We are probably familiar with most of them, maybe even have adopted many of them. Hopefully you might find some new ones to consider in your lifestyle. As science progresses on improving treatments of disease, we might as well be as healthy as we can to enjoy the next chapter.
- Steam in the sauna – Sweating during hard core exercise is good for you. If you can’t do that as much as you like, find a sauna. You can get your heart rate up like light exercise. A 2015 JAMA Internal Medicine study looked at 2,000 middle age Finnish men and found that regular sauna users had lower incidences of heart failure and coronary diseases. If you can find a sauna or maybe a steam room, give it a try., Bikram Yoga, might do it too. This is hot yoga with the studio temperature starting in the 80’s to 90’s plus, depending on the studio. Be sure to drink plenty of water.
- Get Mindful – take some time daily to focus on your breath and settle your mind. Even 10 minutes can do it and 30 minutes would be great. Your can benefit from reduced stress and depression. Energy levels and life quality can also rise. Combine it with yoga sometimes. Mindfulness is free, and all you need is a quiet place with no interruptions for a few minutes and a comfortable chair or pad on the floor.
- Don’t get steaming mad – blow you top, let it all out on someone might seem like a stress buster, but it is the opposite. Better than holding it in? NO! People with angry outbursts have a 8.5 fold higher chance of a heart attack in the next two hours. Common triggers are family and financial issues, work disputes, and road rage. It is not going to help and likely hurt those closest to you and might even get you hurt.Take a moment to breath deeply and slowly, step away for a few minutes, go for a walk and try to defuse it.
- Hit happy hour – in moderation of course. If you use alcohol, do so in control. Skip some nights or go dry for a month. Control your usage. A drink of wine or a cocktail or beer is enjoyable in social settings or over a meal. It can help with blood pressure in moderation. Remember that alcoholism is the seventh leading preventable cause of death.
- Phone a friend – people with a vibrant social life is as healthy as quitting smoking. Lack of a social life was a greater risk factor than not exercising or obesity. It will help your immune system and improve mental health. Friends are important for emotional health and helping you cope with life. Help each other find some humor or a good laugh. Somedays just having a pair of sympathetic ears are needed.
- Marinate your meat – instead of just grilling which can cause carcinogens at high temperatures, marinating in lemon juice for just 10 minutes can reduce certain carcinogens before cooking. Rub on spices that you like for added flavor.
- Don’t go crazy with meat consumption – You can get certain vitamins that are harder for vegetarians to obtain but limit meat intake. Vegetarians do enjoy reduced risk of colon cancer, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Like alcohol, enjoy meat in moderation.
- Get physical – with a partner. A massage can not only just feel good and give muscle pain relief but also lower levels of a hormone linked to aggression and reduces a stress hormone, cortisol. Touch means even more from someone you love. Hugs are fine and even more touch is better. More hugs can release oxytocin, the love or bonding hormone.
- Drink coffee- it is a major source of antioxidants for Americans. Studies indicate it may prevent some kinds of cancers, Parkinson’s and type 2 diabetes. It may also be good for your heart. There is some controversy on caffeine, so a limit of 3-4 cups a day may be wise.
- Drink tea – Move over coffee, this antioxidant powerhouse is also preferred by some at the start of the day. Japanese who drank at least five cups of green tea daily had a 26% lower rate of dying from a stroke or heart disease. Compounds in green tea called catechins can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides levels. There is evidence that it also lowers blood pressure. Black tea is beneficial too but not as much as green tea it appears.
- Use sunscreen – broad spectrum lotions help show less aging in our skin for those who use it regularly outdoors. It can also cut your risk of skin cancer. It’s worth it to take a few minutes to apply, and you might avoid a melanoma.
- Go nuts – nuts of all types might help in living longer. They have proteins, good fats and vitamins. Walnuts are a top nut by providing good fats to help with lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Don’t eat too many nuts at one time as most are high in calories.
- Find a good boss – this should be a no brainer. Working for someone who causes extra stress in you life is not healthy . Working for someone you trust, admire, or like can reduce blood pressure and might make work more enjoyable.
- Stop smoking – really after all the warnings for so many years? Smoking is probably linked to more deaths that it is credited for due to problems with secondary smoke. Giving it up will save money and you can benefit from reduced risks of coronary problems of lung cancer, emphysema, and heart issues.
- Eat more fats – not the ones on a steak but fats found in nuts and fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel. People with higher levels of DHA, EPA, and DPA from these special fats have a lower risk of heart disease. Two servings of fish a week is about right. Evidence even shows that full fat dairy diets did not get cardiovascular disease and diabetes more often that the low-fat dieters. Low fat diets don’t seem to live up to the type. It’s better to cut out that high calorie soda. (I’d go further and say all sodas. They are so acidic they can dissolve a nail. The artificial sweeteners aren’t good for you either.)
- And vegetables – Seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily seem to reduce the risk of dying by 42% at any age. Try some new ones, you might be surprised to find that what you avoided earlier in life actually is tasty.
- Don’t stop learning – be a life long learner. Higher education is linked to a longer life. The more you learn, the more healthy behaviors you will adopt, You might discover a new love. Learning also includes a new language, musical instrument or how to draw or paint.
- Give time – do gooding for others can help you feel good too. Volunteering seems to be linked to a longer and healthier life. We all know and see the less fortunate. Surely you can spare some time to give of yourself. You’ll be paid back with a grateful smile.
- Give money – it can elevate your mood and relieve stress as well as helping others. Brain scans show that people who are generous with their money and donate had more activity in the pleasure regions of their brains that those who chose to keep their money.
- Work hard – an eight-decade-long aging study (by Friedman and Martin) showed that those with the most career success were the least likely to die young. Ambition, drive perseverance and motivation bolster resistance to all kinds of adversity in life. People like that are also more socially connected.
- Exercise – do the best you can do. Daily movement and exercise produces all kinds of benefits. Running, yoga, walking, swimming, biking, skiing, and weight bearing exercise improves your health, outlook, sleep, while reducing stress. Group/team fitness such as tennis, pickleball, golf, and hiking improves social connectedness too. Try for an hour a day of something.
- Adopt a pet – dog owners are associated with lower rates of heart disease according to the American Medical Association. Dogs don’t walk themselves so it encourages us to get out the door and take Fido for a walk. Pets can also make you feel loved even if it is from someone who can’t talk. They are always glad to see you come through the door unlike teenagers.
- Get vertical – sit less and stand more than you usually do. Sitting and watching TV six hours a day can actually reduce our life span by over 4.5 years. It’s almost as bad as smoking. Some people even use a treadmill desk to stand and walk while working. Get up and walk around after sitting for a while. Also bend over, stretch from side to side, do some squats help to increase circulation and keep us sharper.
On a personal note, I’d add this: to drink more water every day. Recommended allowances vary but 64 oz is a reasonable target. You may have to work up to it. You should feel better, and it can help kidney function.
Another vital habit is adequate, quality sleep. Eight hours more or less seems to be the sweet spot. Besides the number of hours is trying to go to sleep and get up at about the same time daily. Getting up early is recommended. A cool, dark, quiet, bedroom is best. Avoid electronics too close to bed time. Reading a book is ok.
Practice gratitude – it will make you feel better. When you think about all that you have, you can let this be your attitude as well.
Lastly, smile more. It will make people wonder what you have been up to!
* From an issue of Time/Life – The Science of Living Longer, 2021. This not intended to offer medical advise. Discuss these pursuits with a medical adviser if you are not yet practicing them.