Hugo L
Aging can be a difficult process for many. You may well find that you can’t do things as easily as you once could, your eyesight will begin to decline, and your mobility may well also begin to be affected by old age.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. The earlier you change your attitude to diet and exercise the easier you will find it to reverse the effects of a poor diet and a sedentary way of life, and the more comfortable your twilight years will be.
The fact is that if you live a healthy lifestyle then you will live for longer, and remain active for as much of your life as possible.
By keeping your mind and body active and committing to a healthy balanced diet, you can live a long and happy life, whatever your age!
Here are some top diet tips to help you eat your way to health and ensure a longer lifespan.
Avoid the Four Deadly Sins
A recent study revealed that there are four negative behaviours that will dramatically decrease your lifespan. Those behaviours are:
- Smoking.
- Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol.
- Avoiding exercise.
- Not eating enough fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.
If you currently succumb to any of these unhealthy habits then the very best thing you can do to elongate your life is simple: give them up!
Of course, in the case of addiction (such as an addiction to nicotine or alcohol) it isn’t always as simple as that, and you may experience withdrawal symptoms and mood swings as you begin giving up.
If you find the process difficult then there are support groups available to support smoking cessation, and you could also try utilizing nicotine substitutes such as nicotine patches, chewing gum, and vaping.
Quitting smoking is the single most important thing you can do for your overall health and for your life span. As well as the benefits to your life span, you will notice other benefits to giving up smoking such as feeling more energized and finding it easier to breath and exercise.
Giving up smoking will also save you money, both on the cost of cigarettes and on other related expenses (the cost of both your life insurance and health insurance should decrease once you have been smoke-free for 12 months).
Make Simple Changes
Changing ingrained habits isn’t always easy: if you find the idea of completely overhauling your lifestyle to be too overwhelming then start by making smaller simpler changes.
By making lifestyle changes in baby steps, you will give yourself the time that you need to get used to each new change, and the path to your healthier lifestyle will be gradual. Remember that every change you make will be beneficial!
If you regularly drink soda, for example, then switch to drinking water to cut down your daily sugar intake. Switch from eating regular white rice and pasta to eating wholegrain varieties instead: this will increase the amount of healthy wholegrains you eat without affecting the taste or enjoyment of your favourite meals.
Give up one unhealthy eating habit (such as eating ice cream or drinking coffee). If you can commit to making one positive dietary change a week, then by the end of just a couple of months you will find that you have totally overhauled your lifestyle.
Get Your Five a Day
We all know how important it is to eat our five portions of fruit and vegetables each day, but did you know that eating fruits and vegetables can increase your life longevity?
Individuals who consume less than three portions of fruit and vegetables each day will have much worse levels of overall health than those individuals who eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Eating a fruit and vegetable-rich diet can lower your risk of developing heart disease by as much as 76%, and can also help to reduce your likelihood of developing certain types of cancer.
Eating nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables is a great way to maintain your weight and ensure you keep a healthy body shape: both factors in helping to keep the negative effects of old age at bay. In fact, eating as many portions of fruit and vegetables as possible each day is one of the very best things that you can do to live a healthy lifestyle, and to ensure you live for as long as possible.
Take a Daily Multi-Vitamin
Finally, if you’re concerned that you are not consuming the correct nutritional balance on a daily basis then, at least in the short term whilst you make the changes needed to your lifestyle, you should consider taking a daily multi-vitamin. This is a quick and easy positive change that you can make for your health that will require minimal effort on your part.
Vitamins are essential for both bone and muscle strength: as well as adding a daily multivitamin to your diet, you should also ensure you are consuming good levels of calcium and vitamin D, so that your body remains in as robust a condition as possible for as long as possible.
