Prevention is better than cure. This means that it is better to stop something bad from happening than to deal with the aftermath. One of the best prevention methods for premature death is healthy habits. Healthy habits are the best offense to living a long and happy life. When you start forming healthy habits in your life your choices will be proactive, preventative, and deliberate. There is no manual that will guarantee us to live a long life. However, building these seven healthy habits will increase our chances.
Seven Health Habits For A Happier And Longer Life.
Eat More Veggies.
A diet that is filled with leafy green vegetables will help you live longer and lower the risk of early death. Vegetables such as broccoli, spinach (Popeye was not wrong), kale, and brussels sprouts will improve your heart health. Eating your greens lowers blood pressure and protects against diseases such as heart disease and stroke. Making sure you eat three to four servings of leafy green vegetables will do wonders for your health.
Research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids decrease the risk of premature death. While diets filled with red and processed meats, sugary beverages, trans fats, and sodium increased the risk of disease that cause premature death.
Snack On Nuts.
Including natural nuts in your diet may boost your life expectancy by 1.5 to 2.5 years. A Mediterranean diet that has plenty of nuts reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 28%. People who make a habit of eating a handful of nuts daily are likely to live longer than people who do not eat nuts. Nuts to include in your diet are almonds, pecans, walnuts, and Brazil. The less processed, the better.
Nuts are good for our health because they help us feel fuller faster, and control our blood sugar. They are full of satiety which helps us eat less. The next time you need an easy-to-go snack, opt for nuts. They are healthy and will keep you fuller for longer.
Exercise And Stretch.
A sedentary lifestyle is a high risk of premature death. Many of our health problems and complications are caused by us sitting and being inactive for long periods. Physical inactivity is one of the biggest issues causing obesity and diseases. A lifestyle of working out 30 minutes a day or 150 minutes a week reduces the risk of premature death by 28%. Physical activity is nature’s best anti-aging antidote. Our body thrives on movement and moving. Exercise helps preserve our bones and muscles as we age.
Reaping the benefits of exercise is not only reserved for superstar athletes. Adding activities such as walking, gardening, hiking in your daily life will go a long way to adding more years to your life. Make sure you add stretching as part of your exercise routine. Stretching increases your ability to have good mobility and reduces the risk of falling.
Avoid Smoking And Decrease Alcohol Intake.
Your chances of living longer are increased when you stop smoking and decrease alcohol consumption. Cigarette smoke damages collagen and elastin of our skins. This damage speeds up aging, making smokers prone to wrinkles on their faces and body. Smoking may lead to premature death. The life expectancy for smokers is at least 10 years shorten than for non-smokers. Quitting smoking before the age of 40 reduces the risk of dying from smoking-related disease by 90%.
Alcohol should also be consumed in moderation, alcohol abuse is one of the leading causes of premature deaths. Alcohol consumption causes death and disability relatively early in life. It accounts for 13.5% of deaths of adults between the ages of 20 to 39. Build a habit to stop smoking and decrease alcohol to enjoy a long and healthy life.
Manage Stress And Sleep.
Our bodies are built to handle moderate stress levels. High levels of stress and lack of sleep weaken our immune system. A weak immune system will not defend us from different kinds of diseases. Stress and anxiety may cause premature death through heart disease, cancer, and other health problems.
Our generation seems to be the most stressed. The most stressed people have the highest risk of premature death. A study followed 1293 men around. It found that people who are overly stressed are three times more likely to die prematurely than people who could manage stress. Stress raises as a hormone called cortisol. High cortisol levels interfere with learning and memory, it lowers immune function, bone density, increases blood pressure, and cholesterol.
One of the best ways to manage stress is through proper rest and quality sleep. Quality sleep is a habit of people who live longer. Sleep gives our body rests, regeneration, and renews cells and tissues. Only a few people can get away with six hours of sleep every night. Most people need anything between seven and eight hours every night. Being in sleep debt is linked with obesity, increased alcohol use, and hormone imbalances. The lack of quality sleep compromises our immune system, this makes it difficult for our bodies to fight off diseases.
Have a Sense of Purpose And Giving Back.
A study in Italy assessed people aged 90 to 101 and found that their lands gave them a sense of purpose. This sense of purpose helped them live longer. People without a sense of purpose are likely to die prematurely than those with aims and goals. A sense of purpose is key to well-being. A sense of purpose may be responsible for decreasing the risk of death. It is very important to find meaning in your life. This habit may lengthen your life.
One of the ways you can find meaning or purpose is by giving back. Researchers indicate that any purpose is better than none. The most important thing is finding something in your life that makes you excited to live. Multiple studies have found that older people who give back their time, live longer than those who do not. Other research has linked helping people or giving back with less chronic pain and better physical function.
Gratitude And Faith.
Good times and bad times happen to every person under the sun. Many people who live longer and healthier have made gratitude a habit. Remember the moments when you experienced a great moment and your heart was filled with gratitude? The feeling of gratitude lifts us up and releases endorphins. Gratitude is not just a passing emotion; you can cultivate the habit. Learn to count your blessings one by one and be thankful for them. Research indicates that people who are grateful are healthier, happier, less stressed, and more satisfied with their lives.
Gratitude is a great combo with having faith in God. A study found that Italians aged 90 to 101 had a strong bond to religion. This linked the role of faith in living long and happy. Spirituality and having a sense of being part of a bigger picture has an impact on how adults live. A study looked at the obituaries of more than 1000 people in America. It found that people with a religious affiliation lived four years longer on average than those without a religious affiliation.
Healthy habits make a big difference in living a long and healthy life. To get the full benefits that these habits bring, people need to build all of them. Working on one habit, no matter which one will extend life expectancy by two years. However, the more healthy habits you develop, the longer you can increase your life expectancy. You can start lower your risk of premature death by building these healthy habits in your life, one at a time. Making health a lifestyle is built on these healthy habits that will help us live long and strong!