4 Anti Ageing habits that you should follow in your 20s/30s

Ageing is a natural process but who does not want to stay healthy and young? People are facing premature grey hair, wrinkles, premature ageing and many other diseases at their young age. We can not finish the process of ageing but at least we can slow down the process and live more healthy life.

Here I will share 4 ways for anti-aging which are mentioned in our ancient scriptures and now accepted by modern science as well.

There are many products that claim to reduce the ageing process but do exactly the opposite. The name "anti ageing" is used to promote the products . In today's busy lifestyle only a few products are actually made truly for the intention that they claim. Many companies claim that just by applying a cream you can slow down the ageing process but it is not true . Actually serious actions are needed to make it happen.

1. Breath

• The first way is "number of breaths in one minute". Just take a 5 minute break from your daily schedule and sit calmly and count the number of breaths you take in one minute. In today's fast and busy life , on an average a human takes around 18 breaths per minute.

• Our ancient scriptures describe the relation between breathing quality and longevity. Higher the breathing speed is, lower the longevity and quality of life is. It is also noticeable on the other life examples as well. For example, a monkey breathes at a higher rate of 32 breath per minute, lives restlessly and lives around 25 years only. On the other hand a tortoise breathes around 4 breaths per minute and lives for 300 years.

• As per Ayurveda men can easily reduce the rate of breathing by breathing in the correct way. Breathing correctly simply means breathing with full capacity. Have you ever noticed a new born baby while sleeping? His diaphragm rises and falls at each breath. This is the correct way of breathing. This way not only reduces the rate of breathing but also provides the proper amount of oxygen to the body. Lack of oxygen is the base of all the disbalances in the body. It may cause dark circles, wrinkles, stress, anxiety, heart problems, diabetes, depression and many other chronic diseases.

• Some modern researchers also accept this relation between longevity and breathing pattern. One can also understand it by the difference in breathing pattern of a smoker and a non-smokers. Smokers breathe more speedily and are more likely to die soon. 

How to practice breathing correctly?

Simply practice pranayama and meditation daily for at least 10 minutes. Just after practising Anulom Vilom ( alternate nostril breathing) for 5 minutes you can notice the reduction in the rate of breathing. Same is the result for meditation, Just practice meditation on breaths for 5 minutes daily. Practising these simple steps daily, our body gets used to breathing correctly and the body gets a proper amount of oxygen which directly improves our quality of life.

2. Selfless services 

• Ayurveda means science of life.  Ayurveda is not just about food and health but it also describes the importance of selfless services to increase an individual's longevity. 

• Our ancient scriptures describe that the selfless services which are done without any personal expectation can strengthen mental health as well as can maintain a balance between body and mind which is crucial for long and healthy life.

• Modern science also accepts that an individual's longevity can be increased by doing selfless services. Modern research validated it through a 50 year long experiment in which they found that the person who did selfless services are more likely to stay healthy and live longer as compared to those who did not.

• The good deed always comes back with good for you. We all have felt instant happiness by helping a needy person. Our scriptures suggest that these selfless services keep balance between mind and body which is necessary for anti ageing. One can do it by just helping friends, family members ,the people who work with you or any stranger.

3. Rasayana foods 

• Anti ageing is described as the name of  "Rasayana chikitsa " in the Ayurveda which includes excellent physical and mental health with the combination of proper foods and herbs.
• Ayurveda suggests that the most common reason for ageing signs is accumulated oxidative stress in the body. It has identified various herbs that have properties to absorb the oxygen radicals and reduce premature ageing. Some of these herbs are amla, Giloy, Brahmi, Shatavari, Ashawagandha and Bala.

• Triphala is a classical formulation of three herbs , amla, baheda and harad. The Orac value of Triphala is found to be highest among all foods. Ashwagandha and Giloy are found to prevent oxidative stress and premature ageing.

• Chyawanprash, Brahma Rasayana and Shatavari are well known rasayana foods. one can add them into the regular diet. Just add them in your diet for about 2 months and then stop for 1 month and so on. You can consult an Ayurvedic practitioner to get more advice about what rasayana food is best for your body type. 

• You can add Shatavari in your diet as I described in this article - click here

4. Fasting

• Fasting is the the most underrated way to reduce ageing process And fast healing .Ayurveda suggest it as the most effective way to reduce the ageing process and now the modern research is also accepting it .

• A survey on mice shows that the mice who did fasting from middle of their age till death lived 11% longer than The mice who did not. Modern science found that if any organism reduces its Intake calories from 30% then its Life is also increased by 30% . 

• Modern science has proved that fasting improves the body at cellular level which improves longevity and health. In 2016 Nobel Prize was awarded to Japanese cell biology for research on Autophagy. Autophagy is a process in which the body gets rid of its sick cells. It proves that fasting induces Autophagy in which only healthy cells can survive.

• The decrement of sick cells results in weight loss, Better digestion, unblemished skin, decrement of wrinkles, increased activity of the body as well as prevention of premature ageing .Fasting also accelerates the DNA repairing which reduces premature ageing. Just try to do fasting once a week .