There has been a tie between: #1. Premature aging
I think that 2010's problem of the year is Premature Aging. I know many people that got wrinkles, age spots and grey hair at an early age. Many people have this problem. Here are a few tips to stay young, longer!
-Get your vitamins!
To help and prevent premature aging, make sure to get your vitamins. A, B5, C, and E are the ones you should make sure to eat and put on your skin.
-Drink lots of water!
To clean your skin, and clear your body of toxins, drink lots of water.
-Get active!
Try to get at least 10 minutes of exercises everyday. Not only will it help your skin, but also help you feel younger, and be healthier. If you are a people person, try some organized sports, or play with your kids, (If you have any) after all, any activity is better than none!
-Go natural!
We all know that there are many synthetic anti-aging creams and skincare out there which people claim work. But after months, to years of using these products, they build up in your blood stream, and not only cause aging, but also diseases like cancer.
-Organic diet!
Its not only natural skincare you want, but also natural and organic foods. Eating foods which are covered in pesticides and growth stimulator's is defiantly not healthy. Next time you go to the grocery store, try to hand out in the organic section, after all, what is using natural on our skin if we're eating synthetics?!
-SPF!
When you go outside on hot (and not so hot) days, make sure you use your natural sunscreen. When you don't, your skin slowly starts aging faster than its supposed to, but remember, using synthetic sunscreen is worse for you than using none at all.
-Relax!
Try not to get angry or upset easily, this will only stress your system and cause you to age faster. When you're feeling stressed, sit down, relax, and take 3 deep breathes.
-Get your rest!
Sleeping 5 hours a day is not nearly enough! Get atleast 8 ours of sleep every night, to ease pressure put on your body, and to stop premature aging. After all, your system will be more progressive after sleeping more, and doing things will take you half the time it would if you sleep only 5 hours.
#2. Horrible Diet & Low Pysical Activity
I think the problem of the year is a horrible diet and low physical activity. In America, more than half of our population is overweight. Unfortunately I am in that group. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and several types of cancers are slowly killing people and can all be linked to bad eating habits and lack of physical activity. I'm not a doctor, but I don't I need to be to know what's happening.
I have been able to change my lifestyle in 3 steps that haven't turned my world upside down. It's not a diet, because those don't last, it just a few tweaks that have begun to make all the difference.
1. Cut out sodas
- I cut out sodas about a year ago and while I haven't lost a bunch of weight, I haven't gained any! I drink water with lemons or limes and different teas. When water gets boring, I'll drink Crystal Light because it curbs my sweet tooth. My skin looks and feels so much better.
2. Cut out processed foods
- Fast food is easy, cheap and tastes really good. Also foods that have a long shelf life make you feel like you got your money's worth. I find that if I can't pronounce the ingredients in my food, and if I have food with a November 2011 expiration date on it, I probably shouldn't be eating it. Food is designed to go bad, and that's how it should be. I eat a lot of fruits a veggies that I get from my local farmer's markets, because they're cheaper and usually haven't been sprayed with pesticides. I eat whole grains for the fiber. I eat dairy(I love cheese!), but drink either skim milk or almond milk for my calcium. I eat meat 2-3 times a week. I buy meat that is free range, grass fed and and was not pumped full of growth hormones and didn't spend their life in a cage. A happy, healthy animal, means healthy meat for me. I still love my sweets and when I eat them I go all the way. I'm better off eating a slice of cake that has oil, sugar and everything else, than 2 slices of fat free cake. Fat free desserts tend to have a lot more sugar as a way to compete with normal desserts. Besides, there's no substitute for real cake if you ask me!
3. Exercise 20-30 min a day.
- T.V. is my boyfriend! I'm like the laziest person on the planet. So if I can find 20-30 minutes to fit some exercise in, anyone can! I'll typically ride my exercise bike while watching t.v in the evenings. Or I'll walk my dogs. I sleep better and my closes are beginning to fit looser. I don't use scales, they stress me out.
With just 3 changes, I've been able to reverse my weight gain and significantly reduce the chances of suffering from any health problems now and in the future. Also all of my natural and organic beauty products are working better too!
Voting ends June 20 
