Today, we live longer and longer. It is up to us to see that we live a healthy life so that in our older years, we can have a healthy old age. The following ides are from Tri Vita vitamins and I have copied them here so that I can talk about them with those of you who read these.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE WHO LIVE TO 100 AND PAST
Good longevity genes
Emotional resilience – ability to adapt to life's events
Resistance to stress – excellent coping skills
Self-sufficiency
Intellectual activity
Good sense of humor, including about themselves
Religious beliefs
Strong connections with other people
Low blood pressure
Appreciation of simple pleasures and experiences
Women tend to have borne children after age 40
Zest for life
Don't currently smoke or drink heavily
Many play musical instruments
Follow an anti-inflammatory diet that has been linked with longevity (eg, Mediterranean diet)
SOME ARE GENETICALLY PRIVILEGED
If any of your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and siblings have lived to extreme old age and if your family has a low incidence of diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes and heart disease, congratulations! You are considered to have optimal anti-aging genes and have a great chance to make it to 100 if you take reasonable care of yourself
TUNE UP YOUR ATTITUDE
REDUCE STRESS. Try meditation, exercise or yoga. You can learn to modify your responses to negative situations even if you can't change your basic personality.
STAY CONNECTED WITH OTHER PEOPLE: Social support is vital and maintaining close relationships is associated with better physical and mental health.
CULTIVATE OPTIMISM: A Mayo Clinic study shows that optimists live longer and have better health, because pessimism may lower immune system responsiveness and enhance tumor growth. Good news: an excessively pessimistic outlook on life is changeable. Brief programs can change your thinking about life events and lower the risk for physical illness and even death.
WATCH YOUR DIET
EMPHASIZE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, whole grains, fiber and polyunsaturated fats.
AVOID CHOLESTEROL, SATURATED FAT AND HYDROGENATED FAT (red meat, egg yolks, fast food burgers and fries, etc), which are linked to heart disease, breast cancer and prostate cancer.
AVOID REFINED SUGAR and excessive calorie intake.
AVOID PROCESSED FOODS and those supplemented with high fructose corn syrup.
ONE GLASS OF RED WINE A DAY still appears to lower the risk of heart disease.
DRINK GREEN TEA, which has antioxidants that may fight cancers.
CONSIDER TAKING ANTIOXIDANT SUPPLEMENTS like Vitamin C, Vitamin E and selenium. But if you choose this path, be sure to follow the medical literature on vitamin risks.
CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTING YOUR DIET with omega-3 fatty acids.
EXERCISE: even a little helps
Just 15-30 minutes a day of walking or bicycling is enough to gain longevity benefits and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Resistance exercise, for example, walking up stairs or hills, guards against loss of muscle mass and benefits the heart. Exercise also provides a sense of well-being and helps maintain an agile and alert brain.
USE YOUR HEAD
According to the NECS researchers, retaining cognitive capacity "most often determines whether people can attain extreme old age while remaining active." Here is a sampling of mental workouts that can keep the brain razor-sharp as you age:
Crossword and jigsaw puzzles
Playing bridge
Learning foreign languages
Playing musical instruments
Learning dance steps
Writing
Sports, including yoga and tai chi
Taking classes
Traveling
Memory training
Experiencing the new and unfamiliar
