Your Simple Checklist for a Longer Life
Overview
Winning the war against aging is not achieved by drinking a daily shot glass filled with the mystical juice of a magical berry from Southeast Asia. In fact, aging is best kept at bay by fighting off chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, which accelerate the aging process and are the main causes of premature death.
Although accelerated aging -- and aging in general -- is a complex process, you can fight it with five simple daily habits.
Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables
People who eat a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables consistently have the lowest rates of chronic disease. They maintain healthier body weights, and they live longer.
The diverse colors of fruits and vegetables represent different nutrients and antioxidants. These various nutrients and antioxidants can fight aging from a number of angles. Anthocyanins, for example, the antioxidant that gives blueberries their dark blue color, can help fight cancer cell growth, while beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A that gives carrots their orange color, can help support optimal immune function.
To eat a rainbow of colors each day, Kara Mohr of Mohr Results recommends you "pick out one to two new fruits or vegetables every time you shop for food, and include a fruit or vegetable in every meal and snack."
Long Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The long chain omega-3 fats eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, are as close to a fountain of youth the world has to offer.
Dr. Ramin Farzaneh-Far, a cardiologist at San Francisco General Hospital, and his colleagues conducted a study looking at the effect of EPA and DHA on chromosomal aging. They found, according to the publication of the results in "JAMA," that individuals with the highest levels of EPA and DHA in their blood had the lowest rates of heart disease and the slowest rates of chromosomal aging.
EPA and DHA are found in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, halibut, mackerel and sardines. If you don't like seafood or you don't like fish enough to eat it every day, take a fish oil supplement. Getting EPA and DHA in your diet from a supplement works just as well as getting them from eating fish.
Floss Every Day
Flossing isn't just good for your gums; it's good for your longevity, too. Flossing removes the bacteria that causes periodontitis and leads to cavities. But this bacteria can cause problems for more than just your teeth and gums. If you wait too long between flossing, the bacteria surrounding your teeth and gums will build up. Flossing loosens and removes the bacteria. This is important because if enough bacteria builds up, it can enter your blood stream, causing inflammation and increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading killer in the United States.
In fact, research from the "Journal of Periodontology" compared people who floss every couple of days to those who floss daily. The results showed that those who floss intermittently had an 86 percent higher chance of bacteria entering their blood than those who floss daily.
Drink Plenty of Green Tea
Green tea may not be able to fight cancer, but it will help you shed those extra age-accelerating pounds you're carrying around. Green tea contains an antioxidant called epigallocatechin-3-gallate. A daily dose of EGCG combined with caffeine will help you lose as many as three pounds in 12 weeks and one inch off your waist, according to a January 2010 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
While scientists are not sure of the exact means that green tea enhances fat loss -- there seem to be multiple -- you can reap these beneficial effects by drinking three to five 8-ounce cups each day. This is easily achieved by simply having a cup of green tea with each of your meals.
Move More
Inactivity and the loss of muscle mass as you get older can accelerate the aging process. The age-related changes in muscle quantity and quality that occur -- even down to the cellular level -- can be counteracted by staying active.
Certified trainer Keith Scott, owner of Impact Training & Fitness in West Berlin, New Jersey, urges his clients to engage in simple tasks to get themselves moving.
"Going for a walk the first thing in the morning is an excellent way to increase general movement," he said. "In the spring and summer, I encourage clients to work on their yards by cleaning up, gardening or weeding. Activities like yard work encourage multiple movements that are simple yet great ways to move. Squatting, walking, bending, lifting [and so forth] are just some of the movements that are done in a few hours' worth of yard work."
Overview
Winning the war against aging is not achieved by drinking a daily shot glass filled with the mystical juice of a magical berry from Southeast Asia. In fact, aging is best kept at bay by fighting off chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, which accelerate the aging process and are the main causes of premature death.
Although accelerated aging -- and aging in general -- is a complex process, you can fight it with five simple daily habits.
Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables
People who eat a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables consistently have the lowest rates of chronic disease. They maintain healthier body weights, and they live longer.
The diverse colors of fruits and vegetables represent different nutrients and antioxidants. These various nutrients and antioxidants can fight aging from a number of angles. Anthocyanins, for example, the antioxidant that gives blueberries their dark blue color, can help fight cancer cell growth, while beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A that gives carrots their orange color, can help support optimal immune function.
To eat a rainbow of colors each day, Kara Mohr of Mohr Results recommends you "pick out one to two new fruits or vegetables every time you shop for food, and include a fruit or vegetable in every meal and snack."
Long Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The long chain omega-3 fats eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, are as close to a fountain of youth the world has to offer.
Dr. Ramin Farzaneh-Far, a cardiologist at San Francisco General Hospital, and his colleagues conducted a study looking at the effect of EPA and DHA on chromosomal aging. They found, according to the publication of the results in "JAMA," that individuals with the highest levels of EPA and DHA in their blood had the lowest rates of heart disease and the slowest rates of chromosomal aging.
EPA and DHA are found in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, halibut, mackerel and sardines. If you don't like seafood or you don't like fish enough to eat it every day, take a fish oil supplement. Getting EPA and DHA in your diet from a supplement works just as well as getting them from eating fish.
Floss Every Day
Flossing isn't just good for your gums; it's good for your longevity, too. Flossing removes the bacteria that causes periodontitis and leads to cavities. But this bacteria can cause problems for more than just your teeth and gums. If you wait too long between flossing, the bacteria surrounding your teeth and gums will build up. Flossing loosens and removes the bacteria. This is important because if enough bacteria builds up, it can enter your blood stream, causing inflammation and increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading killer in the United States.
In fact, research from the "Journal of Periodontology" compared people who floss every couple of days to those who floss daily. The results showed that those who floss intermittently had an 86 percent higher chance of bacteria entering their blood than those who floss daily.
Drink Plenty of Green Tea
Green tea may not be able to fight cancer, but it will help you shed those extra age-accelerating pounds you're carrying around. Green tea contains an antioxidant called epigallocatechin-3-gallate. A daily dose of EGCG combined with caffeine will help you lose as many as three pounds in 12 weeks and one inch off your waist, according to a January 2010 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
While scientists are not sure of the exact means that green tea enhances fat loss -- there seem to be multiple -- you can reap these beneficial effects by drinking three to five 8-ounce cups each day. This is easily achieved by simply having a cup of green tea with each of your meals.
Move More
Inactivity and the loss of muscle mass as you get older can accelerate the aging process. The age-related changes in muscle quantity and quality that occur -- even down to the cellular level -- can be counteracted by staying active.
Certified trainer Keith Scott, owner of Impact Training & Fitness in West Berlin, New Jersey, urges his clients to engage in simple tasks to get themselves moving.
"Going for a walk the first thing in the morning is an excellent way to increase general movement," he said. "In the spring and summer, I encourage clients to work on their yards by cleaning up, gardening or weeding. Activities like yard work encourage multiple movements that are simple yet great ways to move. Squatting, walking, bending, lifting [and so forth] are just some of the movements that are done in a few hours' worth of yard work."
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