There are various things you can do to keep yourself in top shape and lead a healthy, long life. And there’s never a better time to alter your bad habits than now, whether you are in your 30s or on the better side of 60s. In fact, scientific research has revealed that the sooner you adopt healthy habits, the longer you will live. However, there are certain things that you must stop doing right away if you’re serious about longevity.
Stop consuming processed foods
The importance of eating healthy and clean diet can never be undermined when it comes to leading a long life. It is actually one of the proven old age secrets. But the trends across many countries reveal that people have actually been shifting to processed foods over the years. You should know that these foods contain excessive amounts of sugar, saturated fat, sodium and less of fibre. The direct result is problems like diabetes, cancer, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
If you are keen on living long, you should eat clean food more often, including items that are rich in fibre. In case you’re facing time constraints, why not cook big batches in advance, or spend on ready-made salads. You can even opt for frozen or fresh vegetables as long as you keep a check on their sugar and sodium contents.
Stop sitting still
Anyone who complains about paucity of time should know that you don’t necessarily need to exercise 30 minutes a day, five times a week, to extend your life span. A 2011 study on over 416,000 Taiwanese women and men revealed that even getting 15 minutes moderate intensity exercise, for instance brisk walking, everyday can help one extend their life by three years.
Stop smoking cigarettes
Smokers everywhere are aware how hard it is to kick the butt. As per NIH, regular tobacco usage can take a decade away from the person’s life. It’s entirely up to you whether you choose to quit in stages or go cold turkey. Human body can be surprisingly forgiving. It doesn’t take much time for the blood circulation and pressure to improve after quitting. Not just that, the risk of suffering from cancer also decreases every year from thereon.
Stop holding grudges
Anger has historically proven to be a very tough emotion to let go, especially if one feels justified about their outrage. Perhaps a better question one should ask themselves is – is it worth it? The cortisol level in the body is known to spike up whenever one is angry or stressed. This has a tremendous negative impact on the immune system, metabolism and heart health. In fact, several studies have associated higher cortisol levels with greater mortality.
Stop cheating on night sleep
A person’s lifespan is significantly impacted by the number of hours s/he sleeps each night. As per some epidemiological studies, sleeping over nine hours or less than six hours per day can put people at a higher risk of death. Sleeping well at night can also help you keep heart diseases, depression and stress at bay.
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