Living Longer And Feeling Younger
Everyone wants to live longer. With modern medicine, human beings have already increased their natural life span by curing many childhood diseases and vaccinating against viral killers like measles, influenza, and pneumonia.
You’re not likely to die from infections, either, thanks to antibiotics, nor are you to succumb to diseases like diabetes, because of the development of insulin. And when reflecting on how much the average lifespan has changed over the years, there’s a lot to be thankful for.
In 1900, average life expectancy was around 46 years. Today, it’s nearly 80 years! But as wonderful as it is that overall life expectancy has increased over the years, there are things we can do to further encourage a longer lifespan. And that’s what this special report, Living Longer And Feeling Younger, is all about.
We will take a look at the different ways you can live longer, healthier and happier just by making a few simple changes to your lifestyle. And best of all, every strategy and technique featured in this report is backed by science.
See a Doctor Regularly
One of the common mistakes people make, especially elderly, is to assume that they’re healthy.
They put off seeing a doctor, even if they do have that little twinge in their chest or crackle when they bend over. One of the best things you can do to prolong your life is to pay regular visits to your family doctor.
It’s easy to tell yourself, “It’s just a little pain,” or “I’ll be okay in a few days.” That is, until you wind up in the emergency room and the doctor says, “I wish you’d come in years ago when we could have taken care of this problem.”
In fact, there are hundreds of different diseases and conditions that are easily prevented with regular check-ups and self-care.
But if you don’t go in for that physical exam, how are you going to know if you are suffering from one of them? Don’t self-diagnose. It’s far too common for people to Google their symptoms in an attempt to figure things out for themselves.
Keyword searches for “home remedies” have been growing in popularity every year with people trying to resolve their issues and improve their health on their own. Don’t make this mistake. See your doctor regularly and especially if you aren’t feeling well. The earlier possible issues are caught and diagnosed, the better your chances at overcoming whatever is ailing you.
In addition, many insurance plans will pay for a yearly physical so be sure to take advantage of any coverage you have, keeping in mind that plans typically reset every year.
You can also get intensive check-ups, with MRI scans, EKGs, x-rays, and other modern scanning techniques.
Sometimes those scans will catch conditions like an aneurism, or undetected coronary artery disease, two of the top killers of them all.
These are more expensive than a typical physical exam, but if you have a family history of certain disorders, it’s worth asking your doctor about.
Spend More Time Outside
It’s time to get outside and into the sunlight. Not only will this make you feel better overall but it has been proven to increase longevity.
Here’s why:
When you expose your skin to sunlight, it produces vitamin D.
Doctors estimate that as many as 50% of modern humans don’t get enough sunlight to produce the proper levels of vitamin D.
This is an easy fix for any of us. Just go outside for 15 minutes a day and expose your face and hands (at least) to sunlight.
Remember not to overdo it, because the ultraviolet light will also cause burns and skin cancer if you stay out too long. Fifteen minutes is plenty of time to get that vitamin D into your skin.
Vitamin D isn’t just important for healthy bones, but it’s also helpful with heart disease, diabetes, depression, and other conditions.
It’s becoming more and more apparent that this “vitamin” is an essential part of your health. So, open the door and step outside!
Sleep More (but not too much)
Chances are, you’ve heard this one before.
Today, the average person is almost always chronically sleep-deprived. We just can’t seem to put down what we’re working on and relax.
A recent study shows that a regular sleeping habit - going to bed and getting up at around the same time daily - is essential for health and longevity.
Sleep is when your body restores its cells and heals. It’s not something you can skip without it catching up to you and wreaking havoc on your health.
Kids and teens need around ten solid hours of sleep to function at their best. Adults need at least six, with seven to eight being ideal.
Too little sleep is linked with a 12% greater risk of early death. It may also cause chronic inflammation because your cells cannot repair themselves, and has been linked with heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
And, all of these conditions are linked with a shorter lifespan.
On the other hand, you don’t want to stay in bed too long, either. It’s all about striking a balance.
That’s because excessive sleep (over 8 or 9 hours a night) could also lower your lifespan by around 38%.
It’s also associated with depression and low physical activity, both of which can reduce your lifespan in the same way that too little sleep does.
Spend Time with Friends
The simple fact is: the more connected you are, the better your overall health.
Just spending time with friends and/or family can prolong your years.
Scientists aren’t sure exactly why positive relationships with a spouse, family, and/or friends can extend your life, but perhaps it’s because having such relationships reduces your levels of stress.
It could also be that people in close relationships are more likely to take care of themselves and less likely to take dangerous risks, thus shortening their lives.
Scientists report that keeping a healthy social circle can help you live up to 50% longer.
In fact, having just three positive social ties could lower your risk of an early death by up to 200%.
Studies also find that healthy social networks are linked to positive changes in your heart, brain, hormones, and immune system—all of which can reduce your risk of chronic diseases.
Make the effort to spend more time with friends and family. Even a telephone call will keep you in touch, or a Zoom meeting with an extended family or circle of friends.
Take the time to improve your communications, thus strengthening your bonds.
One good way of communicating is by telling stories. Go do things with your friends and family so you have good stories to talk about. Share the latest funny story from your family to your friends, or vice versa. Stories help keep your relationships alive.
If you don’t have friends or family living close, make new ones. Volunteer or join a social club. Take classes or join your neighbors at the local senior center. Get out there and make an effort!
And finally, many studies have shown a link between improved health and increased longevity and providing support to others as well.
In other words, perhaps it really is better to give than to receive. Sure, we all need some support sometimes, but we find meaning in helping others which improves our self-worth, lifts our mood and makes us happier people – which will help you live longer.
You Are What You Eat
This is another important component to extending longevity and you’ve probably already heard from your doctor.
Today, “junk” food is so common that our health is imperiled by it. Life expectancy has been linked to 3 dietary factors: fewer bad fats, more antioxidants, and lower weight.
You don’t have to become a vegan to lower the amount of bad fats in your diet, nor to get more antioxidants.
You already know which foods are good for you: fruits and veggies, lean meats, fewer carbs and saturated fats, less sugar and more water.
The key is to make your diet part of your overall lifestyle. Instead of reaching for that bag of potato chips or a candy bar, have a piece of fruit, a crunchy vegetable stick, or a handful of nuts as a snack.
In addition, you’ll want to limit your portion sizes. We get used to “restaurant sizes,” which are vastly oversized in nearly every case.
A piece of meat should be about the size of the palm of your hand (not including fingers and thumb). Starchy foods should be the smallest portion on your plate, not the largest.
And skip the sweetened drinks in favour of unsweetened tea or water.
One good method of measuring the proper portion sizes is called the “plate method.”
Take a small plate (not the largest one in your set) and divide it into half. Fill one half of the plate with your healthy vegetables and/or fruits.
Now divide the other half into half again. One of those sections will hold your meat and the other will hold a starchy food like bread, potatoes, or pasta.
Another good rule to follow is the “natural food” rule: the closer your food is to being raw, the healthier it is for you.
Raw fruits and veggies are healthier than cooked ones, and leaving the skins on helps even more. Whole grain is better for you than white bread or rice. Lean meats are better than processed ones like bologna or sausages. Added salt is another step away from “raw,” so use salt in moderation.
Some people go so far as to try intermittent fasting.
There are many ways of doing this. Some skip meals and others cut back on the calorie intake for 2 or 3 days out of the week. You can eat the last meal of the day earlier and fast until breakfast the next day (up to a 20 hour fast if you eat early enough).
Whichever method you choose, remember you still need to eat enough nutritious food to sustain your body, so don’t skip every meal or fast for more than a day or two in a row.
Exercise your Body & Brain
Exercise. Is there a less detested word in most people’s vocabulary?
However, it is a proven fact that a sedentary lifestyle lowers your lifespan.
Muscle mass is one of the best predictors of longevity. Unfortunately, we all lose this muscle mass as we age (it’s called sarcopenia, or “flesh poverty”).
The good news is that you can increase your muscle mass instead of losing it.
Guess how? Increasing your exercise increases your muscle mass, which leads to a longer life. Not only does exercise help keep your heart healthy, it helps create more stem cells.
These are undifferentiated cells in your body that can transform into other types of cells when needed, such as heart, lung, liver, skin, etc.
Increased stamina and muscle mass also reduces the risk of falling, which is a big factor as you age.
One study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that elderly men, put on a three-month resistance training program (three sessions per week), had better motor control, increased muscle strength, and lower fat mass than those who didn’t exercise.
Makes sense, doesn’t it? “Use it or lose it.”
Another study showed that people who exercised vigorously for three hours a week had cells and DNA that were nine years younger than their counterparts who didn’t exercise.
That’s a little over thirty minutes of exercise a day, which doesn’t sound like too much when you think of it that way. It’s better to exercise daily rather than try to do three one-hour sessions a week.
If you exercise Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for example, and something happens to make you miss Friday’s session, that’s four whole days without any exercise at all—a sure way to disaster for your exercise habit.
Daily exercise also helps improve your energy levels and your sleep patterns. It’s more important, for your life expectancy, to keep the habit up year after year instead of going through periods of intense exercise followed by little or nothing.
You don’t have to go to the gym every day, either. A simple brisk walk will do the trick, or home exercises like free weights, yoga or tai chi, or deep stretching, will work so long as you’re doing some brisk movements for about thirty minutes a day.
In addition to your body, your brain needs a little exercise, too.
Challenge your brain every day by trying something new, even if it’s just driving home from work a different way. Take a class and learn something new. Work puzzles or learn to crochet or knit.
Travel, seek out new experiences, and become an eternal student. Your brain thrives on challenges and a working brain is a young brain.
Drink More Water
Sweetened drinks are one of the major sources of sugar in most people’s diet. Unfortunately, most of us don’t realize how much sugar is inside that can of soda or glass of iced tea or fruit juice.
We just drink glass after glass and then wonder why our blood sugar is up or why we’ve gained ten pounds.
The reality is, there is (on average) around 39 grams of sugar in a can or bottle of soda. That’s more than nine teaspoonful’s!
Of course, sodas aren’t the only sneaky sources of added sugar.
Flavored yogurts, cereals, soups, bread, ketchup, cured meats and other processed foods—all of which have sugar added during the production process.
Cakes, cookies, and candies are obvious sources of sugar, but you’ve also got to read the labels on other foods as well.
Added sugar is instrumental on diabetes, of course, but also has a big impact on your heart.
High amounts of sugar overload the liver, which digests it the same way it does alcohol, turning it into fat which raises your risk for heart disease.
Excess sugar also raises your blood pressure and increases chronic inflammation, both of which lead to heart disease.
Drinking too many sugary beverages also tricks your brain into turning off your appetite-control system.
Calories from liquids aren’t as satisfying as calories from solid foods, so your body ignores them—but it still turns them into fat.
This means you should count the calories and/or carbs in your beverages just as you count what’s in your food. Weigh your choices and see if you want to use up that much of your daily intake on a sweet drink.
Drinking more water (or unsweetened tea or coffee) can reduce those sugar cravings and help you maintain your ideal weight.
It reduces migraines and other types of headaches. More water can improve your memory and mood. It helps prevent constipation, kidney stones, and bladder infections.
Water regulates your body temperature and protects your tissues, spinal cord, and joints.
It also helps maximize your exercise performance, which we’ve already learned can increase your lifespan.
Final Thoughts
As we’ve discussed throughout this special report, there are many ways you can take control of your life and increase your chances at living a longer, healthier and happier life. But did you know that most often, the most important thing you can do to improve every aspect of your life, including how long you live, starts by improving your mindset?
Recent studies have shown that happier people had a 3.7% reduction in early death over a five-year period over unhappy ones.
And a review of 35 different other studies showed that happy people may live up to 18% longer than their pessimistic counterparts.
There’s a good saying: “The me I see is the me I’ll be.”
If you have a negative outlook, you’ll be more likely to be a pessimistic, negative, and unhappy person.
If you see yourself as a positive, happy soul, you’ll find ways to be one (even if you don’t always really feel that way).
You might not have control over everything in your life, but you do get to make the choice to stay upbeat and positive, as well as how you react to situations that may prove stressful at times. Tips: Turn on some soothing music, listen to an audiobook, pray, or meditate until you feel better.
Rest your mind and body, take deep breaths and always remember that whatever you may be stressed about, that too shall pass. To living a happier, healthier and longer life,
Resources
Here are links to a few resources that I believe will help you:
Living Past 90: 5 Tips
https://blog.hif.com.au/healthy-lifestyle/want-to-live-past-90-5-healthy-habits-to-help-you-live-longer
How to Live a Longer Life:
https://www.onhealth.com/content/1/live_longer
10 Things to Stop Doing to Live Longer:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/things-to-stop-if-you-want-to-live-longer-2223866
Secrets to Living Longer:
https://www.geisinger.org/health-and-wellness/wellness-articles/2017/08/24/14/54/whats-the-secret-to-living-to-100
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