Start Early If You Want to Live a Long Life – Here’s How

To live a long life is a worthy goal people should strive to meet if at all possible. While most people think growing old is a negative concept, those who typically maintain a positive attitude also are more likely to choose to live a healthy lifestyle. They are able to grow old with grace no matter what their chronological age reveals.

Have you ever seen someone who you thought was in their fifties or sixties only to find out they were only forty? While it can be embarrassing, there is a reason they look older than their years. On the other hand, you probably have found people in their eighties acting and looking decades younger.

Some people would like to attribute their success to the fountain of youth, but that is not the case. If you looked closely at their life, you would find their success came from making the right choices when they were young. Those decisions led them to a place where they now can expect to live a long life.

Do you think you can live a long life? It is widely believed that diet and exercise play an important part in adding years to your life span, and that is certainly true. It's also a lifestyle choice everyone should adhere to. However, there seems to be something even more important than diet and exercise that can tack on the years and that is your belief system.

The old adage that you are only as old as you think you are plays an important part in how you feel about your chronological age. Your mind is a powerful tool in the fight against aging. If you think you are old, you will manifest your thoughts - you will think, look, and act older than you are. If you think young thoughts, your lifestyle will reflect that attitude.

Many people make the mistake of thinking they should work hard until they retire, then kick back and start enjoying life. That is usually not the way it happens. You've probably heard about people who worked hard all their life only to die soon after retirement without ever having the chance to travel or do those things they left until their retirement years. The best way to live a long life is to start early while you still have the energy.

Join those who have the mindset they are going to live a long life. Realize your life is to be enjoyed now, not later. Savor your days. Take time to enjoy your family and friends, travel if that's your desire, live your life to the fullest and you will enjoy life's journey along the way.

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How to Live Long and Well by Controlling Your Environment

While some people think you have no control over your environment, there are others who believe you do. When you understand you have control to some extent, you can learn how to live long and well by making adjustments in your lifestyle. If you want to live longer, there are three areas of your life to consider making changes if necessary.

1. Nutritional habits. There are several ways you can ensure you are living a healthy nutritional lifestyle. Eating healthy food, taking necessary supplements, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling such health issues as cholesterol and blood pressure, and not smoking are all areas you need to review.  

Researchers have identified people in other areas of the world who seem to know how to live long lives, without any idea they are doing the right thing. For example, in some areas the sun stays strong almost all year so there is no need for a supplement such as vitamin D.

2. Physical activities. The mode of transportation in much of the world consists of walking where ever they go, so people have few problems with obesity or other physical conditions associated with lack of exercise. People in developed nations are more likely to need a regular, low intensity type exercise regimen such as gardening, walking, or joining their children in a hot game of tag.

3. Social activities. In past times people tended to gather for various activities such as clubs, card parties, or church socials. They had an innate sense of how to live long and well. In modern times, people tend to spend their free time on the computer or sitting in front of the television set rather than sitting on the front porch chatting with neighbors. People do not have the close friendships they used to enjoy.

Researchers believe isolation tends to take years off our lives. As a nation and in many places around the world, people need to deliberately build friendships with people of like minds for the sheer pleasure of participating in social activities. They need to surround themselves with those who are supportive and in agreement with their values.

Taking time to look over your life will help you understand how to live healthy, happy, and long. If you can create a healthy lifestyle, one that provides you with the right amount of physical activity, a healthy diet plan, and a support group of family and friends surrounding you, living a very long life is certainly a possibility.

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Live Long and Stay Healthy - What We Can Learn From Other Cultures

There are areas around the world where people are able to live longer and stay healthier than ever before in modern history. Researchers have spent years studying the behavioral habits of those who are living well into their nineties and an increasing number who are living into their 100s. While no one knows exactly how long a person will live, there is a growing amount of research that suggests what may be contributing to their longevity.

Physical - It has been determined that most people who live long and healthy lives are also more active than their counterparts. People are working their farms herding sheep and goats and plowing their fields as their families have for generations. Keeping active helps strengthen the heart, and helps keep bones strong, preventing falls that are becoming a leading cause of death in the elderly.

Mental - There are a large number of people who have a strong will to live. They are bound and determined they are going to outlive their spouse or live longer than their parents did. Sometimes an inner determination to survive can make a difference in how long one will live.

Lifestyle - Living a healthy lifestyle by eating the right foods and exercising daily can add years to one's life. It has also been noted that people who are socially active seem to live longer and enjoy life more fully than those who tend to stay by themselves. Keeping close to family and friends may add years to your life span.

Medical - Disease can take its toll on a person's body and mind. While people should strive to live long and healthy lifestyles, their main concern should be to recover from whatever illness may strike as quickly as possible. Rarely does anyone get away with never getting sick, but how quickly they can get back on their feet will help determine their overall health and longevity.

Spiritual - Research has shown that people who believe in a higher power have a tendency to live longer than those who do not. Believing in someone greater than yourself, whoever or whatever belief that may be, gives people hope. And, without hope, people are more liable to fall into depression and illness thereby shortening their life.

These five areas have proven to have an effect on how people are able to live long and productive lives in a number of areas around the world. Whether you agree with the findings or not, they are well worth taking a look at if you are interested in the possibility of increasing your life span.

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How to Live Longer Than Your Parents

Did you know there is a good possibility you will live longer than your parents? Although you are born with certain genes that will determine everything from your eye color and height to your predisposition to disease, there are certain factors you are able to control to some extent. One of those factors is how well you age. While medical research works to find out how to control aging, many people are living well beyond their and their family’s expectations. In fact, a growing number of people are living well into the next century of their life.

Studies are currently in progress around the world to help determine longevity issues, and the findings are amazing. Researchers have found pockets of people who have lived well beyond the normal modern day life span. Here are some common characteristics that may allow you to live longer than your parents.

Engage in vigorous physical activity. Whether you are a young jock or nearing retirement age, daily exercise is a must if you want to live a long life. Physical exercise helps strengthen the heart, and builds strong bones that help with balance later in life. People have been relatively active since the beginning of time. Eons ago human beings were actively hunting and gathering food as well as protecting their territories. In recent years, people are more likely to be seen sitting in front of their television after eating too large a meal.

Eat natural food. To stay healthy, people should eat food as close to its natural state as possible. For example, raw food rather than canned or cooked due to the micronutrients found in whole foods. Many people believe eating six small meals throughout the day is better than eating three large meals with a snack just before bedtime.

Take vitamin supplements. Even if you strive to eat natural whole food, you may still not get the nutrients you need such as calcium and certain vitamins. One of the most important is vitamin D which you can get from exposure to the sun for at least 15 minutes a day, and helps prevent depression and heart disease among other serious physical problems.

Get a good night’s sleep. Experts believe you should get at least six to seven hours of sleep at night. Lack of sleep is responsible for many physical, medical, and mental problems, and can shorten your life span. It can also cause numerous problems such as foggy thinking, poor memory, and short attention span among many other ailments.

Build community around you. Embrace your family and friends, get to know your coworkers, get involved with your community, and you will find that you have a better chance to live longer than your parents. Researchers have found those who are involved with community activities find a purpose in life those who tend to hibernate do not, leading to long life.

If you want to live longer than your mom and dad, take into consideration the above points to see where you may be falling short of the mark. Take a look at where you can make adjustments and you, too, can live a long, fulfilling life. If you have any personal concerns, talk with your primary care physician. He or she can guide you as to the next steps in your quest to live a long and healthy life.

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Living Longer by Eating Less Is Easier Than You Think

As researchers continue to search for clues as to why people are living longer by eating less, those who are already watching how much they eat are enjoying a more active lifestyle. Not only are they enjoying life with greater ease, they are more apt to have many more years of living to enjoy. Here are a few suggestions to help you eat less and live longer:

Commit to losing weight in the long term

Depending on how much weight you need to lose, commit to taking your weight loss program one day at a time. Start where you are at right now and aim for a more or less steady weight loss without going on a fad diet or trying to over exercise. What you are aiming for at this point is living longer - not getting skinny as soon as possible and possibly dying young. Take your time by cutting calories and watch the weight fall away.

Commit to a light exercise program

When you eat less food, you do not have to overly push yourself with hard workout sessions. Again, your aim is living longer. Researchers are finding that those who greatly increase their exercise regimen in order to lose weight do not live any longer than those who simply cut calories while keeping their exercise program light and easy. In fact, those who over exercise may do greater harm to their body in the long run while shortening their life span.

Commit to eating healthy food

Just because you are cutting calories does not mean you need to give up your favorite foods. What it does mean is that you need to use common sense in what foods to choose so that you can remain healthy while losing weight. Depending on how active your lifestyle, cutting back on how much you eat may differ from those who are not as active.

You can still enjoy eating healthy food such as vegetables, fruits, and fiber. While some choose to eat fewer calories, others lose weight by switching to healthy food choices.

You know what foods you like, how active you want to be without excessive physical activity, and what lifestyle you want to live. You can lose excess weight by keeping in mind what your goal is, taking your time in reaching that goal, and letting the worry and strain about how you are going to get there fall by the wayside.

After all, living longer by eating less means you free yourself from strict, outlandish diets and overly zealous exercise programs and simply eat less food. Give yourself permission to relax and enjoy life. You will be surprised how quickly your extra weight will fall away.

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