10 habits that cause inflammation and premature ageing

Some of the most «innocent» habits we have adopted in our daily lives turn out to be guilty and responsible for causing inflammation, stiffness and generalised premature ageing. But how do we figure out which are the guilty habits we need to change to improve our overall quality of life?;

The 10 habits that cause inflammation and premature aging

1. The bad fat

You may have heard of white and brown fat. White fat is that fat that invades your internal organs with inflammatory messengers like interleukin-6 and TNF-alpha. It's harder to lose this type of fat, unlike the brown fat found in the back and neck that keeps your body warm and your metabolism high. White fat is typically concentrated in our abdomen and subcutaneously and puts us at greater risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Exercise reduces the size of white fat and eventually turns a large percentage of it into brown. So you can reduce this fat. The first step is get enough sleep, so that your body maintains optimal levels of hormone development and is equipped to protect against injury.

2. Sedentary life

Unfortunately, sedentary lifestyles have now become almost as dangerous as smoking. More and more people are entering this lifestyle and it involves little to no movement. Although we know that exercise is good for us, only 20% of people exercise regularly. In addition to this, a large percentage of workers are in front of a desk and a computer screen. Then, when they return home, they sit in front of the TV or huddled in front of their mobile phones.

Exercise partly limits the damage; women who sit a lot and do not exercise are twice as likely to die prematurely as those who sit less than three hours a day and exercise. You'll gain a lot of benefits by simply adding a little more exercise and more movement in general.

3. Taking certain medications, such as anti-anxiety pills or antihistamines

People taking allergy or antihistamine pills may want to consider a natural alternative; the Journal of the American Medical Association recently published a research linking frequent and long-term use of such drugs to dementia.

4. Consumption of high carbohydrates and processed foods

Foods associated with inflammation also accelerate aging and have a significant effect on your body. Reduce inflammation by avoiding foods that commonly cause intolerance, especially gluten and dairy. In addition, avoid foods that are toxic and associated with weight gain. The biggest culprit?; Sugar and its substitutes, which increase blood sugar. Limit carbohydrates, eating only the «slow» ones that don't spike your insulin and that contain more fibre, such as sweet potato, pumpkin and quinoa. Stay away from hidden sugar in ketchups, salad dressings, dressings in general and commercial cereals.

5. Skipping exercising your muscular system

Your metabolism slows down with age, which means you accumulate more fat and lose muscle mass. Think of aging as starting with your muscles. This deterioration may not be noticeable from the start, but on average, you lose 2 pounds of muscle every decade after 30, so you'll start to notice the change with the introduction of middle age. If you no longer focus on building strength and don't use all your muscles regularly, you will age prematurely. If you leave them to their fate, ignore them, your muscles usually loosen up as they are replaced by fat and you no longer have the strength you used to have. The key is in maintaining and building muscle mass as you age over 40.

6. Lack of sleep... or too much sleep

Only a small percentage of the 3% population has a specific gene (DEC2) that allows them to function properly on less than 8 hours of sleep. This means that most of us are in need of adequate rest. The advice here is get 7 to 8.5 hours of sleep every night.

But that's not all: too much sleep is not good either. One study showed that women respond better to cognitive tests with seven hours of sleep. But if these are increased, to more than eight hours, immediately scores are lower, a cognitive decline that equates to five to eight years of increase in age. While some of these issues are difficult to reverse, if you insist on correcting your sleep schedule, you can lower your blood pressure, improve cellular repair and slow the aging process.

7. Lack of purpose

In studies conducted in places with long life expectancy, researchers have observed evidence and cultural norms associated with improved quality of life, better health and slower ageing. Icarians, for example, live longer and are healthier by the end of their lives, having a better quality of life. We can derive a lot from their lifestyle, taking evidence from their diet and beyond, but more importantly they don't give up and live in a relaxed culture that fills their lives with meaning and purpose. They do not wear watches and have a relaxed attitude towards time.

They see their work as a way of life and not something separate from it. You may not believe it but they wake up naturally, without alarm clocks! Icarians are known for their hospitality and for their life away from the fast pace of city life. They must be doing something right then, since one in three people live to 90.

8. Vitamin D deficiency

Did you know that the if you have low levels of vitamin D, you almost double your risk of developing dementia;

With the right levels, you can maintain proper brain function. This vitamin affects hundreds of genes. It appears to have a direct effect on sleep regulation, particularly in the midbrain (the part of the brain that contains the hypothalamus and regulates hormones) and brainstem. Some even suggest that sleep disorders have greatly increased because of this deficiency in vitamin D. Finally, this vitamin has hormonal, neurological and immune effects on the pain we feel, playing a key role in the initiation and continuation of chronic pain.

9. Stress in most of our daily lives

Most of us feel mostly stressed, but science is proving that how we respond to stress is what matters most to our health, both physical and mental. Excessive stress increases corticotropin release factor, which causes serious problems in the gastrointestinal system, leading to intolerance and problems in the nervous system.

Another thing that happens when we feel stress is that glucocorticoids are released into our bloodstream, so that we are in a fight or flight mode. This is accompanied by an increase in blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar. So if this happens frequently, say every three to six months, it is normal and our body can adapt immediately in a similar way. But if you have genes that program you to constantly expect stress, or you recover hard and slowly from such a situation, then the hormones of excessive stress become toxic to your body, causing inflammation.

10. Limited social interaction

Strong social connections improve health and longevity. They activate the brain and keep it alert, making us smarter. Strong social ties have been shown to reduce stress. The complete lack of and abstinence from them is an independent risk factor for cognitive decline. Talking to another person for even 10 minutes a day improves our memory. The higher the level of social interaction, the better our cognitive functions.