Aging is a natural process that everyone is entitled to experience. More than what is seen from the outside, organs and different systems in the body become less functional as a person grows older. The blood vessels will start to lose their elasticity and the muscles of the heart will become weak and less efficient in pumping blood through the whole body. The bones reach their peak at the age of 25 to 35. And as a person grows beyond these years, the bones begin to lose their density and become more vulnerable to damage and fracture.

The joints will also start to become susceptible to chronic inflammatory diseases and lose their full range of motion. Maintaining a healthy body mass index can become more of a challenge as different metabolic processes slow down and the body burns less calories. The list can go on endlessly. Anti-aging creams and pills may stop fine lines and wrinkles from appearing on your face and make you look younger than your age but the pain you feel in the morning and the difficulties you experience when going to the bathroom have something different to stay.

Although aging is inevitable, there are steps that people can take in order to let the aging process pass gracefully, or if not slow it down. And you can start by employing these seven simple habits:

1. Get enough Sleep

   Having a good night's sleep will make you feel better each morning, and not only that, getting enough sleep on a regular basis has many long-term health benefits like slowing down the aging process. During sleep, the body performs its nightly maintenance by repairing damage cells and utilizing the nutrients derived from food and other sources. There are definitely more processes that occur while a person is in deep slumber but they all contribute to restoring energy levels, coping with stress, recovering from cellular damage and keeping the body at its peak performance.

   But the challenges in getting enough sleep as the person grows older are the changes in sleeping patterns that comes with aging. Sleeping disorders such as insomnia are common in older adults. The quality of sleep also decreases with age. There are two basic stages of sleep, the REM and non-REM states. The body is relatively more active during REM sleep than NREM. But during NREM, the body begins to regenerate and repair damaged tissues and builds muscles and bones. But as a person grows older, he gets less NREM sleep. Getting a better quality of sleep is important in delaying the aging process. Avoiding too much stimulants like caffeine, sleeping pills and alcohol can help in making you feel revitalized even after just a few hours of sleep. Eating the right types of food and getting enough exercise will also help in getting more NREM during sleep.

2. Drink Lots of Water

   The benefits of water to the body and in delaying the aging process can be attributed to its ability to hydrate the body and wash off harmful materials that may not only hasten aging but which can also result to the development of certain diseases. Simply drinking a glass of water makes the body feel more revitalized.  Furthermore, dehydration, or the lack of water in the body, will result to the formation of wrinkles and fines lines and the accumulation of toxins in the skin. Studies had also shown that sufficient consumption of water can improve the function of joints, muscles, the digestive system and can make a person feel and look younger by promoting the efficient distribution of nutrients where they are needed.

3. Stop Smoking, and Stop Being Around Smokers

   Smoking is not only a big risk factor in the development of dreaded diseases like cancer, but it can also make you look years older than your actual age. The hundreds of toxins in cigarette smoke promote the formation of wrinkles and premature sagging of the skin and leaves unsightly stains in the gum area, teeth, lips, finger nails and certain areas of the skin. People who don't smoke are also more efficient in performing physical activities than those who do smoke. And in a nutshell, smoking significantly reduces a person's life expectancy. It is not only important to stop smoking but also to avoid being exposed to secondhand smoke. Studies show that secondhand smokers experience similar, if not far worse, health related adversities than the actual smokers.

4. Learn to Cope with Stress

   Stress makes you older in many ways, this much is true. Living a stress-free life may be impossible for many. But equipping one’s self with effective methods in coping with stress can help you age gracefully. If experiencing stress has been a part of your daily routine, try to seek the assistance of a professional in finding ways to effectively overcome stress, especially when you are starting to observe it taking a toll on your appearance, health and relationship with other people.

5. Eat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

   Fruits and vegetables can prove to be better food options in more ways than one. Besides helping prevent various diseases, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can also assist you in aging as gracefully as possible. Their high essential nutrient and mineral content does not only keep the body functioning properly, but they also do the job from the outside by helping maintain the skin's elasticity.

   One of the reasons behind aging is oxidative stress. Although there are different other reasons why a person age, including the fact that the cells are genetically programmed to stop reproducing once the body reaches old age, this can be inhibited through the intake of substances that helps in preventing oxidative stress. The substances that do just that are called antioxidants and the richest known sources of antioxidants are fruits and vegetables. The best age-fighting foods are berries, apples, citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, onions, pumpkins, carrots, kale, artichokes, and spinach. Although every minute makes you older, each meal can make you look and feel younger.

6. Avoid fatty, sugary and salty foods

   Aging is normally associated with the development of different diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Avoiding certain foods can help you feel and look younger from the inside and out by keeping you free from diseases. Eating too much sugary foods can make you more at risk of developing diabetes. Fatty and salty foods, on the other hand, are the arch enemies of good cardiovascular health. Keep your plate filled with healthy food varieties and you're on the road to aging gracefully.

7. Get plenty of Vitamin D

   People may not be getting much vitamin D as much as their body needs since the nutrient is rare in most foods. But in slowing down the aging process, it is important to have enough supply of vitamin D in the body. A study conducted by researchers from Finland revealed that the supplementation of vitamin D in mice can inhibit the development of different health conditions that results to premature aging like organ and skin atrophy, immunological deficiency, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, and a generally shorter lifespan. The simplest way of getting vitamin D is by exposing the skin to the sun for a few minutes in a day. Aside from sun exposure, Vitamin D may also be derived from food sources such as cod liver oil, tuna, mackerel, salmon, sweet potatoes, dandelion greens, egg yolk and beef liver.

Sources
webmd.com
webmd.com
mayoclinic.org
medicmagic.net
dermaxime.com
webmd.com
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov