5 Things You Can Do to Live a Longer, Healthier Life

While genetics may determine life expectancy to a certain degree, the bigger part is determined by your environment and diet as well as things like physical fitness. If you want to know what these things are in order to improve your chances of living a longer and healthier life, have a look at the five suggestions below.

Eat Fewer Processed Foods

Processed foods contain high amounts of sodium, sugar, and saturated fat, which are terrible for your health. At the same time, they have very low fiber content and beneficial nutrients. This makes a diet that consists mostly of processed foods one that you should avoid if you want to live a longer life. An unsettling fact that could make the decision to leave out processed foods easier is that every year, 678,000 deaths in America are attributed to diseases related to poor nutrition.

Socialize More

A socially active lifestyle is one that can help you improve your longevity because it helps manage stress in a healthy way. This in turn improves your immune system, helping your body to naturally stay free of illnesses and conditions like heart attack and even depression. Even if you live far from long-time friends and family, you can build new networks in a city like Denver. These could revolve around anything, from gardening and crafting to books and even automotive hobbies.

Stay Physically Active

It has been said countless times that exercise has many benefits for the body, and one of these is improving your longevity. Even if you’re unable to keep up with a rigorous fitness routine for one reason or another, just fifteen minutes of moderate exercise is enough to make a difference. This could be something as basic as a brisk walk around the block in a city like Denver. With about 90% of seniors saying that they want to stay in their own home as they get on in age, staying active each day can improve the chances of being able to keep taking care of yourself when older.

Sleep Well

Getting good sleep can help you avoid stress, depression, heart disease, and more. It can also improve your lifespan, so you should start to form good sleeping habits. Make it easier to fall asleep by removing distractions from your bedroom and keeping it dark. Also, try sleeping exercises, yoga, and meditation, which can help you improve the quality of your sleep. If you have trouble in spite of trying all of these, see a local health care provider to help you with a solution which may include prescribing pills like melatonin.

Stop Smoking

Quitting can be hard if you’re a smoker, but it has countless benefits attached to it. From improving your circulation and blood pressure to decreasing your risk of getting cancer, your life will be a lot better. It’s never too late to kick the habit, as you will experience positive changes all around, including looking younger. The people around you will also enjoy not being exposed to second-hand smoke, which causes its own set of issues. The National Council on Aging recently found that 75% of seniors are battling at least one chronic condition, and many of them are battling two or even more. To minimize your chances of this, smoking is a habit you need to kick as soon as possible.

The fact that longevity is more in your control than was previously thought is an exciting one. Take matters into your hands today and start making the improvements that will see you live to a ripe old age. Whether you live in Denver or anywhere else, change what you can. No matter how small it may seem to you, it will still make a difference.