Lifestyle Articles :Longevity Experts Offer Tips for Living Longer

Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008

“Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late,” said Benjamin Franklin. But by adopting the lifestyle habits of the world’s centenarians, we may be able to live both longer and more wisely.

Researchers have long been fascinated by what some call Blue Zones, tiny pockets of humanity around the globe where residents regularly live past their 100th birthday. Generally isolated from the rest of the world, those who live and thrive in these areas share common characteristics, including a strong sense of community, a life of physical activity, a healthy diet, and a strong gene pool.

Through years of observation and research, longevity experts have discovered some common lifestyle best practices that may enrich and improve your life and help you live a bit longer.

• Find a strong sense of purpose in life.
• Be happy; maintain a positive outlook on life; connect with nature.
• Make family a priority and maintain a strong social network of friends and neighbors. They will provide a lifetime of emotional, social, and financial support and assistance.
• Reduce stress by sharing the burden, both of work and worry.
• Slow down. Take time to nap, rest, vacation, and recharge.
• Move more. Find ways to incorporate moderate physical exercise into your daily life.
• Exercise your mind. Read a book; try your hand at the newspaper’s daily crossword, jumble, and Sudoku puzzles; or meditate.
• Enjoy an occasional glass of red wine. In moderation, it has been proven to promote good cardiovascular health
• Eat more fruit and vegetables and less protein (particularly red meat) and processed foods. For heart health, eat more fish with high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, and albacore tuna. Eat more foods rich in alpha-linolenic acid such as tofu, soybeans, walnuts, and canola and flaxseed oils.

The following appeared in an issue of Maxim’s nursing eNewsletter, Nursing Now. To receive news in your e-mail inbox each month, sign up today.