Although everyone would like to live longer and enjoy good health at the same time, finding the perfect solution is difficult.
People have been looking for the fountain of youth through the centuries but have not found it. Since it has not been discovered, you may wonder how to increase longevity.
Research has revealed that there is nothing you can do to give you the maximum longevity possible – at least not yet. Instead, several things are needed to give you better health and a longer life.
Genetic Makeup
Your genes only play a rather small part in determining how long you will live. That number is somewhere between 20 to 30 percent of everything that might affect your longevity. It means that you can make some lifestyle changes that will help you have a longer life.
It is true that people today are living longer than they did a century ago, but the longer life is not matched by staying healthy longer. This means that some things need to change – such as starting to follow the lifestyles of those that live the longest in the Blue Zones (areas where many people have lived for over 100 years) of the world.
Get Enough Exercise
Probably the one thing that will give you the most benefit is physical exercise. The benefits run from staying in shape and losing weight to strengthening your immune system, mental benefits such as helping with depression, making you feel better with less pain from endorphins, and improving your self-image.
Exercise does not need to be more than moderate, but you do need to set a goal of 150 minutes per week. There are so many ways to exercise, which means you can choose one that will elevate your heart rate and keep it there for the duration of your exercise.
Eat Right
There are so many chemicals and artificial ingredients in most people’s diet today that it is no wonder they do not live longer than they do. Processed foods add many of these harmful ingredients, along with lots of extra salt.
Too much sugar and carbs are another thing that will harm you, leading to weight gain and possibly diabetes. It also means you need to eliminate most sodas, fruit drinks, energy drinks, and specialty coffees – because they all contain lots of sugar.
A Mediterranean diet is what you need to aim for, which includes lots of fruits and vegetables, along with nuts and grains. You may also want to eat a little less. Okinawans – a Blue Zone – eat about 80 percent of what is on their plate.
Limit your eating period to just 12 hours a day. It will help give your digestive tract some rest.
Eat More Anti-oxidants
Free oxygen in your body can cause cancer and other problems. Fruit – especially berries – contain lots of antioxidants. So does green tea, and drinking about two cups daily will help control it.
Socialize Regularly
Having a regular social life is important to living longer. It may be one reason women live longer than men, because they tend to socialize more easily and often. Loneliness harms your health and lonely people do not live as long.
One place that you can find friends and socialize often is by attending religious services regularly. This also has been found to be necessary to increase longevity.
