According to World Health Organization, ageing is a course of biological reality which starts at conception and ends with death. It has its own dynamics, much beyond the human control. However, this process of ageing is also subject to the perceptions by which each society makes sense of old age. In most of the developed countries, the age of 60 is considered equivalent to retirement age and it is said to be the beginning of old age.
Premature aging is when the signs of aging occur earlier than is standard. More scientifically, premature aging happens when a person's biological age is older than their chronological age(as per date of birth). Premature ageing also means you are able to see the signs of ageing when you are still young(as per DOB) and you see signs earlier than expected.
Premature ageing is different to different persons, as we are uniquely different from one another (in terms of personality, everything) and so are our bodies.
Here are the prominent signs of premature ageing if you notice them before turning 35:
1. Sun spots
Most Sunspots (also known as “liver spots” though they have nothing to do with your liver) fade somewhat over time. They typically do not disappear completely because the skin has been permanently damaged by the sun. Sunspots are flat areas of discolored skin that can be a tan or varying shades of brown.
They appear on any part of your body that gets exposure from the sun, such as your face, shoulders, back, and the backs of your hands or forearms. The appearance of sunspots typically starts to occur around the age of 40, though some people may develop them earlier or later in life, depending on the amount of sun exposure they’ve had. They are non-cancerous and don’t pose any risk to your health. However, they indicate premature aging.
2. Gaunt hands
Over time, the top layers of your skin become thinner and contain fewer structuring proteins, such as collagen so on, that give your skin its shape and maintains its girth.
Your hands may start to appear more veiny, thin, and prone to wrinkles as a result.
There’s no objective metric for when hands start looking older, but most people tend to notice it during their late 30s and early 40s.
3. Hyper-pigmentation.
Many people develop patchy discoloration on their chest or breasts as they get older.
Similar to sunspots, these areas of differing pigment can be caused by damage to your skin cells from sun exposure.
This kind of hyper-pigmentation isn’t always connected to aging. It can be the result of eczema or other skin conditions that damage the melanin cells in your skin.
There isn’t an average age of when this skin condition typically appears.
4. Dry or itchy skin
Dry or itchy skin (sclerosis cutis) may happen more frequently over time, as you get older. That’s because thinning skin is more susceptible to dehydration.
You may notice your skin becoming drier and more prone to flaking as you near your 40s and in mid 30s.
As you enter your mid 30s, your skin slows down the production of collagen, a protein that gives your skin its shape. Collagen is what helps your skin bounce back and stay plump.
With less collagen in the skin, it’s easier for visible wrinkles and sagging to occur. You might notice this happening more in areas in and around the frequently used muscles, like the forehead, or where you’re more exposed to the sun.
The age when people first notice wrinkles varies, with little standard for when it’s “premature.”
And sometimes aging may not even be responsible. It could simply be dirt or dehydration.
6. Hair loss
Hair loss happens as the stem cells that trigger new hair growth in your hair follicles die off.
Hormone changes, environmental factors, genetics, and your diet all play a role in how quickly this happens. This can also happen due to scalp damage.
Up to 40 percent of women over age 70 experience hair loss. Men experience it earlier, with 50 percent seeing hair loss after the age 50.
What's the root cause of aging & premature aging?
We see n no of articles which attribute premature aging to smoking, sun exposure and tanning, genes, sleep habits, diet, alcohol, caffeine intake, environment, stress, so on. But all these causes 'INFLAMMATION' which is the root of premature ageing or any sort of disorders related to body and mind, which are the two faces of same called SPIRIT.
Before we move on we need to understand, there's difference between health & fitness, although they are used analogously. Fitness basically indicates being able to do any physical or mental activity. Fitness indicates capability, however health is a comprehensive term. One should understand that health includes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Health basically indicates 'being free from illness or injuries.'
What Is INFLAMMATION?
INFLAMMATION is a localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot, and often painful, especially as a reaction to injury or infection.
Inflammation is also the process by which your body's white blood cells and the things they make protect you from infection from outside invaders, such as bacteria and viruses.
What causes INFLAMMATION?
We narrate some examples where we increase inflammation:
1. It's a cold day in winter, despite this you eat ice cream, then you get cold, along with sneezing and mild fever, you take cold tablets along with a paracetamol. This results in inflammation.
2. You are a fitness freak, every day you work out in Gym. But on a weekend, you drink 2 bottles of bear or drink a full bottle Wine. This results in inflammation.
3. You eat excessively spicy food(heat), you become acidic, you take eno or omiprasol, this results in inflammation.
When inflammation happens, chemicals from your body's white blood cells enter your blood or tissues to protect your body from invaders(to protect you from infection.) This raises the blood flow to the area of injury or infection. It can cause redness and warmth. Some of the chemicals cause fluid to leak into your tissues, resulting in swelling. This protective process may trigger nerves and cause pain.
Higher numbers of white blood cells and the things they make inside your joints cause irritation, swelling of the joint lining, and loss of cartilage (cushions at the end of bones) over time.
INFLAMMATION can be both MILD & CHRONIC:
The above explanations are related to chronic inflammation, which is a result of continued and accumulated inflammation to certain parts of your body.
Ayurveda wonderfully explains this! In Ayurvedic medicine: one of the three humors (or doshas) in the body, made up of the elements air and ether and responsible for movement and activity, this is referred to as 'Vatha'. Other doshas are 'Pittha'(heat) and 'Kafa'(sputum). All of these are mutually dependent on one another.
Under normal healthy body, all these 3 factors should be balanced. Any imbalance in any of these doshas will result in inflammation either mild or chronic. Continued mild inflammation leads to chronic inflammation which results in gastritis, cold, or any ailments, this results in premature aging and ultimately it affects our life span.
People who lived for longer time were found to be having less health issues. They didn't had diabetes, heart diseases for quite a long time. Maybe some of them might have developed at their last years.
How to tackle INFLAMMATION holistically?
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु | युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दु:खहा || 17||
yuktāhāra-vihārasya yukta-cheṣhṭasya karmasu yukta-svapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā
yukta—moderate; āhāra—eating; vihārasya—recreation; yukta cheṣhṭasya karmasu—balanced in work; yukta—regulated; svapna-avabodhasya—sleep and wakefulness; yogaḥ—Yog; bhavati—becomes; duḥkha-hā—the slayer of sorrows
BG 6.17: But those who are temperate(moderate) in eating and recreation, balanced in work, and regulated in sleep, can mitigate all sorrows by practicing Yoga.
Yoga is the union of the soul with God. The opposite of Yoga is Bhoga, which means engagement in sensual pleasures. Indulgence in Bhoga violates the natural laws of the body, and results in Roga (disease). As stated in the previous verse, if the body becomes diseased, it impedes the practice of Yoga. Thus in this verse, Sri Krishna states that by being temperate in bodily activities and practicing Yoga, we can become free from the sorrows of the body and mind.
As we learn the art & science of balancing or moderation in everything we do, we become healthy & fit, this indeed will drastically reduce inflammation.
All the 3 factors mentioned before in Ayurveda, will be balanced if we regulate our eating, sleeping, work, recreation & sexual activities, so on.
We can do this by following the principles of Astanga Yoga which are given in this article: https://www.getinspiredspiritually.com/post/significance-of-meditation-and-astanga-yoga Please read through this for more information.
It's because of strict adherence to Astanga Yogic principles that Himalayan Yogis we able to live for an average of 125 years. They practice celibacy, and were completely detached from the worldly desires.
Medical researchers have found that regular meditation drastically reduces inflammation prevents premature aging and reverses aging. It's scientifically proved that meditation improves immunity, as a result of reduced inflammation.
Credits: Ecole Globale
Buddhists Monks meditated for about 1 hour regularly for about 2 years. After 2 years, the results were shocking! They were looking very young. In fact, they were looking younger by 8 years. This is the power of meditation!!
There's science behind this:
In our daily lives we are bothered by worries, anxiety, and our life style has changed drastically. We lead sedentary living, we eat fast food, junk food, we consume alcohol and party every now & then. Our lives have become completely artificial and filled with enormous stress. We have multiple responsibilities to manage, multiple relationships to maintain. In midst of this, we say we don't have time to think about our health or perform health rituals. We realize the value of health only when there's a crisis.
The root cause of all health issues & aging is imbalance of Yin-Yang aspects of our life. Yin Yang is also known as Purusha or Prakriti, as per Bhagavad Gita. Yang represent fast, active, performance, thinking and Yin represent slowness, passivity, lethargy, so on. If we look at our lives there's imbalance in these two aspects.
We over work throughout weekdays and jerk off excessively in weekends. Either we overthink, get worried, anxious or we don't think constrictively or don't plan properly. When we are anxious or worried, we are more prone to get attacked by microbes that cause infection.
When we are anxious or worried, the right part of our body (Yang or Pingala Nadi or Nerve or vessel) is more active, when we are lethargic about life(esp. in weekends & during sleep) our left part of the body (Yin or Ida Nadi) is active, what we do in Yoga or meditation or pranayama is the balancing of these energies or forces and align them with Brahma or Sushumna Nadi or Chi energy path. Kundalini or Chi actually rises in this path. This is the key to health, reduces inflammation and we naturally look young.
Credits- son of lightnin
In Sushruta Samhita, it's said that one should not consume too spicy, sweet, sour or bitter food. Maintaining a balance in all these aspects of food, tackles INFLAMMATION. You need to fill food for only 50% of your stomach capacity, the 25% should be filled with water, the remaining 25% should be left empty, to be filled with air. Also, it says to excrete for twice a day.
Go Vegan! It's scientifically proved vegan food like green vegetables, cereals, reduces inflammation and promotes health. Drink more water! Staying hydrated all time tremendously reduces inflammation. Water has the highest vibration, drinking more water also increases your vibrations. Higher the vibrations, stronger will be your aura.
Apart from sedentary lifestyle, excessive loss of semen results in severe inflammation, in turn causes hormonal imbalance, causes severe mental as well as physical health issues, in turn flares up inflammation and causes the premature ageing. It's said that excessive semen loss weakens aura, weak aura not only affects physical or mental health, but also spiritual. Persons with weak aura are more prone to black magic, demonic possession.
"Practice celibacy diligently, it's the key to health and longevity."
Credits: Brahmacharya the art of life.
Apart from this, regular physical exercises along with breathing exercises, walking or jogging helps in reducing inflammation. Apart from this Hatha Yogic Practices like Kumbhaka Pranayama increases longevity. You can lean it from here: https://youtu.be/l2V5R9F5ylc
Lifting weights increases muscle density, this in turn reverses ageing. Regularly practicing all these rituals reverses aging. Maintaining a balance in the calory intake, regular walk or jogging tremendously reduces inflammation and prevents premature ageing.
Ayurveda says:
'Aaharam Eva Arogyasya Moolaha'
Trans: Food that we eat is the root of health.
Food is like a medicine, there should be balance in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, so on.
What we eat, listen to, give importance to, what we magnify, our activities (both mental, physical and spiritual) tremendously influences our health and longevity ultimately. Be positive, think positive! Be watchful of your thoughts. Having a positive attitude promotes better health.
"Mind and body are the two sides of the same coin called SPIRIT, which gives LIFE."
'You have to earn the food, not by just mentally working in office desk, but by physically working out and fasting."
"The calories you consume should match with the calories you burn."
"The hours of work should be compensated with deep rest, relaxation equitably. This can only enable to work joyously."
Eat half your stomach, when there's not much physical activity. If you have burnt more calories, naturally you need to supplement it with proteins, minerals, vitamins. Any imbalance in this will lead to inflammation, obesity which causes premature aging.
Reward for each productive activity done! Your mind craves for rewards, give it surprisingly! It's more effective way to motivate to be productive.
Twice a week apply oil to whole body esp. head, don't directly wash with Shampoo. This ancient ayurvedic technique gave rise to massage parlors. You don't have to frequently visit massage parlors, apply oil regularly to the whole body. This prevents gaunt hands & hair fall or loss, & dry skin, improves skin quality. Ultimately it prevents premature aging.
Practice intermittent fasting (either with liquids or no liquids), this spiritual practicing is called Ekadashi Vrat. Himalayan Yogis practice fasting for 1 day initially, gradually they can live without food & water for more than 1 month, with all their spiritual rituals. Eventually they give up food, and they receive cosmic energy directly from the sun. Fasting improves your receiving capacity of cosmic energy or Kundalini energy (transformed cosmic energy).
Fasting improves metabolism, it cleanses your digestive system. It clears off all the dead cells, as lysosomes (suicide bags in cells) get activated, they destroy all the unwanted dead cells, it reduces the fat content of your body. You'll feel light after this ritual!!
Drink sufficient water, not less, not even more, balanced. Sufficient supply of water maintains body temperature, reduces inflammation.
Do both Yoga or Tai Chi and Gym. Personally, I do both Yoga and weight lifts to tone the body. Yoga and Tai-chi are fat burners(body breakers), gym builds the body, conveting fat into muscles. Balance in the both gives you health, stamina and longevity.
Hope this information is useful!
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Yadu,