Human beings are creatures of habit and as such the outcomes of our habits decide our health and how gracefully we age. Most people complain about growing old, about how their body and their mind cannot function with the same sharpness and lucidity that it used to. It doesn’t have to be so. You can grow old and still function just as efficiently. The key to living healthy is identifying the habits and the lifestyle trends that that keep you from living healthy as you age. Knowing full well that the fountain of youth is a myth, we have to aim towards eating right, working out, sleeping well and in general, stay fit.

A habit is a hard thing to break. It is the product of doing the same things and living on the same diet over many years. Your mind and your body are so used to it that you find it hard to fit yourself into a new regime even if you know that doing so will actually help you in the long run.

Smoking

The most prevalent ill habit is usually smoking, sometimes in excess of what can be considered the recommended limit. Smoking can be the cause of a number of respiratory as well as cardiovascular diseases and has been identified as a leading cause of cancer. Smoking is also known to affect the cross-bond linking of tissues and accelerates certain enzyme secretion which destroys the collagen and elastin fibers responsible for giving your skin the smooth, youthful look.

Quitting smoking is no easy task but it comes down to the simple matter of will. You are going to have to face withdrawal symptoms and overcome them in order to quit. There are many drugs available, like nicotine gums and nicotine patches, to sooth the transition process. Once you do manage to quit smoking, you will notice a marked change in your stamina and energy levels.

Drinking

Although drinking is not as bad as cigarettes, it does have its own pitfalls. Addiction to alcohol can only happen over a very long period of time. Excess drinking may cause fatty deposits in the liver tissue, the accumulation of which may lead to serious health issues like liver failure, jaundice and cirrhosis. Limiting your alcohol intake to no more than one drink a day will help you go a long way. What you can also do is reduce your hard liquor intake by substituting it with red wine. Red wine is known to have Reversatrol which has great health benefits. It is good for the heart, blood and is also known to slow down the ageing process.

Dietary habits

Many of us are used to diets rich in protein and bad carbohydrates. This not only increases the chances of cell oxidation but significantly slows down the metabolic as well as the digestive processes. Trimming your diet of heavy proteins and red meat will improve your digestion and reduce incidences of acidosis and heart burns. It will also reduce your cholesterol levels thus helping your heart stay in shape. Small intakes of monosaturated fats are recommended since they increase membrane fluidity and protect against cardiovascular diseases.

Giving up your current lifestyle maybe a tough thing to do but as you grow older your body grows more susceptible to various age related diseases. You must protect yourself against them in order to lead a healthy life. Make the effort to kick harmful habits such as smoking and excessive drinking to improve life expectancy and enjoy a healthy body.

Author Bio: Teisha Mahabir specializes in writing articles about health, diet, longevity and health specialists like Brenda Rusnak. Brenda Rusnak is a health care specialist who writes about health-aging and prevention. For more information about healthy-aging and Brenda Rusnak, check her out at brendarusnak.com.

Category: Aging
Keywords: breaking,habits,break,age,gracefully,longevity,health,aging