By Patricia Uyeh

Age is just a number, true! But no woman wants to look older than her age. Everyone likes compliments of looking younger than ones age. So are you aging faster than your years? Probably you are not happy with what you see in the mirror. Do you know that the food you eat, and even the way you sleep,  can add years to your face and shorten your lifespan? Take time to evaluate your daily routines as this can contribute to aging fast. Below are common age-accelerating habits to drop.

1. You multitask a lot: Multitasking could be stressful. Several studies show that chronic stress increases the release of free radicals, the unstable molecules that damage cells and are responsible for aging. Doctors advise on concentrating on one task at a time and only moving on until it is done.

2. Having sweet tooth: Apart from adding excess pounds to your body, sugar may be adding years to the face. This damaging process known as glycation, can result to loss of radiance, dark circles under the eyes, loss of tone, puffiness, increased fine lines and wrinkles, and also, loss of facial contours and increased pores on the face.

3. You get less then five hours sleep: Lack of sleep results to dark bags under the eyes. It is advisable to get to bed earlier if you have symptoms of sleep deprivation, which include lack of daytime energy, sluggishness, lack of focus or weight gain.

4. You are a TV addict: According to doctor’s report, when you sit for more than 30minutes, the body begins to deposit sugar into the cells. This increases  the chances of being overweight. Whether you are watching TV or at your desk, get up every 30 minues to walk around.

5. You spend most of the day sitting: Sedentary lifestyles have serious health implications. Research shows that people who spend most of their days sitting, have increased risk of kidney disease, obesity, cardio vascular disease and cancer.

6. You wear too much makeup: Wearing excessive amount of makeup especially oil based products,  can clog the skin pores and cause outbreaks. In addition, over using skin products with fragrances, irritating chemicals and alcohol agents,  can dry out the skin removing natural oils. This can result to premature lines and wrinkles. Instead, invest in eye creams and sunscreens.

7. You sleep with your face in the pillow: Sleeping on ones stomach or on our side with face smashed into the pillow can create wrinkles and increase aging. It is best to sleep on your back or invest in a satin pillow case to keep skin smooth.

8. You sip drinks through a straw: Pour your drinks into a drinking glass to a void strain on your lips or puckering up.

9. You cut out all fat from your diet: Some fats are necessary for maintaining a youthful feeling and appearance. They keep the skin supple and wrinkles-free and they boost both the heart and brain.

10. You slouch: Slumping in front of a keyboard for hours on end, can cause the spine to form an unattractive and potentially harmful hunched posture over time. Practice good posture by checking it throughout the day.The ear, shoulder and hip should form a straight line when seated.