Wellbeing

9 ways to live longer

Want to live well? Of course you do! Here are our holistic tips to keep you feeling healthy for longer!

It’s not all about clean living and pushing yourself to the extreme – sometimes it’s the little tweaks in life that make all the difference to your health…

1. Lose your belly fat

Researchers found that women who carried too much weight around the middle were at 20 percent more risk of dying younger than their flat-tummied counterparts. In numbers, what this means is that you are at higher risk of early death if your waist measurement is more than 35 inches. It’s vital to keep your body in check as a shift in hormones during mid-life makes you more prone to weight gain around the middle. This is called visceral fat and it is more dangerous than other fat as it’s ‘biologically active’ and releases inflammatory compounds into your body that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

2. Go nuts

Nuts are nutritional powerhouses and have been the subject of multiple health studies. In a recent review of many different studies, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a diet rich in walnuts is credited as being helpful in keeping your cholesterol in check, and your blood-sugar from spiking, which can help ward off life-shortening diseases like type 2 diabetes. Avoid nuts roasted in oil – opt for raw where possible.

3. Find your purpose

Do you feel like your life has meaning, and a sense of direction? If not, you need to do something about this as Harvard School of Public Health researchers have found that if you feel as if your life has purpose, you are more likely to remain healthy and physically strong as you get older. Other studies have linked purpose to a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. Heading into retirement and feeling a lack of get up and go? Try volunteering for a good cause for a feel-good rush that money can’t buy.

4. Exercise

OK, so we all know that exercising is good for us, and a study from the National Cancer Institute found even a small amount can add on 4.5 years to life expectancy. What’s important is avoiding a totally sedentary lifestyle – any little way you can find to move your body helps. But there is an upper limit to the good you can do, according to research. Peak benefit to health came from exercising (and it was mainly walking) for 450 minutes a week, which is a bit more than an hour a day. Benefits plateaued from this point onwards.

5. Get your fibre

Earlier this year, a huge nutritional review, which looked at 185 studies and 58 clinical trials, that took place over nearly 40 years found that consuming at least 25g of fibre a day slashes the risk of life-threatening cancers, strokes and heart attacks by between 15 and 30 percent. Wholegrain cereals, pulses like lentils, and fruits and vegetables eaten with their skins are you friends here, and the recommended intake of fibre is 30g per day.

6. Sleep tight

The benefits of a good night’s sleep are well documented, and you should put as much effort into getting a proper night’s kip as you would any other area of your health. Studies have found that regularly getting too little sleep – less than six hours – puts you at a higher risk of death. Interestingly, the same is true for too much sleep – over nine hours.

7. Get a pet

The benefits of this is four-fold. The simple act of interacting with a pet can reduce your stress. Owning a dog can force us out of the house, which not only increases the amount we exercise, but the chances of social interaction, which is important for good health. And in studies, older people or those with a long-term illness have reported that pets give them a reason to get up in the morning – which harks back to the purpose point made earlier.

8. Stay flexible

As you age, it’s important to work on your flexibility and strength. One Brazilian study, which followed 2,000 people, asked people to sit down and stand up again using only one hand, or no hands at all, if possible. It found a significant correlation between those who could perform the movements unaided by a second arm or knee and a longer lifespan. The take-home message? Work on your flexibility. Practise yoga, tai chi, and generally try to avoid a sedentary lifestyle.

9. Take me to church

Last year, a study published in International Psychogeriatrics found that a strong bond to their Catholic religion in older men in Italy may play a role in their longevity. Another US study last year, found that religious people live on average four years longer than their agnostic peers. Not a believer? Not a problem – the study’s author suggested it could be the mix of social support, stress-relieving practices and abstaining from vices that gave them the boost – so surround yourself with supportive friends, meditate and say no to that extra glass of vino!

Try this!

Protect your skin from the ageing effects of UV damage with lycopene, the antioxidant found in tomatoes. Try Lyc-OMato, £13.49, Holland & Barrett or Boots