Top 10 Habits To Help You Live Longer
- May 18, 2016
- 3 min read
Here are 10 habits that will help you live longer:
1. Drink Coffee or Tea
Do you love your morning cup of joe as much as I do? If so, you can reap some impressive benefits!
Coffee and tea are full of antioxidants. Drinking coffee and/or tea may help prevent chronic disease, which can lead to early death.
Drinking green tea was shown to cut the risk of major disease, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes (1, 2. 3).
Drinking coffee is linked with a reduction in the risk of brain diseases (like Parkinson’s Diseaseand Alzheimer’s Disease), cancer, and type 2 diabetes (4, 5, 6).
2. Don’t Overeat
If you’re like me, you might thinking, “That’s easier said, than done”. (especially when it comes to chocolate)
But, research has shown that reducing caloric intake may increase your life expectancy (7).
Eating fewer calories has also been linked to a reduced chance of chronic disease, lower body weight and healthy change in body composition (8, 9).
Some of the oldest people in Japan eat until they feel about 80% full and then they stop (10).
3. Exercise and Be Active
Studies have shown the ill effects of being a couch potato and not getting enough exercise.
According to Health.com, a 2010 study linked watching too much TV to early death:
Another study showed a link between sitting too much and premature death (11).
Exercise is essential to living a long and healthy life (12).
You might even be able to increase your lifespan by exercising as little as 15 minutes a day (13).
The more you exercise and stay active, the more you can reap the benefits (14).
Exercising more than 150 minutes a week has the most benefits, but any time you move is good for your health and can help increase longevity.
4. Don’t Smoke
Smoking is linked to a decreased lifespan.
A study of women in the UK showed that smokers may lose 10 years of their lifespan and are much more likely to die prematurely (15).
The good news is that it’s never too late to quit smoking.
5. Include Spices in Your Diet
Consuming spices such as turmeric and cinnamon can help you live longer.
Turmeric has a bright yellow chemical compound called curcumin. It’s a member of the ginger family.
Curcumin has many antioxidants which protect the body from oxidative stress (16).
Curcumin is an anti-inflammatory which fights against cardiovascular, pulmonary and autoimmune diseases (17).
Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants and smells great! It’s an anti-inflammatory and lowers blood sugar.
6. Manage Stress
Reducing stress and anxiety are essential skills to learn for increasing your lifespan.
Everyone experiences stress in one way or another. People experience different types of stress and anxiety, and in varying amounts.
The key is learning skills to manage the stress in our lives so it doesn’t negatively impact our health. Having a positive outlook is often part of this.
7. Sleep Well
When you’re sleeping your body works hard to heal and rejuvenate.
Developing a regular sleep routine is essential to your health. Relaxing habits such as taking a warm bath and reading a book can help you fall asleep faster.
It’s also important to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. I realize this is a challenge for those with small children, or a job where you’re constantly changing the hours you work. But, it’s a good idea to keep your sleeping schedule as regular as possible.
The recommendation is to get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep per night. Sleeping much more or less can shorten your life expectancy (19).
8. Eat Nuts
Amazingly, eating nuts just might add a few years to your life!
Nuts are chock full of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, fiber, and protein.
One study showed that people who ate at least 3 servings of nuts per week lowered their risk of premature death by 39% (20).
Eating nuts has to have a therapeutic effect on inflammation, heart disease, some cancers and diabetes (21).
9. Eat Your Fruits and Veggies
Filling your diet with lots of plant foods is a healthy choice for many reasons.
Several studies have connected a prolonged lifespan with eating a Mediterranean diet. This way of eating was shown to cut down on cancer and cardiovascular disease (22, 23).
10. Do Things That Make You Happy
We may not be able to control bad things that happen to us in life (you can read about my experience here if you like). But, we can control how we respond to difficult situations.
We can mope around feeling sorry for ourselves. (been there, done that, boo!) But, it’s been my experience that this never helps.
Choosing to live life with joy is contagious!
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