Future-Proof Your Body – Subtract Junk Food and Stress from Your Body to Get a Better Life

    There’s a saying 40 is the new 30 and this might be true for many areas of life. In case of our social world, all the things that we did during the third decade of our life will be transferred to the fourth and then to the fifth. Children, marriage, living in and being wiser – all will happen later. But there is one area of life where this maxim is not truly applicable and that is ‘Health’. 40 will remain the same 40 as long as your mind and body is concerned as you might lead a life like you’re still 28 but the only difference is that there will be repercussions later that you have to inevitably experience. Though this is a rather depressing thought but it is better to keep in mind.

    The present generation might be careful and conscious about their health but what they fail to do is not succumbing to the temptations of unhealthy food, parties, night-outs, junk food, eating late at night and all such other health vices. What they do now will definitely have an impact on their health later on. Hence, it is necessary for everyone to take a step back if you’re someone who is heavily dependent on the aforementioned practices.

    Fast food or junk food – Their effects on your body

    Do you seem to swing through your favorite fast-food restaurant more often than what you would like to admit? As per the analysis of data by the Food Institute from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, millennials on an average spend 45% of their budget dollars on eating out. In the year 1977, less than 35% of the family’s food budgets were spent in having food that was cooked outside home. Though occasional night-outs and having fast food won’t harm your health but if you make this a habit, this would spoil your health in the long run. Scroll down to learn the effects of fast food on your health.

    Effect #1: Headache

    If you tend to eat foods which are filled with sodium, they can boost your risk of suffering from headaches.

    Effect #2: Depression

    Eating processed foods and fast foods will also increase your likelihood of slipping into a stage of depression. Such foods have a bad impact on a person’s mental health.

    Effect #3: Acne and pimples

    If you thought grease triggers pimples, you were wrong as it is carbohydrates which trigger acne. You must be just crazy about French fries, potato chips, hamburger buns but did you know that all these foods are rich in carbs? This can lead to an acne breakout.

    Effect #4: Tooth decay

    The sugar and carbs that you find in almost all types of fast food will produce acids which will gradually damage the enamel of your tooth. You may also suffer from dental cavities.

    Effect #5: Shortness of breath

    The extra calories that you have will soon turn into extra pounds and if you don’t practice regular exercise, obesity will soon become a reality. Due to obesity, you will suffer from shortness of breath. Even though you may practice little physical exercise, yet that won’t help.

    Effect #6: Weight gain

    You must be thinking that you’re eating ‘healthy’ but what you fail to understand is the number of calories you’re putting inside your body. Though unintentional, this can lead to unwanted weight gain which can be tough to reduce.

    Effect #7: High blood pressure

    Fast food is generally high in sodium and this can elevate the blood pressure or enhance all sorts of heart disorders which include congestive heart failure.

    Effect #8: Spike in blood sugar

    Whenever you have too much of fast food, you’re actually taking in empty or bad carbs which can also cause a hike in your levels of blood sugar. Your body may even face an alteration of the natural insulin response.

    Effect #9: Puffiness and bloating

    Whenever you take in too much of sodium, your body will gradually retain water and thereby make you feel more swollen, puffy or bloated.

    Effect #10: Body becomes insulin resistant

    As said earlier, fast food will lead to insulin hikes very often. This will further lead to resistance to insulin and Type 2 diabetes.

    Now that you’re equipped with the impacts fast food can have on your health, would you still torture your body by having it? Instead, take foods and health supplements which are rich in vitamins, minerals and other components. Take a look at Mr Vitamins Sydney if you want to get the best quality health supplements.

    Stress can also impact your body and brain – How to keep stress at bay

    If you feel stressed occasionally, that’s fine. But if you think you’re constantly under the pressure of something or someone and you don’t have any other way to cope with it, the risk of developing any illness will heighten. Who hasn’t felt stressed? It might cause a headache, tightness of muscles, chest flutters and it can also make you feel down at times. Read on to know more on stress, its impact on your body, circulatory and nervous system and also on your immune and digestive system.

    Good stress – Not all stress is bad

    If you thought stress of all kinds is bad for your health, you’re wrong. The hormones which are produced by the body due to stress are neither always bad. As you keep adapting to the challenges of your life like being stuck in traffic or meeting deadlines at your workplace, the level of hormones keep fluctuating throughout the day. This kind of stress can be managed with ease by doing small things like taking a deep breath, listening to meditation songs and by exercising.

    But short term stress can affect your heart

    Whenever you’re stressed, your heart rate increases and thereafter your blood pressure. Your body releases cortisol when you get stressed and the level of hormone goes down soon after the stressful event is over. Nevertheless, did you know that stress, although for a short term, can have a profound effect on your heart and this can sometimes even get pretty bad? This sort of heart condition is called cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome which weakens the left ventricle of the heart.

    Though these cases are rare, yet it happens mostly among women. During extremely stressful situations, cardiomyopathy may occur. Patients get back to the emergency room with immense chest pain and various other symptoms like syndrome of heart failure. Though they can fall ill, but this can be treated with the right kind of treatment.

    Can getting a stress test help?

    A stress test will never measure the stress that you have in your life but it measures the stress that is exerted on your heart or how hard your heart works and how it performs when you’re fast asleep or when you’re working on a treadmill. People get a stress test whenever they suffer from several health conditions like heart disease, palpitations or chest pain. Once this stress test is done, the doctor basically wants to see how the heart performs whenever there is a higher demand for oxygen, or when the blood flow and blood pressure increases. This is when you can check if there is any obstruction that is blocking the blood flow to the heart.

    Things you need to do now to future-proof your life

    No matter you’re suffering from physical or mental setback, there are various things that you can do now in order to future-proof your life. Here are some such steps:

     

    • Resistance training

     

    Once you reach 40, you lose 1 pc of muscle every year. As a result, this slows down your metabolism, lessens your athletic appearance and weakens your structure. Here you can improve things by weightlifting. Work with a gym trainer to know the weight that you should lift according to your physique.

     

    • Pilates/yoga

     

    Neglecting mobility is one of the biggest errors that we make during our 20s and 30s. We sit for long hours at our desk without the need to stretch ourselves. By the time we reach 40, we become planks of wood. Yoga is the solution as there are multiple benefits of stretching regularly. Pilates are another form of exercise protocol which is based on fast results.

     

    • Mobility drills

     

    Does your work demand you to spend long hours at the desk? If yes, it is a dire necessity for you to incorporate yoga into your daily routine. You can practice a short mobility drill which might take 5 minutes as this is a great way of starting your day. Rotate your hips, knees, shoulders and ankles and do simple exercises like planks, lunges, squats or cat stretches.

    Above all, you need to keep your mind health. No matter how many exercises you perform in a day or how long you’ve stayed away from fast food, if your mind is not healthy, you will never get a positive life. Stay mentally healthy and bring improvements to your physical health even after you’ve crossed 40!

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    • Tom La Vecchia

      Founder of New Theory & X Factor Media

      Founder and Publisher of New Theory Magazine and Podcast. Serial Entrepreneur who loves wine, cigars and anything that allows to people to connect and share experiences.

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