In today’s world with stress and timeline crunches punching everyone, the supposed happy and fulfilling life seems long gone. Even if your life is stressful, don’t worry as a couple of simple tweaks in your lifestyle are enough.
These updates can change your body’s system for the better and increase your longevity. Here are the 10 proven tips to live a healthy and longer life.
Cut down on that processed bacon and foods
Cardiovascular diseases, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, obesity, hypertension, diabetes - you name the disease and you get processed foods as its cause. Consuming processed food increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 12%, coronary heart disease by 13% and cerebrovascular disease by 11%.
So, go all fresh and all green. Hit the supermarket and get fresh veggies and meats. Running short on time? How about cooking in a large batch and then splitting it up or gorging on all salads and cornflakes during rush hours.
Quit smoking
Every one out of five deaths in the US is somehow related to smoking. CDC reports that every year around 480,000 deaths are caused due to smoking. Smokers generally have a 10-year life-span less than non-smokers.
Begin with some motivation. Studies show that as soon as you quit smoking your blood circulation in the body improves and your overall life expectancy increases by 90%.
Can’t quit smoking? Here are a few ways to help.
One of the best possible alternatives to quit smoking is by using e-cigarettes. These vaping devices use nicotine juice in a much reduced quantity than cigarettes. This helps the smoker in controlling the nicotine entry in the body. The absence of tobacco in the e-cigs is another plus point.
Exercise daily
Can’t do HHIT regime? Don’t worry - just a walk or running for 10 minutes are enough to considerably get rid of your drag urgencies.
Don’t still idle
Another deadly habit is sitting still for long hours. A study with 8,000 adults showed that there is a direct proportion between the time spent on sitting and your increased risk of mortality.
In fact, if you find yourself aging too quickly than your peers, then check your sitting times. So, stop your daydreaming and do take a brief walk around after every 30 minutes.
Cut down those painkillers
You know you are an addict if you rely on those over-the-counter painkillers way too much. Ibuprofen itself is enough to increase the risk of stroke by 30%. These opiates are also responsible for inflammatory bowels and other disorders which finally increased mortality.
Not to forget that the opiate overdose deaths are reportedly one of the leading causes of unnatural deaths across the globe.
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Cutting out on those sleeping hours is a big no. Studies show that prolonged sleep deprivation leads to heart issues and increased risk of stroke. Also if you are consistently depriving your sleep, be assured that you are affecting your health severely.
So, no matter how tight your schedule is, go home, turn on the blinders, make your room pitch dark, and switch off those smart devices as well as social media accounts and go to sleep. For those who are insomniacs, try to exercise daily and maintain a regular sleeping schedule.
Eat whole
It’s not just that adding veggies and fresh poultry add up to your life span. Also, eating a single serving of whole grain with morning breakfast bread isn’t enough.
Studies show that eating 3 servings of whole grains, i.e.90gms daily, reduces risk of mortality by 17%. So start adding quinoa, oatmeal and cornflakes with your veggie soups and chicken salads daily.
The same is applicable for milk as well. Fat-free, skimmed milk have always been a hit among Millennials for health purposes. But do you know that by consuming whole milk you are at a 50% reduced risk of diabetes, a disease which is sufficient to reduce the lifespan by 8 -10 years single-handedly.
Induce those wanderlust genes
Studies showed that failing to take vacation increases stress which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 32%. So this weekend pack your bags and claim your much-deserved vacation.
How about Vitamin D
This is a complicated one. While some studies show that vitamin D has a significant impact over bone regulation, calcium homeostasis and increases longevity by stress response pathway, there have been studies claiming that lower dosage of vitamin D in the blood is the secret to a longer lifespan.
So it’s best to maintain your vitamin D concentration of body at an optimum level. The ideal range of vitamin D in blood should be 50 nanomoles per litre. However, it should always be less than 100 nanomoles per litre.
Increase water and reduce other liquids
Staying hydrated is extremely important not just for your skin or kidneys but also for an overall increased lifespan. Note that water flushes away toxins from the body, rejuvenates the skin, and brings a healthy glow to your body.
But don’t mix up water with other liquids like booze, or coffee, or tea or other artificial sweetener based drinks or frappes.
Open up
Stop keeping all your worries, stress, fears to yourself. The more you keep it secret the more stressed your mind becomes. These increase the risks of clinical depression to a considerable extent and several studies have reportedly shown that people suffering from depression have a reduced lifespan compared to healthy individuals.
To conclude
It’s not just one or two tips that can actually push you towards a longer lifespan but it’s the comprehensive approach of all of them that help in increasing your lifespan to a considerable extent.
Guest post by Lynda Arbon
About the Author
Lynda Arbon is a passionate and enthusiastic health blogger. She likes keeping herself updated on health trends and blogs. Her favourite pastime is learning history and solving crossword puzzles. Follow her on Twitter.
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