Genes aren’t everything when it comes to living a long life. Research has shown that there are some simple changes you can make to your life that could help you live longer. Some of these changes may surprise you. So, how do you live longer? It’s important to keep your mind and immune system in good shape, but there are many other ways as well. Find out what some of them are by reading on.
Have Regular Health Screenings
It is true that younger people are less likely to suffer from chronic illnesses than older ones, but the best approach is still preventive. As an example, if you have prediabetes, you can take measures to prevent it from progressing to full-blown diabetes at any age.
You and your doctor can also get to know each other better during these visits. The best time to see your doctor isn’t when you’re sick and need help; it’s when you’re healthy and want to build a relationship with them so they can get a sense of your overall health.
Eat A Plant-Based Diet
Those who consume a plant-based diet rich in whole grains, tubers, and nuts but low in dairy have been shown to live an average of six years longer than those who consume a more conventional American diet.
Beans like fava, soy, black, and lentils are one of the most important parts of a diet for living a long life. You can think of them like a superfood because they are a slow-burning food full of fiber and protein that keeps your immune system in good shape. People say that when you combine a bean and a grain, like in a lentil and barley stew, you get a complete protein with all of the amino acids that you would find in a piece of meat.
Stop Eating Before You’re Full
Forget about fad diets and other tricks to lose weight. The best thing you can actually do is to stop eating when you’re about 80 percent full if you want to stay healthy. This will not only help you keep a healthy weight, but it will also help improve your digestion, which is a key part of keeping your body in good shape.
Interestingly, the most natural way to eat is to have a big breakfast, a medium lunch, and a small dinner and to eat all of your calories in a 10-hour window without snacking.
Eat Frozen Vegetables
Even when fresh fruits and vegetables aren’t in season, you can still eat a balanced diet. This is because frozen fruits and vegetables can be just as good or even better for you than fresh ones. Scientists from Britain found that fresh fruit loses nutrients after three days in the fridge, but that doesn’t happen to frozen fruit. In a similar way, another study found that frozen blueberries had more vitamin C than fresh ones. So if you want to enjoy better food with more nutrients, frozen vegetables could be the ideal choice.
Get More Vitamin D
Vitamin D, which comes from the sun, is good for your health in many ways, including making you live longer. But a 2015 Danish study found that too much vitamin D raises your risk of dying just as much as too little. You want to get the right amount. Don’t just spend more time outside to get more vitamin D. As we age, our risk of skin cancer goes up, so it’s important to limit our time in the sun. The smart thing to do is to ask your doctor if extra vitamin D in pill form would help you. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen found that the ideal amount of vitamin D in the blood is more than 50 nmol/L but less than 100 nmol/L.
Think About Your Mental Health
Mental health is often overlooked, but it has a huge impact on our overall health and wellbeing. Stress and anxiety have grown over the past few years, which can affect blood pressure, sleep, eating habits, drinking, and attempts to stop smoking.
Even as an adult, you need to do things that make you happy every day in order to thrive as a person. You can make your life easier by giving yourself just 15 minutes to take care of your mental health every day. Try taking deep breaths when you wake up, focusing on your coffee in the morning instead of being distracted, going for a walk, writing in a journal, and taking breaks from screens. If you’re having trouble de-stressing, Delta 9 Gummies can be very effective.
The benefits of these mindfulness practices come from the fact that they lower cortisol levels, which is a stress hormone that has been linked to health problems. Plus, meditation can help you get better at controlling your emotions, which has been linked to better health as you get older.
Drink Whole Milk
You’ve heard it said for as long as you can remember: choose low- or no-fat milk or fat-free yogurt. Interestingly, though, those who consumed the most dairy fat had a 50 percent lower chance of developing diabetes, a disease that can shorten your life by an average of eight to ten years, according to research published in the journal Circulation in 2016.
Even if you are careful with a lot of your other food and drink, switching to whole milk and using it carefully could be better for you than any other kind of dairy. It’s a strange thing to consider, but the facts speak for themselves.
Be Optimistic
Studies show that optimists tend to live longer and are less likely to get heart disease than pessimists. Researchers think that optimists have a healthier outlook on life in general because they exercise more, spend more time with friends, and seek medical advice more often. This means they have a lower chance of dying young.
Have Strong Relationships
Having close, good relationships brings happiness, comfort, and less stress into our lives. Studies have shown that people who have good relationships with their family, friends, and community are healthier, live longer, and are less likely to get depressed or develop dementia as they get older.
