The fountain of youth doesn’t exist, but that doesn’t mean you can’t fight aging or even reverse the effects of time a bit. Modern science is helping people stay active and look younger late in their lives. Both over the counter products and medical procedures can keep your energy levels and appearance up as you age, so you can have a better quality of life that people in past generations could only dream of. Anti-aging strategies range greatly in price and efficacy. That doesn’t mean they are all complex and expensive, though. There are things you can do now to look young and refreshed by making small changes in the things you do every day, in addition to new methodologies brought forth by science. Here are eight amazing modern anti-aging strategies you can use to turn back the effects of time.
- Keep Your Collagen by Staying Away from Sugar
Sugar is known, among other things, to breakdown collagen. Collagen is essential to your skin health and beauty. If you’re used to eating a lot of sugar, it’s going to be hard to quit all at once. Try breaking away from sugar in small steps by avoiding it one meal a day and then progressively become stricter with your diet. The good news, in addition to better-looking skin, is that quitting sugar will help you lose weight, feel better, and maintain better energy levels throughout the day. Cutting sugar is about more than passing on the candy bars. There are large amounts of sugar in many of the foods we eat today, so you’ll have to do a little more work before you put food in your body.
- Ration Your Screen Time
It’s becoming more and more clear that extended exposure to HEV, or high energy light, emitted by screens can be damaging to the skin. That means more wrinkles and worn features. The HEV breaks down elasticity and collagen, which makes it harder for your skin to stay young and refreshed. Now, it doesn’t make sense to say stay away from all phones or computer screens but to keep your skin healthy, adopt a measured approach to how long you are sitting in front of a screen.
- Stay Active
Making your skin work can be great for anti-aging. Staying active and moving a lot helps increase your blood flow, giving your cells and skin what it needs to stay looking young. Moving a lot will also make you sweat, which can do wonders for your skin by removing toxins.
- Wear Sunscreen
The sun is healthy skin’s biggest enemy. We all love being outside or at the beach, but beware because long-term sun exposure can do a lot of damage to your skin and cause other health problems. It’s something to weigh because tanning has become so popular in the United States. The best way to fight off aging and fight the effects of damaging UV rays is to wear a high SPF sunscreen when you’re out and about. That means both at the beach or even out and about around town.
- De-Stress for Better Skin
When your stress levels are high, your body’s level of cortisol increases. Cortisol is a damaging hormone that can result in premature aging. One of the best things you can do to stay young is to recognize and manage sources of stress in your life. Of course, some stress is necessary, but we should all weigh whether the stress we’re going through is worth the squeeze. If what you’re doing is harmful to your long-term health, then maybe avoiding it altogether is the better move.
- There’s Some Excitement Around Peptides
NAD+, a popular small molecule peptide, is getting some exciting exposure due to test results done on mice and rats. Harvard Professor David Sinclair conducted clinical tests on mice in 2013 that found that NAD+ helped improve mitochondrial function in animals, thus reducing the effects of aging. Mitochondria breakdown is a major cause of cell breakdown and aging. The tests point to exciting future potential around NAD+ in the anti-aging and healthful aging world.
- Choose Your Home Cleaning Products Wisely
The products you use to clean your kitchen and bathrooms could be making your age prematurely. Toxins in household cleaners could break down collagen in your skin, leading to more wrinkles and blotches. Instead, opt for natural cleaners with as few chemicals as possible. You can also consult a dermatologist to make sure the products you use are as healthy as possible.
- Get Some Sleep
Only in the past few years has sleep gotten the shine it deserves. Now, doctors and other medical professionals are underscoring how important getting good amounts of sleep every night is. Do your best to get a solid eight hours of sleep every night to make sure your body has the resources it needs to keep you looking younger for longer.