A Bad Diet Can Cause Weight Gain, Skin Aging, and Health Issues
Certain lifestyle habits, over time, can significantly contribute to weight gain, speed up the body’s natural aging process, and even put you at risk of more serious health issues like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. We are what we eat and these common habits and lifestyle factors could be affecting your waistline and causing premature wrinkles and skin imperfections without you even realizing it.
1. Don’t Skip Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and skipping it can send your body into starvation mode and slow down your metabolism, making you put on weight. Not eating an adequate breakfast, can also prompt you to overeat during the day, indulge in bigger portions at lunch or dinner, or turn to sugary or fatty snacks increasing your calorie intake and putting you at risk of inflammation which triggers premature aging.
2. Eat at the Right Time
Eating late is a major contributor to weight gain as your metabolism naturally slows down at night. If you eat a heavy meal before bed this can lead to digestive issues as lying down restricts the body’s ability to breakdown food. Late-night snacking, especially if you seek comfort in high-sugar, high-fat foods can also impact your gut microbiome, which can throw the body’s hormones out of balance and disrupt your sleep which accelerates aging and weight gain.
3. Steer Clear of Sugary Drinks
Drinks containing high sugar content like soda, artificial fruit juices, and energy drinks contain empty calories. Not only do they spike your blood sugar levels, and lead to an increase in body fat, but excess sugar causes an inflammatory response that can damage the skin’s DNA cells and contribute to the development of fine lines and wrinkles.
4. Get a Good Night Sleep
The body and skin repair themselves overnight so if you don’t get enough sleep it can disrupt your hormonal balance, cause increased hunger and cravings for unhealthy foods, and elevate stress levels all of which speed up premature aging. Aim for 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep as deprivation affects ghrelin and leptin, the hormones that regulate your appetite.
5. Increase Exercise and Physical Activity
Exercising boosts your overall health and well-being as it triggers the release of endorphins the happy hormones responsible for your mood. It also reduces free radicals (toxins) in the body which accelerate aging. A sedentary lifestyle or spending too much time sitting or laying around causes weight gain as it reduces the amount of calories you burn throughout the day. This prompts the body to store more fat, so exercise 3 times per week at a minimum or get in 8000-10000 steps per day to maintain a healthy weight, improve the appearance of your skin, and lower your risk of heart disease.
6. Manage High-Stress Levels
Chronic stress can lead to emotional eating as when you’re stressed or in emotional turmoil, your body produces more cortisol, a hormone that increases appetite and causes cravings for high-calorie foods. High cortisol levels also disrupt your hormonal balance, which can trigger inflammation and speed up aging. Reduce your stress with calming relaxation techniques like meditation, mindfulness, and gratitude, and exercise regularly to boost endorphins, fight off anxiety and depression, and lower the risk of weight gain.
7. Beware of Processed and High Fat Foods
Processed and fried foods, along with deli meats are rich in calories, nutrient-poor, and high in unhealthy fats, sugars, and sodium. They have also been linked to cancer. Frozen meals and takeout are enemies when it comes to weight management and skin health as they increase body fat and trigger inflammation in the body which accelerates wrinkles and puts you at risk of more serious health issues and disease.
8. Avoid Fasting and Detox Diets
Skipping meals, fasting, or going on extreme detox diets or juice cleanses can lead to overeating or consuming larger portions during the day. When you skip meals you are depriving your body and skin of vital nutrients, slowing your metabolism, and causing you to crave more food usually unhealthy high-fat, high-sugar ones. It’s important to eat a well-balanced diet that is rich in vitamins and antioxidants consume three meals per day at the right time and eat healthy snacks in between. Avocado, nuts, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, and sardines) dark chocolate and green tea all have skin-boosting benefits and will keep your weight and health under control.
9. Don’t Eat Too Fast
Eating too quickly can cause digestion issues as your body doesn’t have enough time to break down food and transfer it to vital nutrients. It also doesn’t allow your brain time to register you’re full which can lead to overeating. Always eat sitting up to improve digestion, chew your food until it’s soft and easy to swallow (ideally 20-50 times), and don’t drink water with food as it can slow saliva production and dilute the digestive juices making it harder for your body to break down food.
10. Pay Attention to Portion Size
Portion sizes have increased over the years and consuming large meal sizes leads to excessive calorie intake which will make you gain weight. To maintain a healthy weight it’s crucial to balance your calorie intake according to health experts at Forbes. On average women need 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day, and men need 2,000 to 3,000. Be mindful of portion sizes to prevent weight gain eat a healthy balanced diet and lower your intake of processed foods and sugar for healthy, youthful skin and lower your risk of disease.
11. Limit Your Alcohol Consumption
Drinking alcohol in excess can cause puffiness and increased weight gain due to its high sugar, and high-calorie content. There is no healthy amount of alcohol you can drink and it can increase your appetite, and lower your inhibitions leading to poor food choices and overeating. Booze is a depressant that can cause anxiety and depression and increase inflammation and toxins in the body which age the skin fast.
12. Get Your Fill of H20
Dehydration can often be mistaken for hunger which can lead to increased snacking and calorie intake. Women should drink 2.7 liters and men should drink 3.7 liters of water per day, to flush out toxins, aid digestion, control your appetite, and keep the skin and body healthy and hydrated.
13. Plan Your Meals
One of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight is to plan your meals and ideally eat mostly homecooked meals rich in fruit, vegetables, lean meat, and antioxidants. Regularly eating out, and ordering foods on Grubhub can lead to weight gain as most restaurants offer larger portion sizes and foods high in calories, unhealthy fats, sugars, and sodium, making them a poor choice for maintaining a healthy weight. Without proper planning, you are more likely to resort to eating convenient, high-calorie, unhealthy foods increasing weight gain and speeding up skin and body aging.
14. Steer Clear of Sugar and Sweet Treats
Like unhealthy fats, foods, and drinks with a high sugar content are an instant ticket to weight gain. Sugary foods and drinks like soda, candy, ice cream, doughnuts and are dense in calories, while offering little nutritional value. Over time, consuming too much sugar can increase body fat and cause excessive inflammation in the body which triggers the development of fine lines and wrinkles and puts you at risk of diabetes and cancer.