Her
secret to long life? As American Besse once put it: “I don't eat junk food, and
I mind my own business.” but there are many other ways - backed by science - to
boost your longevity. Here’s the latest thinking ...
Read a
magazine upside down
Consciously
going outside your comfort zone every day, such as reading upside down, puts
the brain under mild stress, damaging the cells - in repairing this damage your
body also repairs age-related damage, says Dr Marios Kyriazis, a U.S. ageing
expert. He suggests writing with your non-dominant hand, arguing the opposite to what you passionately believe, even listening to music you loathe.
Eat
something red
‘A red
pepper contains more vitamin C than an orange, beetroot contains nitrates that
help to relax blood vessels, and tomatoes are packed with lycopene (a powerful
antioxidant), especially when cooked, which may help protect against cancer,
heart disease and other health problems,’ says Dr Susan Jebb, of the Medical
Research Council’s Human Nutrition Research unit in Cambridge.
‘And red
grapes are rich in resveratrol, thought to have anti-inflammatory,
cancer-preventing and cholesterol-lowering properties.’
Run a
mile as fast as you can
The speed
at which you can run a mile in your 40s and 50s is a spooky prediction of heart
disease 30 or 40 years later, according to a study by the Cooper Institute in
Dallas, Texas.
For men,
eight minutes is good; for women, nine. But if you struggle to do it in ten
minutes (12 minutes for women), you have 30 percent greater risk of developing
and dying from heart disease. Try walking the distance briskly first. When this
becomes easy, break into a jog for a few yards at a time, gradually building
up.
Be
careful leaving public loos
You might
be good about washing your hands after the loo, but there’s no guarantee the
person before you was as virtuous. This means the main door handle can be a
bacteria hotspot, increasing the risk of infection and putting the immune
system under unnecessary strain.
‘I always
try to exit using the lower part of the handle, not the part that is grasped by
the whole hand - and hope for the best!’ says Hugh Pennington, emeritus
professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen.
Have a
banana
Reduce
your blood pressure (and risk of strokes and heart disease) by increasing your
intake of potassium-rich foods such as bananas, fruit juice and dried fruit.
‘Potassium
helps counteract the damaging effects of excess salt in the diet,’ says
nutritionist Dr Sarah Schenker.
The
recommended daily dose of potassium is 3.5g; to lower blood pressure, you need
4.7g - found in precisely one banana.
Squatting
- lowering yourself as if to sit on a chair, hovering, then standing again - is
widely regarded as the single most effective muscle-strengthening exercise of
all (and the closest one movement gets to a full-body exercise). It’s important
to keep agile so you can get out of a chair (or off the loo) in old age, and to
prevent falls.
Drink one
tea a day
This has
been shown to reduce levels of stress hormones and even boost survival rate
following a heart attack by 28 percent. Researchers at Harvard Medical School
believe antioxidants in tea may help the blood vessels relax.
Go to bed
an hour earlier
Just one
extra hour in bed could be enough to lower your blood pressure in as little as
six weeks.
A recent
study from Harvard Business School of people who slept for seven hours or less
a night found that going to bed an hour earlier led to a significant drop in
blood pressure (and risk of heart attack and strokes).
The
researchers think too little sleep affects the body’s ability to deal with
stress hormones.
Take
yogurt drinks to hospital
Patients
who take a daily probiotic drink in hospital have a reduced risk of the
superbug clostridium difficile (C.diff).
‘The
simple probiotic in a yogurt drink will not only keep your bowel healthy, but
has been shown to have a positive effect on immunity,’ says Dr Sarah Schenker.
‘Many
experts believe probiotics provide a better line of defence for hospital
patients than hand gels and washing.’
One
Scandinavian study showed taking a probiotic a few days before surgery
‘significantly’ reduced the risk of post-operative infections.
Floss
every day
Don’t
just floss when food gets stuck. ‘Flossing nightly can make a significant
difference to how fast you age,’ says Dr Michael Roizen, a leading US
anti-ageing expert.
‘It can
take as much as 6.4 years off your age.’ Bacteria that cause tooth decay
trigger inflammation, which in the arteries is ‘a significant precursor of
heart disease’ (flossing may also protect against diabetes and dementia).
Breathe
with a straw
Take a
few minutes each day to take deep, long breaths through a straw - with this
simple exercise you end up breathing more deeply, which can improve your lung
function and capacity (which otherwise reduce with age), slowing your heart
rate and lowering blood pressure, says Dr Mike Moreno, author of The 17-Day
Plan To Stop Aging.
Keep your
home tidy
The best
predictor of longevity is how conscientious you are, say US psychologists Dr
Howard Friedman and Dr Leslie Martin, who’ve made a study of longevity.
This
means being careful with money, thoughtful, detail-oriented and putting
everything back where it belongs.
Conscientious
people may have more of the brain chemical serotonin, which affects how much
they eat and how well they sleep.
They also
appear to be naturally drawn into healthier situations and relationships.
Breakfast
with bacon, not sausage
Eating
lean trimmed bacon instead of bangers for breakfast will cut your intake of
artery-clogging saturated fat that can increase your risk of heart attack and
dementia.
‘Lean
bacon is 332 calories per 100g, with 22.3g of fat; a grilled sausage is 318
calories per 100g and 24.6g of fat,’ says dietitian Lorraine McCreary. ‘But
sausages tend to be heavier, so you’ll consume more calories in one sitting.’
Don’t
fear the worst
Worrying
about your health is not a bad thing, as you’re more likely to take action.
But US
researchers have found ‘catastrophisers’ - people who see impending doom
everywhere - are more likely to take risks because they figure life is short
and brutish anyway, and are more likely to die from accidents or violence.
When they
get ill, they become despondent and unmotivated, refusing to take their pills.
Walk
every day
Research
shows a short walk is enough to bulk up your brain - and slow down memory
decline.
One study
of elderly sedentary people who covered six miles a week found they did better
in memory and decision-making tests after six months - possibly because greater
activity triggered new brain cells, as well as new blood vessels and
connections between the brain cells.
Less on
your plate
US
research shows rats, mice, flies and monkeys live up to twice as long when
their food intake is reduced by a third.
It’s
thought eating less means the metabolism has less work, and so slows down,
producing fewer damaging ‘free radicals’.
Choose
healthy pals
Sociability
isn’t as protective of health as you might think - the key is spending time
with healthy people because our friends have been shown to have a huge
unconscious influence over our behaviour.
Overweight
friends can be particularly harmful. One study published in the New England
Journal of Medicine found people are most likely to become obese if they have a
close friend who’s obese - even if the friend lived hundreds of miles away.
A fat
best friend means you have a 171 percent greater chance of becoming fat, too.
Get
gardening
‘Gardening
combines cardiovascular exercise with flexibility, endurance and muscle
strength - and real benefits are often obtained in a far more enjoyable manner
than by pounding away on a treadmill for hours,’ says GP and anti-ageing expert
Dr Roger Henderson. An hour’s steady gardening is equivalent to a five-mile
walk. If you don’t do any other form of exercise, garden three to four times a
week.
Halve
selenium pills
The
antioxidant selenium, which comes from soil, is widely accepted as an important
trace mineral with cancer-protective benefits.
Modern
farming practices mean we’re missing out. However, too much is just as bad as
too little (and may be linked to a greater risk of type-2 diabetes). Women need
50-60mcg a day, men up to 100mcg, but it’s hard to find selenium supplements at
this level. So split a 100mcg pill, or take a tablet every other day (or eat a
Brazil nut - each contains nearly 100mcg).
Have an
extra onion
One 80g
onion per person (in bolognese, say) is a sneaky way to add to your five
portions of fruit and vegetables.
Onions
are thought to lower the risk of colorectal cancer, laryngeal cancer and
ovarian cancer - they’re rich in quercetin, an antioxidant that prevents
harmful enzymes from triggering inflammation, and contain sulphur compounds
that boost the immune system.
Drink
milk
Milk’s
vitamin D content makes it an effective anti-inflammatory, says anti-ageing
expert Dr Mike Moreno. ‘Low levels of vitamin D in the blood have been linked
to both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis - two diseases with
inflammation as the culprit,’ he says.
Keep
fruit out of the fridge
Keeping
fruit at room temperature has been shown to boost its health-giving properties.
Brightly coloured fruit such as tomatoes, watermelon, and red and pink
grapefruit stored at room temperature contain double the beta carotene (which
the body metabolises into vitamin A) as chilled fruit.
They’ll
also have 20 times more lycopene (another powerful antioxidant) because the
warmth allows them to continue ripening.
A study
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture also found uncut fully ripe melons kept
at room temperature overnight increased their levels of carotenoids
(disease-fighting substances) from 11 to 40?percent, compared with those in the
fridge.
Have sex
at least twice a week
A study
of men aged 45-50 in South Wales (the Caerphilly Cohort Study) found that
regular sex has a protective effect - those lucky Welshmen who enjoyed frequent
orgasms (twice a week) had a 50 percent lower risk of early death than those
who missed out.
One US
expert estimates sex at least three times a week can add two years to your life
(by increasing heart rate and blood flow) - do it every day and your life
expectancy could increase by eight years!
In
addition to boosting circulation and reducing stress, sex releases DHEA, a
building block of testosterone which helps repair and heal tissue; it’s also a
natural anti-depressant, especially for women.
Forget
something every day
Many
age-related memory problems are not caused by shrivelling brain cells, but
because we try to hold too much in our heads, says Dr John Medina, a leading US
brain researcher.
‘Middle-life
brains have a really hard time blocking out unnecessary information.’
His
solution: consciously dropping unimportant pieces of information to free up
space - so let the bus timetable, the names of people you met at dinner, the
plot of the TV soap opera drift from your mind.
Ditch the
scales
It’s not
so much your weight as the amount of fat around your middle that matters -
waist measurement is a better predictor of heart disease than BMI (body mass
index) because it can point to visceral fat, the dangerous fat around the
organs.
For a
quick check, lie on your back on the floor - if your tummy flattens, your fat
is mainly subcutaneous; a ‘dome’ or paunch indicates visceral fat that could
shorten your life.
Build up
your biceps
Anti-ageing
expert Dr Miriam Nelson, of Tufts University, Massachusetts, says weight
lifting is great for anti-ageing.
In a
study of 40 post-menopausal women who did strength training, twice a week for
30 minutes, she found after a year ‘their bodies had become 15 to 20 years
younger (in terms of restoring muscle mass) and they all regained bone density
instead of losing it, as women normally do at that age.’
Skip the
sunscreen
The
body’s ability to synthesise vitamin D from sunlight is reduced with age, and
lower levels affects your immunity and bones. The over-60s are advised to have
a daily 10mcg supplement as well as spending a little time in the sun (ideally
20 minutes a day).
Don’t be
TOO happy
Many
people believe happiness and optimism are the secret of long life, but research
by US psychologists Dr Howard Friedman and Dr Leslie Martin found cheerful
children are less likely to live to an old age - the link between cheerfulness
and early death was as significant as high blood pressure and cholesterol.
It’s
thought relentlessly happy people may be dangerously prone to underestimate
risks to their health and thereby fail to take precautions or follow medical
advice.
Smile
broadly
Smiling
triggers the release of chemicals that can make you feel happier, even if
you’re faking the grin, but a study at Wayne State University in Michigan
showed the wider (and more authentic) your smile, the longer you’ll live -
possibly because the smile reflects positive emotion which has been linked to
physical and mental well-being.
Eat
prunes
Scientists
at the US Department of Agriculture have developed a rating scale for the
antioxidant content in food - raisins, blueberries and blackberries are ‘super
foods’, containing 20 times the antioxidant power of other foods. But top of
the list is the humble prune.
Get a
challenging job
You’d
think a no-stress job would be less harmful, but The Longevity Project, a study
of the lives of 1,500 people over 80 years, found hard work and accomplishment
is a strong predictor of long life - and those with the most career success
were the least likely to die young.
Tell the
truth
Lying can
trigger stress hormones that increase heart rate and breathing, slow digestion
and cause tension and hypersensitivity in muscles and nerve fibres.
Australian
researchers found that people instructed to stop telling lies showed
significant improvements in health in just ten weeks, with fewer mental health
complaints (such as tension) and fewer physical complaints (sore throats and
headaches).
One wine
a night
Try
stopping at one glass (125ml) of red a night (the equivalent of one unit of alcohol)
- studies show this provides flavonoids and resveratrol, compounds which could
reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and slow the progression of
neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s.
But
drinking three units may be enough to increase the risk of cancer of the mouth,
throat, oesophagus, breast and bowel.
Be female
The extra
X chromosome women have makes them more resilient when faced with attacks on
their immunity, according to a study by Ghent University in Belgium. The
researchers identified something called ‘mircoRNA’ which has important
biological effects - women appear to have more microRNAs on their additional X
chromosome.
Live on a
hill
Seven out
of ten of the longest-living communities in the US are mountain-based, and in
the tiny Sardinian mountain town of Ovodda, as many men as women live to be
100.
Whether
it’s the fresh air, or the fact you’re doing a lot of walking uphill (using
major muscle groups and giving your heart a good workout), moving up in the
world could extend your life.
No more
peanuts
There are
622 calories in a 100g fistful - which you can nibble at without even thinking.
It would take an hour of swimming to burn off that snack. Stick to crudites
(celery, carrots, peppers) instead.
Get on
with your parents
A study
by Harvard Medical School showed that 91 percent of men who said (in the
Fifties) that they weren’t particularly close to their parents ended up
developing high blood pressure, alcoholism or heart disease by mid-life.
Only 44
percent of participants who had reported a ‘warm’ relationship with their
parents developed these serious illnesses. The researchers believe this shows
just how important close relationships are for fostering healing and promoting
survival.
Argue
with your partner
Don’t
bottle it up - researchers at the University of Michigan found couples who
suppressed their anger were 25 percent more likely to die early.
Over
time, suppressed anger can cause high blood pressure, insomnia, heart problems
and could increase risk of cancer.
Stay in
bed on winter Mondays
You’re 18
percent more likely to die on a Monday than a Sunday (possibly through stress
of returning to work) and 25 percent more likely to die during winter than
summer, says Dr Sarah Brewer, a London GP and author of Live Longer, Look
Younger. Blame the body clock, which influences blood pressure, heart rate and
brain activity.
Sleep in
separate beds
Sharing a
bed disrupts your sleep and affects your health, says Dr Neil Stanley, who runs
the sleep laboratories at Surrey University.
His
research shows that when one partner moves in their sleep, there is a 50
percent chance the other will also change position (their sleep disrupted
without them even knowing it); snoring makes things much worse.
‘People
say they like the feeling of their partner next to them when they’re asleep -
but you have to be awake to feel that.’
Get in
the swing
A study
of 600,000 Swedish people suggested playing golf boosted life span by an
average of five years longer than non-golfers.
‘A round
of golf means being outside for four or five hours, walking at a fast pace for
six to seven kilometres, something which is known to be good for the health,’
said Professor Anders Ahlbom, of the Karolinska Institute.
‘There
are also positive social and psychological aspects to the game.’
Take up
yoga
An Indian
study of people with heart disease found that prolonged stretching (in the form
of yoga) combined with moderate aerobic exercise and diet control reduced
cholesterol and reversed hardening of the arteries (by as much as 20 percent).
If we
don’t stretch our tendons and muscles, they get shorter - ultimately hampering
our range of motion and putting stress on the joints.
Chew 20
times
Not only
is it a tried-and-tested weight-loss tip, but a study presented at the
International Congress of Endocrinology last month suggested not chewing
properly can double the risk of type-2 diabetes - partly because people then eat
more but also because chewing helps break down the food, making it easier for
your body to absorb the nutrients.
Have a
gossip
A good
gossip with friends boosts levels of the hormone progesterone, reducing anxiety
and stress, according to researchers at the University of Michigan. After just
20 minutes, they found gossiping girls had more progesterone than those who
didn’t gossip.
Start
wriggling
Studies
show that the smallest activity (such as fidgeting) is enough to trigger the
release of a brain chemical BDNF which, according to Harvard Medical School
psychiatrist John Ratey, acts like ‘Miracle-Gro’ to the brain, reversing cell
deterioration associated with ageing. He recommends setting an alarm on your
phone and stretching, jiggling or walking around every hour.
Shake
less salt
If each
shake delivers half a gram of salt, cutting back by one a day means a drop of 3
½ grams a week. Most of us consume 9g of salt a day, 3g more than is healthy -
this small change could be enough to bring you into line, reducing stroke risk
by 13 percent and heart disease by 10 percent.
Have
children
Children
may exhaust you, but they could save your life. Last week a Danish study
reported men unable to conceive were twice as likely to die early from
circulatory disease, cancers and accidents - childless women were four times at
risk. It’s thought they’re more likely to end up drinking, becoming depressed
or ill. Adoption reduced the risk.
No
late-night TV
After the
age of 25, every hour of TV you watch could shave 22 minutes off your lifespan,
suggest scientists at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
It
doesn’t matter if you exercise - it’s long periods of inactivity the body
really hates. Muscles aren’t used properly, sugars and fats are not adequately
processed, raising risks of illness and early death.
Laugh
Humour
may boost levels of infection-fighting antibodies and immune cells, says Robert
Provine, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of
Maryland.
A really
good belly laugh improves blood flow by more than 20 percent. Some studies
suggest it can reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
Professor
Provine has found we’re 30 times more likely to laugh with other people than
alone - the social nature of laughter has more impact than physiological
changes. - Daily Mail
No comments:
Post a Comment
Add comments here