Getting up every morning just to notice those newly developed worry lines may turn you off! Joint and back pains become your “loyal companions” as you step in your late 20s.
Even a mild exertion may make you feel exhausted and you may begin to think, “Am I really old?” This is the time when you are supposed to be bubbling with energy! This is the time when you are expected to stay “heated”! But these feelings, normally perceived by your parents and grandparents, may compel you to think that you are getting old! But have you ever tried to conduct a “lifestyle autopsy” to find out what is going wrong? It is your food habit which has a main role in your “aging” process.
Here are the problems that you may face in your late 20s and the foods that can fix your problems:
✱ Wrinkles, Worry Lines and a Glimpse of Old Age on the Face
Our face is the actual mirror of our personality. It depicts a lot of things about us. In today’s world a lot of importance is given to your face and your looks. But your “face value” may decrease by the time you reach 25 years of age due to undesirable developments like wrinkles, worry lines and the signs that bring a glimpse of the old age.
Too much exposure to sun and pollution, decreased production of collagen and elastin — which helps in the rejuvenation of the skin — and wear and tear of the dead skin cells are the possible reasons. And of course you cannot deny the impacts which smoking, alcohol, fewer intakes of fruits and vegetables (loaded with essential vitamins and minerals) can bring to your health. Just give a second thought before preferring highly processed foods over the raw ones!
✱ Solution
The best possible solution to this problem will be to consider taking special precautions and avoiding too much of direct exposure to sun and pollution, and limiting the habit of smoking and drinking, not only for better skin health but also for your overall well-being and health. And when it comes to food, choose wisely. Avoid too much of processed foods and choose more of raw veggies, fruits and fruit juices. Vitamin B rich foods like sprouts, milk and fruits are very essential for healthy looking skin. Having soaked almonds every morning can also improve your overall skin texture and make it look younger.
✱ Exhaustion and Fatigue
The problem gets even worse when you see your father or mother running around the house or office and doing their chores with a lot of energy while you, at half their age, are so tired to face the rest of your day! The possible causes are sleep deprivation, irregular meal timings, inadequate food intake, nutritional deficiencies (like in case of iron, protein and vitamin B12) and derailed metabolism.
✱ Solution
Complete your sleep. Normally, seven hours sleep is the minimum requirement for the body to get adequate rest. Make sure you eat your meals on time and avoid under eating as well as overeating, since both these conditions can lead to malnutrition.
Nutritional deficiencies can be avoided by ensuring a proper intake of nutrients like iron, protein and vitamin B12. Have a lot of greens and organ meats to have sufficient iron in your body. Vitamin B12 is basically present only in animal proteins and hence vegans need to keep a good check on their levels.
Those who don’t eat meat should at least have plenty of dairy products like milk, cheese, paneer (cottage cheese) and curd to avail vitamin B12.
✱ Back Aches and Joint Aches
The causes can be several, ranging from wrong posture to too much stress at particular parts of the body, to deficiency of calcium, manganese and copper.
✱ Solution
You will definitely need to work on the posture to correct it. Another important thing is to be in the right weight. Obesity can cause a lot of stress on the back and on the joints. Also, eating foods which provide us with good amount of calcium, manganese and copper is essential.
Calcium is essential for the strong bones, and manganese and copper play a role in maintaining the cartilages of joint and their flexibility. Foods that are useful include nuts, sesame and flax seeds, soybean, brans, green leafy vegetables, dairy products, spices and sea foods.
✱ Forgetfulness, Lack of Concentration, Getting Easily Distracted
While stress and too many things on your mind can be a reason, but deficiency of essential fatty acids can lead to these problems too.
✱ Solution
Alternative mind relaxing therapies like meditation, pranayam and yoga are useful and when it comes to food choices, you need to include more of omega-3 and omega-6 rich foods in your diet. Include fish, walnuts, almonds and peanuts to your diet. And if this is becoming too much for you to follow, you can also seek an expert’s help and start taking cod liver oil tablets too.
We cannot deny the fact that our mind and body are tied to a single thread. The way we treat our health will also affect the way we feel in our minds! And the way we look also has its own impact on our feelings. Fearing aging or seeing age-related changes in our appearances may make us sink into depression, which again adds to our pain and grievances. Healthy food is the best weapon to fight aging and to stay evergreen.
