Eat foods that boost your lifespan
If you want to increase your life expectancy, try eating
nutrient-rich foods
such as fruit and vegetables and plenty of oily fish. Oily fish, such
as salmon, mackerel, sardines and trout, are a good source of vitamins A
and D, which are good for the immune system, and omega-3 fatty acids,
which have been linked to a lowered risk of heart disease and stroke.
For a tasty way to increase your life expectancy, you could also try
snacking on antioxidant-rich dark chocolate, which can lower your risk
of heart disease. Jeanne Louise Calment, who lived a grand total of 122
years and 164 days, put her good health in part down to her regular
chocolate consumption.
Learn how to deal with stress
Stress affects just about every aspect of our health. As well as its
mental and emotional implications, stress can contribute to high blood
pressure and weight gain, and a study by Pennsylvania State University
researchers has found that how you deal with stress can affect your
health up to 10 years later. To stay healthy into old age, try to find
effective ways to deal with stress, such as
exercise, meditation and using relaxing essential oils such as chamomile, lavender and bergamot.
Think yourself young
While ageing is an inevitable part of life, research by psychologist
Ellen Langer has demonstrated that it may be possible to think yourself
younger. Her ground-breaking experiment found that when elderly
participants were treated as physically capable and encouraged to think
of themselves in this way, their bodies actually followed suit, with
tests showing remarkable improvement in many areas, including dexterity,
speed of movement, memory, arthritis and blood pressure. Try to adopt a
younger, more positive mindset to stay physically and mentally younger
for longer.
Become a volunteer
Not only is volunteering good for boosting your emotional wellbeing
and creating social bonds, research results published in the journal
Health Psychology have
also found that taking on voluntary work could help you to live longer.
However, the study revealed that your motives need to be right in order
to reap the rewards, as people who volunteered in order to help others –
rather than for their own personal satisfaction – were found to live
longer than those who didn’t.
Quit smoking
Smoking is one of the world’s biggest killers and is a cause of many
chronic and life-threatening diseases, including cancer and heart
disease. In fact, statistics show that approximately every six seconds,
someone dies due to tobacco. To increase your life expectancy and
quality of life, try to
quit smoking
now. The good news is, experts have found that the risk of having a
heart attack decreases within just 24 hours of quitting smoking.
Stay active
Hands up if you’re guilty of sitting down at a desk or in front of a
television screen for several hours each day! The truth is, most of us
spend far too long sat in front of a screen and not nearly enough hours
on our feet. However, researchers from the University of Queensland have
found that for every hour you watch TV you may shorten your life by as
much 22 minutes! To increase your health and life expectancy, try
heading out for a walk after your evening meal rather than settling down
for a TV marathon. Research results published in the journal
PLoS Medicine indicate that walking a total of just two and a half hours a week could add more than seven years to your life.
Have regular health checks
Many of us have a head-in-the-sand approach to our health and are
guilty of ignoring symptoms we should really get checked out. However,
it is never worth taking a chance on your health. Look after your body
and help to extend your life expectancy by visiting your doctor about
any concerns you may have and making time for regular health checks such
as cervical smear tests for women and blood pressure checks. Men should
also make sure they regularly check themselves for signs of testicular
cancer, while women should check their breasts for signs of breast
cancer.
Laugh more
One of the most fun ways to make it to 100 is to work more laughter
into your life. Studies have found a multitude of ways in which laughter
boosts your health, including lowering blood pressure levels, reducing
bad cholesterol, enhancing the immune system and helping blood vessels
to function better. A study in Norway also found that those who laughed
most often in everyday life were 35 per cent less likely to die during
the study period.
Get more sleep
The powers of a good night’s sleep are often underestimated; however,
getting enough sleep is essential for good health. Researchers have
found that the hormonal changes resulting from a lack of sleep trigger
changes in the body similar to ageing, meaning that ongoing sleep
deprivation could exacerbate age-related conditions such as obesity and
diabetes. Lack of sleep can also increase stress levels, which is bad
news for our health. To boost your wellbeing, try to make sleep a
priority and adopt good sleeping habits; going to bed and getting up at
the same time each day.
Improve your social life
If you want to live to 100, it’s worth taking some time to nurture
your friendships. Research suggests that having regular contact with
your friends can help you to live longer by reducing feelings of
depression, stress and risky behaviour, and encouraging you to look
after your health. In fact, a study by Brigham Young University found
that having few friends affects your longevity as much as smoking 15
cigarettes a day. Bonding with your co-workers is also a good idea, as
research by Tel Aviv University found that having social support from
colleagues reduced participants’ risk of death from any cause over the
20 year study period.