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Doctor shares 7 things everyone can do now to live longer and healthier
Everyone wants to live longer and healthier, and it’s easier than you think. A doctor has shared some simple changes everyone can make today to add years to their life.
From eating a healthy diet to quitting smoking, there are all kinds of lifestyle habits you can implement that will ensure you live to 80, 90 or beyond, and enjoy life to the fullest.
7 things everyone should do to live longer
“These seven tips will help you not only live a longer life, but also a healthier one,” Dr Jen Caudle said on TikTok.
1. Eat a healthy diet
You’re probably bored of hearing it, but eating a healthy diet really is one of the most important things you can do for your entire body. Consuming nutritious foods reduces your risk of many major diseases that cause early death including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
The doctor recommends eating the Mediterranean diet, which consists of vegetables, fruit, lean proteins like fish and poultry, beans, lentils, nuts, whole grains and healthy fats. It limits sugary foods, red meats and dairy.
2. Move your body
Next up, Caudle said you “have to keep moving”. Exercise also decreases your risk of many major illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer and lowers your risk of early death by a huge 30%, the NHS reveals.
All adults aged 19 to 64 are recommended to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week, as well as strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on two days per week.
3. Lower stress levels
Chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes too, so it’s important to take steps to manage your stress. Breathing exercises can lower your stress levels effectively.
Too much stress can also cause mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, lead to sleep issues and cause you to pick up other unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol and eating a bad diet.
4. Get enough sleep
Another key factor that impacts longevity is sleep. It’s important to get enough sleep so that you feel rested for the next day, process new information, give your heart a break, repair cells and tissue and build your immune system.
MedlinePlus says all adults need to get seven to eight hours of sleep a day. Not getting enough can increase your risk of all the same health conditions, while making you more irritable, prone to accidents and anxious.
5. Build good relationships
There is a strong link between bad social connections and mortality too. So, building relationships, having good people around you and limiting loneliness are other really important factors to help you live longer.
One study in PLOS Medicine analyzed data from more than 300,000 people across 148 studies and found that stronger relationships increased the likelihood of survival by 50%.
6. Quit smoking
Smoking is one of the worst things you can do to your body, affecting nearly every organ and causing so many life-limiting conditions including many kinds of cancer, lung disease, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, eye conditions and problems with the immune system.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, it’s the leading preventable cause of disease, death, and disability in the United States and causes more than 480,000 deaths in the country every year.
7. Drink alcohol in moderation
Finally, cutting down your alcohol intake is a great way to improve your general health and live longer. No amount of alcohol is safe, but drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week risks seriously damaging your health.
After 10 to 20 years of regularly drinking more than 14 units, you can develop mouth cancer, throat cancer, breast cancer, stroke, heart disease, brain damage, liver disease and damage to the nervous system, the NHS explains.
Dr Jen Caudle is a board-certified Family Medicine physician who gained her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from UMDNJ – School of Osteopathic Medicine. She appears on TV regularly and is an Associate Professor at Rowan University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine.
