How Everyday Toxins Can Make You Age Faster

Have you begun to notice the subtle side effects of aging? You know how it goes: You come home from a long night out with your friends, you head into the bathroom to wash your face before slipping into your comfy pajamas and slide into bed when something happens. While glancing at your reflection, your appearance seems different—your skin shows fine lines and wrinkles out of nowhere. While lackluster skincare never helps anyone look their best, everyday toxins are a topic most people are unfamiliar with. If you’re desperate to look your best and feel great about your appearance, here’s what you should know about toxins, and more importantly, how they expedite the aging process.

Everyday Toxins: The Hidden Killer of Youth and Glowing Skin

When we think of the variables that cause us to age faster than usual, most of us reflect on our time spent in the sun without lotion, living in polluted environments and using harsh facial astringents to clear our face at the end of a long day. Although these factors are something to consider, there’s a silent perpetrator wreaking havoc on your youthful appearance: toxins contained in variables that we interact with regularly.

First and foremost, let’s clear the air and point out the most common everyday toxins that are contributing to your rapid aging:

• Smoking cigarettes
• Consuming alcohol regularly
• Habitual drug use
• Smog
• Automobile exhaust
• Cleaning chemicals
• Excessive caffeine intake

Each of these variables produces oxidative stress on our cells, which is a fancy way of saying it causes individuals to look older than they are. Fortunately for us, we can avoid most environmental toxins through lifestyle modifications and implementing good habits in our daily routine.

Certain tasks, such as wearing a mask, quitting smoking, dropping drug use, cutting back on our coffee intake and relocating to an area with higher air quality can improve our odds of aging gracefully. Unfortunately, every human on planet earth will become exposed to an issue that we have no control over: metabolic toxins.

Metabolic Toxins 101

Although metabolic toxins may sound like a heavy-metal band from the early 2000s, they are a result of a natural biological process inside our bodies that occurs after consuming meals and drinks throughout our waking hours. Every time we sit down and eat a salad, cook up a steak, reach for a fizzy drink or cut a slice of cake, metabolic toxins are ready to go to work.

Once your food has been digested and passed through your system, waste products line the interior of your internal organs and wreak havoc on your health. While running the risk of sounding like Bill Nye the Science Guy, here are the foods known to cause metabolic-toxin overload after consumption. Although your mileage may vary, ingest these items with caution:

• Bisphenol-A (BPA)
• Eggs
• Green potatoes
• Vegetable and seed oils
• Almonds
• Rhubarb
• Nutmeg

If you’ve examined this list of foods that contain everyday toxins and notice they’re on your regular menu, consider replacing them with a similar alternative. In the long run, your youthful appearance will blossom, but more importantly, you’ll reduce the amount of internal inflammation your system experiences after digesting these items.

Are Toxins an Inevitable Part of Life?

The answer to this question is not as black and white as you may think. While certain toxins, specifically metabolic toxins and certain environmental toxins, are inevitable, we can diminish the effect that unneeded toxins have on our appearance and youth.

For most individuals, developing an exercise routine that utilizes both cardiovascular workouts and strength training is enough to keep their toxins in check. Before grabbing your gym clothes and performing your best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, heed this warning: Exercise is good in moderation, but too much exercise can cause oxidative stress on your body and negatively influence your aging process. As always, moderation is key!

From here, you must examine your negative habits and food choices with a critical eye. Be honest, are you leading a lifestyle that’s unsustainable and detrimental to your health and wellness? If so, switching to a productive lifestyle is your best solution.

To get started, drop the unhealthy habits that produce everyday toxins, such as smoking, drinking and drug use. Once you’ve gotten into a good routine, introduce leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, complex carbohydrates, adequate water intake, lean proteins and exercise into life. Before you know it, you will look and feel better than ever before!