THINGS YOU CAN DO TO LIVE UP TO TEN YEARS LONGER
1) Watch your diet— a recent study at the University of Texas in San Antonio may provide some valuable insight into the effects of diet on the aging process. The study was conducted on a colony of laboratory rats who were placed on diet restrictions. Researchers found that by cutting the caloric intake of the rats by 60 percent of normal, and preventing malnutrition from occurring, they were able to lengthen the rats’ life spans by as much as 50 percent. The researchers are now studying this information, in hopes of finding ways of applying it to humans, to stay young and healthy. The experts recommend that you choose foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals, and stay away from those foods with empty calories from sugar and fat. The key is cutting your total caloric intake, while getting enough essential nutrients. One way to do that is to increase your intake of vitamins A and C.
2) Maintain a desirable weight— a study at Harvard School of Public Health links obesity—being 20 percent or more above desirable weight—with premature death. It is also known that obesity can contribute to adult onset diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, respiratory problems, gall bladder disease, menstrual abnormalities, and high blood pressure. If you need to lose weight, you should follow a moderate diet designed to take off 1 or 2 pounds a week (see chapter 4).
3) Exercise regularly— exercise leads to fitness which in turn provides defense against disease. It is also important that you maintain as much flexibility as possible to avoid stiffness and back trouble. Even if you can’t get a full work out, you should do some lower-body stretches for 5 minutes each morning and upper-body stretches for 5 minutes during the day. The more sedentary and out-of-shape you are, the older you’ll feel, and the faster the aging process will be working on your body.
4) Don’t smoke— you’ll have practically no chance of slowing down the aging process and staying young longer if you smoke. There is enough hard evidence to prove that cigarette smoking will shorten your life by causing heart disease, emphysema, cancer, and a multitude of other health problems. Smoking is an excellent way to grow old before your time.
5) Take time for rest and relaxation— there is a world of difference between being a couch potato and relaxing. A daily battle with anxiety, tension, and stress can make you feel as if the “weight of the world” is on your shoulders. It can also sap your strength and wreak havoc with your immune system, leaving you vulnerable to all sorts of health disorders. In short, stress is another factor that can rob you of your youth and speed up the aging process. The best way to deal with stress is by learning to relax (see chapter 7). You should learn and practice daily a relaxation technique.
6) Avoid overexposure to the sun and cold— as we get older, we also become more vulnerable to the excesses of heat and hypothermia, because the aging body doesn’t handle temperature fluctuations as efficiently as it once did. Whenever you are exposed to the sun, you should use a sunscreen with a protection factor of 15, especially during the late morning and early afternoon when the sun is at its strongest.
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