Fun Facts: Living Longer
 On average, people live longer these days than ever before. In 1920, the Center for Disease Control reported the average life expectancy was 54. Today, this average has increased to an impressive 78. Some experts attribute this prolonged life expectancy to better access to food supplies, medical advancements, and improved hygiene. Other experts assert these factors play a minuscule role in determining life expectancy, insisting that genetics are the key determining factor for longer life spans.
For argument's sake, let’s examine the correlation between lifestyle choices and life expectancy. If there are several secret tricks to live longer, wouldn’t you like to know about them?
Forbes magazine published an article in May of 2006, in which they listed 15 tips to help you live longer.
- Start with a good attitude: It not only improves outlook on life, but how long you may love. Mayo Clinic researchers found that optimistic people decreased their risk of early death by a whopping 50% compared to those more pessimistic.
- Sleep 6 to 7 hours a day: General Psychiatry found that people who sleep more than eight hours or less than four hours per night had a significantly higher death rate than normal.
- Be intimate: Research proves that making love means you are less stressed, happier and better rested, which helps lower blood pressure and protects against stroke and heart disease.
- Get a pet: Did you know that survival rates for heart-attack victims who had a pet is 12% longer than for those who did not have one?
- Get a VAP: VAP is a new type of cholesterol test. It is a preventative measure against heart disease. Be sure to ask your doctor!
- Be rich: Statistics show that 24% of Americans with a family income less than $20,000 are more limited by chronic disease, whereas only 6% of people with an income of $75,000 or more have this problem. (Interesting stat if we look at the cost of providing health care to the less fortunate. The cost of bringing up their standard of living may be a win economically for all concerned.)
- Stop Smoking: It is never too late to quit smoking in life! It is proven that middle-aged men that have smoked for a long time face twice the risk of developing more aggressive forms of prostate cancer than men who have never smoked. In addition to other types of smoke-related cancers.
- Chill Out: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that men with extremely elevated anger issues were over three times more likely to develop premature heart disease than men reacting with less anger. (How women got left out of this study, I don’t know, given that they have to deal with these angry men!)
- Eat Antioxidants: Antioxidants are found in a variety of foods including cinnamon, blueberries, as well as in kidney beans, pinto, black beans. They counter the free radicals, which are compounds whose unstable chemical nature accelerates the effect of aging on our cells and causes cellular damage.
- Marry well: Not monetarily, but genetically. Longevity genes can be inherited, so pick a partner with living grandparents. Needless to say, this won't make you live longer, but it may help your children.
- Exercise: Physical activities help maintain weight, improve cardiovascular health, and strengthen bones, as well as increase endorphins in the body which all contribute to longer life.
- Laugh a little: Laugh it off! Laughing helps to release endorphins that work as pain killers and gives your blood circulation a boost.
- Lose weight: Excess weight increases the risk of heart disease, stage 2-diabetes and several types of cancer.
- Manage stress: An excessive and constant amount of stress produces high levels of cortisol, which is proven to impair cognitive functioning and weaken the immune system.
- Meditate: Meditating is proven to help the mind clear and become more relaxed than deep sleep. Experts recommend mediating at least 15 minutes a day.
Needless to say, these tips may not help everyone live a longer life, but they may increase the quality of life. So why not try? For more tips on a living longer, please log on to:
http://www.cybernation.com/livingston/report/
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/2006/04/28/longevity-longlife-advice_cx_sy_0501health_ls.html
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