New Mid Life Crisis - Are the 20's the new 40's ?

Tweet

There was a time when mid life crisis was something way ahead into the future somewhere in the late forties when you were settled in with your kids in high school or college and your cholesterol shooting up just around the corner, or menopause hitting you like a mob is pelting you with stones in the middle of nowhere, wrinkles beginning to make a permanent address on your body, heart attacks come knocking on the door in the middle of the night and of course a sudden realization that you need to look after your health and diet now since you lived all your youth careless and fancy. STOP ! hold it right there, this isn't the early 90's or 80's we've crossed the millennium border 10 years ago and when that happened a lot more changed than just how we write our date. For starters 21st century brought about many researches into digging out the number of incidences in cardiac, gastrointestinal, diabetic and liver disorders that were seen in the population between 25 - 35 years of age. Stunned? don't be because its true "reality is always stranger than fiction".

The Incidences - Back in 2002 when I was studying to be a health professional in my grad school we had to do certain research and case presentations of other researches or disorders and that itself was an eye opener. Most of the incidences of a heart attack, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel disease, fatty liver, insulin resistance and then diabetes, angina, and some kidney failures were seen in male population between 24 - 30 years. I must say it was a shocking data to study. Most of these incidences were seen in high stress occupations like banking and financial investments, IT, BPO, Medicos, and hospitality sector. I know there aren't many occupations left so to say but these were the most prominent places people suffered these ailments all over the world as well. Ever since the incidences have become more prominent with the stifled economic climate, competition and need for more convenience in lifestyle.

Women join the Men - If the cardiac and diabetic incidences rose in male population the women were joining in ranks with hormonal and gynecological disorders like amenorrhea, early menopause, osteoporosis, endometriosis, fibroids in the uterus, hypertension etc. With so many hurdles to overcome and so little time left to take care of themselves women like men completely ignore their wellbeing in the long run. Although they are extremely particular of the way they look their health which is ironically the thing that rules how they appear is given a stepsister treatment. The toll is taken up not just their careers or kids (if any) but most importantly their life as in normal way of living. It isn't ambition that has to be blamed nor is it competition to thrive but its just simple responsibility towards yourself that needs to be given a thought long overdue. The strangest thing with the women's problems is that they started to show problems usually seen in men like gastrointestinal disorders and cardiac disorders due to the imbalance in estrogen in the blood stream and the men have also shown problems usually tagged with women like osteoporosis, andropause, hormonal imbalances. Well truth is both the sexes are equally messed up and both are responsible for their own doing all in their 20's to repent in their 30's.

Where did we go wrong ?? - We take the simplest of routine for granted, we make a big deal out of time or the lack of it, we presume to have no control over anything that happens around us and for our back up we always have one devious person to blame everything on - our "BOSS". Oh yes as long as we have them in our lives we are covered as far as excuses are concerned, whatever it is blame it on the boss. Remarkable thing about how people in their 20's go wrong with health is they want to look their best and want the best shiny new toy in town be it the car, phone, gizmos, accessories, clothes, address, job, girlfriend/ boyfriend; but nobody is ready to have it all the best way possible by staying healthy. Its like everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die, how is that ever possible? All the fancy things in life come to you when you are healthy enough to enjoy it. A fabulous pay check and an apartment/ house with a car isn't going to keep that heart that pumps 5.5 liters of blood in the best of shape nor is it going to keep your waist and hips from getting the shape of a potato sack, nor your bones to be strong and sturdy instead of sponges. We eat and drink and use substances so harmful for your body that it brings the body down to its knees to get our attention any way it can to stop the constant abuse over it. Where do we go wrong? We go wrong from the moment we have cups of coffee tall, dark, with sugar & extra cream, cappuccino, a cream bread roll or cinnamon roll or bagel loaded with fat or donuts or burgers or even the Indian/ Asian breakfast that is otherwise light and nutritious but for the sake of taste is floating in oil or fat. We go wrong in sleeping late and waking up just in time to go to work. We go wrong in rushing to take a transportation so that when climbing stairs is concerned we chose the elevator (those working on levels above 5 can take elevator on level 4). We never stretch our body even at work no matter how much time we squander in smoking areas or in washroom gossip or cafeteria or game room at work. We smoke a pack during work hours alone, we eat a late lunch because the meetings are lined up, we drink coffee immediately post late lunch. Fruits are part of an extinct species of plants that we don't seem to remember. Eating out after work is a norm we can't seem to get rid off and having a quick bite is more of a fashion statement than one of the 6 frugal light meals, more over it isn't even a healthy quick bite. Like fruits exercise happens when calamity or boredom strikes and there are no other options left. We make sure even the most nutritious ingredients in our meals are fried, boiled or sweetened. The list is endless and comprises of minute aspects that are easily overlooked. But all those aspects play a vital role in making our building blocks of life tumble down.

Hope Floats on Lifestyle - While we run in the race towards a higher pedestal to stand tall on as compared to our peers, neighbors, friends, siblings and competitors in general, little do we realize the very reason we do it is so as to enjoy an aspiring lifestyle. What and irony something everybody is chasing is a lifestyle to be envied  and ultimately forgo all the details of making that lifestyle possible in reality - health. Hope thereby floats only on our decession making skills to be healthy overall. A healthy lifestyle gives you the power to race or relax at your time & choice. It offers more strength & endurance to be a winner in the most competitive environments of business. Benefits to our personal life are beyond comparison and the happiness we offer our loved ones. It takes less than 30 minutes of a day physically to be healthy and lesser than 15 minutes every 4 hours gastronomically to be satiable and happy. Life is dependent on your lifestyle management give it hope by taking your first step towards it.

Share

Skin Care Secrets for Anti Ageing

Tweet

Who doesn't want a perfect flawless skin even as the biological clock does its annoying tic-toc much to our disapproval? Well, be it women or men, girls or boys we all have our pet peeves about our skin and its tidious care taking. I am a living example who has time immemorial fought skin problems myself and am over coming them beautifully with just the thing I needed the most with it - patience. So here I am giving you some of my discoveries that I came across after speaking to various cosmetologists, dermatologists and some of my own experiences as well as those of my friends, co workers. I hope you will use them to your benefit and share it with those who are in dire need of it as you read. This will be a series on Skin Care so I hope you stay connected for more on skin problems and its quick tips. To get more insight on lifestyle and weight management visit us at Wellness & I

Anti Ageing in 20's - I know most of us are blissfully oblivious to this fact of ageing and its traumatic signs but I was lucky to have read and studied about its ugly face much ahead in my mid 20's. The skin should be fighting all signs and assaults of environment external and internal right when it’s at the age of 24- 25 years. So early?? Yes, its not early but its appropriate because all my wonderful readers wake up and smell the coffee as we live amidst our very own created ozone hole, UV radiations, toxic gases, water pollution, aerosols from deodorants, pesticides, dyes, hair sprays, make up that are not organic, all these harm our skin at a very early age. Our skin faces pollutants and toxins in everything we breathe, drink, eat and bathe it can't stay young the way its suppose to naturally during our 20's for this very reason. If you need to combat ageing mid 20's is the right time to do so before the natural process begins.

What lies beneath? - Well apart from loosing collagen and essential proteins of the skin tissue that keeps the skin firm it also loses moisture which is very vital to keep the skin glowing and soft. Loss of moisture indicates your skin has begun its process of ageing and if you are the one with normal to oily skin then you must be more careful about this change in skin moisture. Our skin could be seen as a fruit or a moist vegetable that is kept in the refrigerator, the chill air and dryness in the fridge takes away the moisture of the fruit and vegetable and leaves the skin of it looking wrinkled as well as shriveled. If your keep it under sun it would dry and get the same look. The same happens with our skin during winters, extreme heat, centrally air conditioned rooms, dust, smoke, etc. Our skin begins to lose not just moisture but also the essential fats and protein the bind together to hold the skin tight and firm. The sun damage only adds to the misery of this fat and water loss, when it gets an easy penetration into the deep layers of the skin due to the already under nourished skin. Once the UV A and B rays start acting up on your skin they begin to firstly degenerate the skin tone by uneven pigmentation as spots and cause dull look, and secondly they cause fine lines to become more pronounced. Fine lines that start out as mere dry look on the face and neck are in reality your upcoming wrinkles. They mostly begin under the eyes and on forehead and around the lips and the neck. With the continuous loss of collagen that is responsible to keep your skin integrated and firm and the increased exposure of the skin’ underlying cells to the chemical and mechanical damages the skin doesn’t need a time line to show ageing.

Secrets to save your youth – Here are some of my tried and tested secrets and since I share them with you I wonder how much of a secret it will be? If you are already past your 20’s don’t fret lets do the regime just like we are suppose to from day 0.

Cleanse-Creme-Cover - Make sure you cleanse your face, neck and hands every 4-5 hours if indoors and 3-4 hours if outdoors with a gentle soap free cleanser, apply a moisturizer that is SPF 30 + for fair to tan skin tones. If your skin is excessively oily there are oil free sunscreens and day creams that you can apply to keep your skin hydrated, I prefer Sun Cross or Pond’s White day cream as an option. The cream should have UV A & B protection as well as CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and AHA (alpha hydroxyl acids) which are acids that ensure the skin protection from damages present and to come in future. Always ensure your skin which is moisturized isn’t left away without a mineral dust powder or translucent organic powder it helps in giving the skin mechanical protection on top of the chemical protection offered by the cream below. Coverage of the skin by the sunscreen and the powder should be on the face as well as the neck and up to the nape & chest as these areas are the most exposed even through the clothing. You might also want to include your hands up to your fore arms in this routine as they too are equally vulnerable to damage. Repeat this routine every 4-5 hours until you go to bed.

Night Protection – Before going to bed ensure you have cleansed your skin of the face, neck, and hands up to fore arms with a cleansing lotion and then soap free foam cleanser. Apply a beta carotene or carotenoid cream to the face enriched with AHA, CLA on the cleansed area. Many age miracle formulae are out on sale and you need to check if those have these three ingredients in them as carotenoid or beta carotene are well researched as reversing the signs of ageing as well as protecting from further damage. During the night our skin gets maximum protection as the sun isn’t available and also from environmental pollution but what can harm it is the air conditioning in the room or the extreme chilly climate and therefore hydrating your skin during the night sleep is essential. To cover up the hydration make sure your night cream provides enough hydrating molecules and also supplies enough fat to the skin to keep it soft and glowing. Hydrating molecules are combination of aloe vera gel and glycerin.

Diet for Anti ageing – So much can be done topically on your skin but the real battle has to be fought inside as well. If your diet is laden with bad fats, and simple sugars you are in for long term turmoil on your skin. First of all sugars or any simple carbohydrate is bad news for collagen breakdown and you need to stay far away from anything above 15 gm or 3 tsp of simple sugar per day. Excessive fats lead to more vulnerability to free radical damage with pollutants externally and stress internally. Diet is also a key role player with hydration of the skin, the more AHA and water containing fruits you consume the better to help the topical cream too. Fruits like orange, lime, sweet lime pears, apples and pomogrenates along with papaya, mango and other phytochemical rich fruits like berries, grapes, avocado help reduce the internal body stress and rejuvenate the skin from within enriching its texture and tone making it more glowing. The worst food you could eat for your skin care are processed foods in a can, package or bottled organic is the key to our ancestors fine health and so it is with us as well. Nature’s gift to us is fresh wholesome food preserved and dessicated food items like instant pasta etc are but only a source to add up on the already existent stress and pollution harm to your body and the most delicate part of it your skin. Drinking water with vitamins and fortified with minerals also does the trick, simply drink 12 glasses of water everyday and especially 1 glass an hour before sleeping to keep the skin hydrated through the 8 hours. Eating healthy in general plays a daily role in how your youth will be displayed on your skin don’t take it casually if you are particular about the way you look.

Share