5 simple hacks to add 30 years to your life
Nowadays, we all lead busy lives. We’ve got things to do, places to be at and even meetings to attend. Since such is the case, most of us tend to not take care ourselves, resulting in faster ageing and a decreased level in productivity.
1. Sleep
We’ve been told time and time again that it is essential that we get 6-8 hours of sleep a day if we are to wake up feeling refreshed, with a positive mindset that would help us accomplish our tasks.
However, a majority of us are burdened with other commitments that we barely get adequate sleep. This in turn gives rise to issues such as:
- lower productivity at work
- skin changes (more prone to breakouts)
- hormonal fluctuations
- dark circles and bags under eyes
- lowers the immunity in the body.
Thus, it is important that we get sufficient rest to ensure that the lack of sleep does not burden our way of life.
We’ve heard that natural plants such as Chamomile (blended into tea) help sleep better. But have you heard of Valerian, which is also beneficial in falling asleep?
Valerian, scientifically known as Valeriana officinalis, is an herb that is found commonly in Asia and Europe. Its roots are dried in order to incorporate it into tea blends.
Dating back to the time of ancient medicine, Valerian has been used during the Middle Ages as a remedy for all sorts of illnesses and other issues such as insomnia, anxiety and depression in the form of tea. Today, since there is sufficient evidence portraying that liquids are absorbed faster into the blood stream (as opposed to pills which need to be broken down into simpler molecules prior to absorption), it makes sense as to why this method of preparation has been utilized for so long.
Valerian acts as a sedative on the central nervous system. This basically means that Valerian induces a feeling of calmness and tranquillity once consumed, so as to minimize feeling hopeless and troubled, whilst also inducing sleepiness.
Thus, there is certainly no doubt concerning the effectiveness of Valerian tea that would help us sleep better and so improve longevity.
It goes without saying that Valerian tea would be more beneficial in getting better sleep and living longer, if we do make other changes in our lives, including:
- minimizing exposure to bright lights or electronic devices prior to going to bed,
- minimizing the intake of caffeine, and
- eating healthy.
Speaking of Valerian tea, I’ve come across a product by Secrets of Tea, which is a company that has been blending powerful herbal teas for over 10 years in order to better the lives of people, called Valerian Deep Sleep Tea that’s proven to aid better sleep. They’ve combined Valerian with other natural organic ingredients such as Rooibos, Chamomile, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Rose Hip, Peppermint and Liquorice, which are all ingredients known help get a good night’s rest and wake up feeling relaxed. Given that it contains so many beneficial ingredients, I’m certainly intrigued to try to out.
Please note:
It is best to avoid consuming Valerian during pregnancy since there is insufficient evidence on its effects during pregnancy. It is also advised not to combine Valerian with other medication/drugs such as alcohol, other sedatives, Xanax, etc., since harmful reactions may occur.
The above-mentioned precautions and interactions have been non-exhaustively extracted from VALERIAN (webmd.com). For a detailed explanation on why such combinations (and others) should be avoided, please refer their website.
2. Exercise
As recommended by the American Heart Association, it is best that we inculcate physical activity into our routines.
They suggest that we exercise moderately for 30 minutes a day for 5 days per week (e.g., brisk walk/badminton) or exercise vigorously for 15 minutes a day for 5 days per week (e.g., swimming/running), since this helps the heart to function better and over time, drop a few inches off of our waists, and thereby improve longevity.
Exercising also helps release the happy chemicals (serotonin and dopamine) which promote longevity. These neurotransmitters act in such a way as to ensure that we are in a good mood, thus creating a content environment within our bodies.
The best thing about exercising: there is no hard and fast rule as to what kind of exercises you should do. We could simply run, walk, swim, kickbox, do Pilates or even dance – the type of physical activity does not matter.
All we have to do is keep moving our bodies and be active!
3. Intermittent fasting
This method basically involves an eating window and a fasting window. What’s most common is the 16-8 cycle where people fast for 16 hours a day and eating during the remaining 8 hours.
What such a method of fasting does is:
it promotes weight loss by burning fat reserves (this in turn improves longevity and slows down ageing since the body is able to function better).
it also instils in people a disciplined way of fuelling themselves through food.
4. Hygiene
It goes without saying that you need to groom yourself to feel at your best and also be presentable to the rest of the world.
That’s not all. By ensuring that we are hygienic (e.g., by showering daily, brushing our teeth, take care of our skin and try to eat healthy as much as possible) our bodies become less prone to diseases and infections, since our immunity systems are in no way compromised. This in turn helps in living longer, healthier lives.
However, when it comes to washing our hair, we tend to shampoo our scalps every time we wash our hair. This is not ideal since the chemicals in shampoo strip the natural oils off of our hair, leaving it damaged (sometimes even beyond repair).
Thus, by being educated on how we can practice proper hygiene, we could certainly take care of ourselves better and possibly add 30 years to our lives.
To learn more about the correlation between personal hygiene and longevity, refer How Personal Hygiene Extends Life Expectancy and Affects Health (healthfitnessrevolution.com).
5. Love and affection
We humans are social beings; we need to interact with other humans if we are to be happy. Thus, in order to live longer, it is essential that we treat our bonds with parents, relations and even friends very sacredly so as to have that human connection from which affection stems.
If we are isolated and lonely, we tend to be in a shell that inhibits our emotions and enjoyment of life, since our lives become very mundane and boring. This in turn reduces our desire to interact with other humans, ultimately making us wonder if there is anything more to life. Hence, it is key that we spend time with our loved ones and make new friends, if we are to feel adored.
Even when it comes to intimacy, since the circle of life is such that we are meant to love and be loved, and give life; it is essential that we spend time with our partners. Such intimacy releases dopamine and serotonin (the happy chemicals) which certainly make us joyful and also improves longevity.
Sex is also known to reduce the chances of getting cancer (prostate cancer, breast cancer, etc.) and thereby ensures that healthier lives could be led.
To learn more about the correlation between sex and longevity, refer 12 Ways Sex Helps You Live Longer – Healthline.
Accordingly, by making such positive changes in our lives, we would surely be able to increase our life spans and lead healthy lives! Waking up to see our grandkids or even great grandkids, would certainly be something worth living for!
Comments
Post a Comment