Healthy Habits

By Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS

The secret to longevity is more than the absence of disease. A long and robust life also rises out of a state of physical, mental, and social well-being. You can achieve this with a simple recipe of involving a few healthy habits that you can add to over time. Which is, after all, what we’re all after.

1. Stay connected.
People who maintain strong personal and community connections have better health outcomes than people who don’t. Many studies have found that those with more social connections have a lower death rate (from all causes) than people who are isolated. Stay involved: Join an online chat room or reading club, volunteer to at a local park, go to a library lecture. Even caring for a pet or a plant helps by eliminating the three horsemen of aging: loneliness, helplessness and boredom.

2. Walk every day for 30 minutes.
We can debate whether walking is the ultimate exercise (it’s not), but the fact is nearly everyone can do it without too much trouble or effort. Research confirms that regular moderate aerobic exercise (like 30 minutes a day of walking) has cardioprotective effects and may stave off degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline. Further, evidence from the National Weight Control Registry shows that walking is one of the main habits of people who successfully keep weight off.

3. Take fish oil daily.
The American Heart Association recommends eating fish, particularly salmon, herring and other types of fatty fish, at least twice a week. However, with the concerns about the high mercury levels in both farm-raised and wild fish, there’s one daily supplement that could benefit just about everyone: fish oil. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil lower triglycerides, protect the heart and brain, help regulate mood, fight depression and may impact memory and cognition. Best of all, fish oil is one of nature’s strongest natural anti-inflammatories, and inflammation- “the silent killer”- is a component of nearly all degenerative diseases, from obesity to heart disease to Alzheimer’s.

4. Eat a high fiber diet.
A high fiber diet may just as well be called the Ponce de León diet, as it’s been associated with just about every positive health outcome you can imagine. Health organizations such as the National Cancer Institute recommend 25-35 grams of fiber a day-- the average American gets a paltry 8-11 grams. Fiber helps with weight loss, helps regulate blood sugar, and may protect against some forms of cancer. Best of all, the only way to get it is by cultivating yet another life-extending habit: eating natural and organic foods, namely vegetables, vegetables, and more vegetables. Plus fruits and legumes.

5. De-stress your life.
Sure, it’s easier said than done, but consider this: a consistently high level of the stress hormone cortisol kills cells in the hippocampus, an important area of the brain needed for memory and learning. While some stress is actually beneficial, most of us have way too much, way too often. De-stressing -- and it’s companion activity, restful sleep -- restores balance to the body’s systems. Maybe it’s no coincidence that the ever-mellow Tibetian monks are among the longest lived people on the planet.

Change never happens overnight. Pick just one from our list, the one that’s easiest to incorporate into your lifestyle today. In a month, select another and commit to adding that to the mix. When you’re ready, add a few more healthy habits to your list. Drinking green tea is a good idea, as is a little time in the sunshine and a healthy dose of gratitude. Reducing calories (you don’t need as many as you think) and enjoying regular sex (a little more wouldn’t hurt) has been shown in animal studies to extend life. Give them a try and you will probably be around to watch your grandkids graduate college. I’m willing to bet you’ll be able to drive yourself to the graduation.