Make simple lifestyle changes for a healthier, longer life!

Healthy Lifestyle Changes

There are some simple changes you can make to your lifestyle to extend your life and improve your quality of life. Here are some easy ones to put in place.

More magnesium please – French researchers have discovered that people with high magnesium levels in their blood may be up to 40 percent less likely to die of any cause. Magnesium reduces your risk of a heart attack and also reduces your risk of developing diabetes. In fact these risks could be cut by 33 percent when you take a daily magnesium supplement. Magnesium has also been shown to reduce depression and prevent migraines. While you can take a supplement, magnesium is also found in dark leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds, fish, and bananas.
Drink less alcohol – A study at Harvard suggests that drinking more than three 4-ounce alcoholic beverages in a 24-hour period increases your risk of atrial fibrillation (also known as a-fib), which often leads to a stroke. The general rule of thumb is to have no more than 4-5 drinks per week and no more than one drink per day.
Get more sleep – Are you sleeping enough? In 2002, The Scripps Clinic Sleep Center released a study on sleep and longevity. They studied the habits of one million Americans. What they found is that people who slept between six and a half and seven and a half hours a night live the longest. Other studies have shown that people should try to get even more sleep; between seven and nine hours of sleep to improve their health..
Visit the doctor – Make an annual check-up part of your life. If you catch the symptoms of diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer early, you have a much better chance of treating them successfully.
Take a daily multivitamin – There are conflicting studies about the effectiveness of multivitamins. However, a report from Harvard Medical School advises people to take a daily multi and to make sure they’re getting enough calcium and vitamin D.
Floss your teeth daily or twice daily – Gum disease is related to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. People with gingivitis and periodontitis have a mortality rate that is 23 to 46 percent higher than those who don’t. Flossing daily helps keep your mouth healthy.
Adopt a pet! Play with them; go for a walk with them. People who have pets tend to be happier people in general. They exercise more and aren’t as prone to depression. Having a pet has been shown to reduce blood pressure.
Eat breakfast – A study by the University of Massachusetts found that people who skipped breakfast or who waited more than 90 minutes to eat after waking, were 50 percent more likely to become obese. If you wait to eat until you are really, really hungry, you are more likely to make poorer choices for breakfast or any meal for that matter. In addition, obesity is directly related to your likelihood of developing many conditions including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Don’t go to work when you’re sick – Did you know that if you go to work when you’re sick, you can double your risk of having a heart attack? Stay home. Your co-workers will thank you; nobody needs your germs, and as much as we would like to think we are indispensible, we are not.
Stop smoking and steer clear of second-hand smoke – Smoking and second-hand smoke increase your risk of lung cancer and can raise your diabetes risk by as much as 40 percent!
Get some sunshine every day – Get outside and get some fresh air and vitamin D. You’ll reduce your risk of depression and give your body what it needs to stay mentally and physically strong. If you live in a climate with long winters and not a lot of sun, consider getting a light to offset the winter blues or SAD (seasonal affective disorder).
Maintain a healthy weight – Extra pounds put you at risk for heart attack, diabetes, cancer and other diseases that not only deplete your quality of life, they also shorten it.
Have kids later in life – Contrary to what you might expect, you’ll live longer if you wait to have children. According to according to Boston University’s New England Centenarian Study, women who have children after age 40 have a greater chance of living to 100 than women who give birth earlier in life.