Secrets to Living
Longer
Now days it seems we are always on the look out for ways to
extend our lives. Here are some tips
that may help with that search:
Protect Your DNA
Aging makes our chromosomes shorter, called telomeres,
making it more likely for us to get sick. But lifestyle changes can boost the
enzyme and increase the length of our life.
Studies show that diet and exercise can protect them. Healthy habits seems to slow down aging on a
cellular level.
Play to Win
An 80-year study found that people who are
conscientious—paying attention to detail, think things through, and do what’s
right—tend to live longer. These types
of people protect their health by making choices that lead to stronger
relationships and better career moves.
Make Friends
Here’s one reason to be grateful for your friends. They help you live longer. Australian researchers have found in elderly
social butterflies are less likely to die over a 10-year period and compared it
to people with the fewest friends. And
more results of 148 more studies have also made it clear that social ties leads
to a longer life.
Choose Friends Wisely
This may be due to your friends’ habits rubbing of on you,
so it would be better to choose your pals who have healthier lifestyles. You may risk becoming obese if you have a
friend who adds extra pounds. And even
more surprising, smoking spreads through the social ties—but don’t fear: quitting is also contagious.
Quit Smoking
It’s true the giving up cigarettes can lengthen your life,
but the amount at which it can is surprising.
A 50-year British study shows that quitting at age 30 can increase your
lifespan by an entire decade. And if you
stop smoking at age 40, 50, or 60, it can add 9.6, or 3 years to your life,
respectively.
Embrace the Siesta
Not into taking naps.
Taking a siesta is a standard practice in many countries – and
scientific evidence of napping can lead to a longer life. A study involving nearly 24,000 people
suggests that people who regularly take a snooze were 37% less likely to die of heart disease than
those who rarely took naps. And
researchers also found that naps helped the heart by keeping stress hormones
down.
Follow Mediterranean
Diet
A Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, olive oil, and fish. 50 studies
have analyzed more than half a million people confirming these benefits. A serious dent risks the metabolic syndrome –
that of mixing obesity, high blood sugar, and other factors, making it more
likely to get heart disease or diabetes.
Eat Like an Okinawan
This group of people from Okinawa, Japan, had once lived
longer than any group of people in the world.
It was based on their traditional diet—that of rich in green and yellow
vegetables and low in calories. Some
Okinawans even practiced the habit of eating only 80% of food on their
plates. However, the younger generation
of Okinawans have seemed to dropped the traditional diet, thus, they don’t seem
to to be living quite as long as their ancestors.
Get Hitched
Those people who get married seem to outlive their single
friends and researchers are finding it may be due to the social and economic
support that wedded bliss provides.
While the current union may offer the greatest benefits, those who are
divorced or widowed seem to have lower death rates than those who never married
at all.
Lose Weight
This may be a no-brainer, but losing a few pounds helps
protects against diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions that takes years
of your life. Belly fat is clearly bad
for you, so try to focus on losing a little in your mid-section. A 5-year study of Hispanics and
African-Americans who ate more fiber and exercised suggests that these may be
excellent ways to keep your waistline slimmer.
Keep Moving
The evidence is crystal clear: exercising may help you live longer than
those who don’t. And dozens more studies
shows that regular physical activities may also lower your risk of heart
disease, stroke, diabetes, some cancers, and even depression. Not mention, staying mentally sharp helps in
your old age. If ten-minute spurts of
activity are all you can do, that’s ok—as long as it adds up to 2.5 hours of
moderate exercise per week.
Drink in Moderation
While heart disease may be less common in those who
moderately drink than those who don’t drink at all. But if you drink too much alcohol, it pads
your belly, boosts high blood pressure as well as a host of other
problems. If you’re going to drink,
limit it to one drink per day for women and one to two for men. If you don’t drink, don’t start—there are
better ways to protect your heart.
Get Spiritual
People who attend a religious service seem to live longer
than those who do not. A 12-year study
of people over 65 who went to a service more than once a week showed higher
levels of the key immune system protein than those who did not. It seems a strong social network develops
among people who worship together contribute to better health.
Forgive
Having problems with
forgiving those who’ve hurt you?
Dropping these grudges shows a surprising benefits in physical
health. While chronic anger is linked to
decreased lung function, heart disease, stroke, as well as other ailments,
forgiveness seems to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and allow you to
breathe more easily. And these benefits
seem to increase as you get older.
Use Safety Gear
Accidents are a fifty common cause of death in the U.S. –
and a top cause of death among those from 1 – 24 years. Not only does wearing safety gear boosts the
odds of a longer life, seatbelts reduce the chances of death or serious injury
in a car wreck by 50%. Deaths occurring
in bike accidents are more commonly caused by injuries, so it is important to
wear a helmet if you’re riding a bike.
Make Sleep a Priority.
Getting enough good quality sleep lower the risks of
obesity, heart disease, and mood disorders, not to mention, help in recovering
from an illness. So if you’re likely to
burn the midnight oil, which is potentially bad for you, snoozing less than 5
hours a night also increases your chances of an early death – so make sleep a
priority.
Manage Stress
While we can never completely avoid stress, there are
excellent ways to control it, like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing. A minutes a day can make a world of
difference.
Maintain a Sense of
Purpose
Hobbies and activities that have meaning for you can
lengthen your life. Japanese researchers
have found that men with a strong sense of purpose are less likely to die from
stroke, heart disease, or other causes over a 13-year period than those who
don’t value themselves. Having a clear
idea of what you are doing and why may also lower your chances of getting
Alzheimer’s Disease.
Reference
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