dull and regenerates less easily.
At times of acute stress the body reacts producing more cortisol. If stress becomes chronic, it may provoke inflammation showing itself with spots, wrinkles and dull skin.
Cortisol also causes a reduction in the production of collagen and melatonin, the sleep hormone, involved in skin regeneration.
How to reduce stress?
Meditate. Start with 1 minute a day for 5 times a day possibly at fixed times, perhaps before the main meals, when waking up and when going to bed. Just 5 minutes a day can make a real difference.
Remember to breath. It may sound foolish but many of us never breath deeply, not even for 5 minutes a day. Take a 5-minute break and focus on your breathing.
Mindfulness. Be present. The mind is constantly going back and forth from memories from the past and images of the future, the body lives in the only moment that truly exists: the present.
Try to focus on one thing at the time.
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