|
Contents
Image: Thinkstock Coffee and friendship are two easy things |
The key to creating these extra years enjoyable and productive is to seek out healthy activities that you may persist with.
Today you'll be able to reasonably expect to be in your nineties, and you must get there in your best shape. If you smoke, you've probably stopped, and you recognize that eating well and exercising often will help extend your productive years. But sticking to a food regimen or exercise regimen that you simply don't enjoy could be a challenge.
1 Ease of exercise
Regular exercise helps prevent almost every degenerative disease, including cognitive decline. “If there was a pill that could do that, people would be clamoring for it,” says Dr. Manson.
While exercise isn't as easy as popping a pill, it doesn't require quite a lot of commitment. You can start by walking at the very least five minutes a day and add five more each week. Within two months you'll log the beneficial amount: 150 minutes every week, or half-hour a day five days every week. If walking is painful, try water exercises or cycling.
2 Keep sleeping until you are feeling rested
“Few people can do well on less than six hours of sleep a night, and most of us need seven or eight,” says Dr. Manson. If you've gotten trouble falling asleep, try these steps:
Wind down as bedtime approaches. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Exercise, but not inside three hours of bedtime.
-
Establish relaxing bedtime rituals. Take a warm bath or shower, read for pleasure, take heed to music, or meditate.
-
Make your bedroom a sanctuary for sleep and sex. Don't let the pc, work projects, or television invade this space. Screen the sunshine, and set the thermostat to a snug level.
3 Follow a heart-healthy food regimen.
Once upon a time it gave the look of you had to decide on a food regimen based on the disease you were attempting to avoid. However, research over the past twenty years has indicated that eating to lower your risk of heart disease may additionally protect against diabetes and plenty of cancers. “You can't go wrong if you follow a primarily plant-based diet and minimize red meat, refined carbohydrates, and trans fats,” says Dr. Manson. Tips for Lowering Your LDL Cholesterol Level (page 1) will enable you stay on the trail to good health.
4. Eat selectively.
Snacking could be a source of a whole lot of additional calories if you happen to head to the bakery or vending machine between meals. Instead, grab a handful of nuts or a chunk of fresh fruit, each of that are much lower in calories and more nutritious than a cookie or bag of chips. The fat in nuts, the water in fruit, and the fiber in each will keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Go for five Joe.
A cup of coffee is wealthy in antioxidants. Since the health advantages observed in most studies got here from drinking at the very least 16 ounces a day, be happy to refill a couple of times. But go easy on the extras: While a cup of black coffee only has two calories, a mocha Frappuccino can pack nearly 500.
6 Don't be afraid of chocolate.
Once synonymous with decadence, chocolate has change into a healthy alternative. Some forms are loaded with cocoa flavonols, powerful antioxidants that will help protect against heart disease and cognitive decline. (Dr. Manson and colleagues are starting a big randomized trial of cocoa flavonol supplements to evaluate these potential advantages.)
You can enjoy an oz. of chocolate a few times every week without risking weight gain. Cocoa drinks are another choice, but white chocolate will not be. It lacks cocoa solids and thus flavonols.
7 Stay connected
Communication starts at home. Physical affection and sexual intimacy increase levels of oxytocin, a hormone that relieves stress and promotes feelings of well-being.
There can also be very strong evidence that expanding your social circle leads to raised health. But don't join simply to be involved. Join organizations with people you actually like and who share your interests. Book groups and film clubs are great because they supply each camaraderie and mental stimulation. Volunteering for community projects can bring you closer to people of various ages.