Five bad habits that shorten your lifespan!

Zee Media Bureau/Salome Phelamei

New Delhi: Nobody wants to grow old. Yet, it is an inevitable process in life. Growing old, also known as ageing, is a natural part of life.

But, the good thing is that making a few changes in your lifestyle can slow the ageing process and help you live longer. It's never too late to start healthy habits and turn back your biological clock.

Here are a few behaviors you need to ditch to help you increase your chances of living a long and healthy life:

Eating processed food

Eating unhealthy foods is one of the unhealthy habits that reduce a person's life expectancy. In fact, processed foods contain large amounts of hidden sodium, saturated fats, and sugar, which are all bad for your body. In fact, they are the main reason why people all over the world are getting fat and sick. Consumption of processed foods has been linked to heavy increase in heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.

Try limiting (but not necessarily eliminating) processed foods, and start eating wholesome fruits and vegetables, especially those that are in season.

Smoking

If you're smoking, quit it immediately. If you don't smoke, then don't start. Smoking exposes a person to a variety of health problems, including stroke, heart diseases and causes cancer. Hence, quitting smoking is perhaps on eof the best things you can do for your health and your life span.

Heavy drinking

Always remember that drinking alcohol excessively is another unhealthy habit that reduces life expectancy. Alcohol in smaller quantities can actually be good, but excessive consumption can harm your health and lower your life span.

Always stressed

Stress is a natural part of life, but when it becomes overwhelming, it can turn toxic giving rise to a number of health problems and shorten your life. It is important to know how to de-stress and relax even during stressful situations. For instance, a few minutes of breathing exercises, meditation a day -even at your desk- can help relax your brain, ease anxiety and improve your health in the long-term.

Sitting still

Research has linked too much sitting to an early death. It says that sitting eight hours a day or more can double the rate of heart disease and diabetes, raise cancer risk and increase the risk of premature death.

Even if you exercise, prolonged sitting also puts you at risk of various health problems and shortens life.