Ultralongevity - Living Longer
Best Ways Live Longer
Ultralongevity
By Mark Liponis, M.D.
In my book, "Ultralongevity," I show that the best way to live a long, healthy life is to have a healthy immune system. How do you get one? By reducing your immune system's activity. Every disease of aging -- from heart attacks to cancer -- is related to immune overactivity. Continue ahead to discover why floss may be a major lifesaver later in life, plus nine more tips to take the best possible care of your body so that you can live (almost) forever.
Floss
Yes, floss! Flossing helps reduce plaque buildup in the teeth and gums. Plaque is a thick coating of nasty bacteria and is linked with an overactive immune system and a doubled risk of cardiovascular disease. Research has also shown that periodontal disease doubled the risk of stroke in adults over 25.
Avoid Antibiotics
Frequent antibiotic use, which can prematurely age the immune system, is linked to a number of illnesses and is a sign that the immune system is often in battle mode. Fighting an infection wreaks havoc on a person's health.
Make Love
Just what you were waiting for: Sex is good for you! And not just sex; few things quiet down a revved-up immune system better than loving and feeling loved. When you're loved, not only does everything seem better in the world, it is better in your body, too.
Play with Rover
An animal companion helps support your immune system. Pets create contact with most of the harmless germs your immune system needs to know as it develops in childhood. Without exposure to the right germs, your immune system may react to everything from pollen to grass, leading to allergies, asthma, and rashes.
Forget Three Meals -- Graze All Day Long
Despite what you might think, eating three large meals a day is no longer considered healthy. Meals are one of the biggest stresses on your immune system, and the bigger the meal, the greater the stress. Instead, feel free to graze all day -- as long as you eat small amounts each time.
Lower Your Voice
Have you been angry recently? Have you yelled at anyone? Your kids? Your spouse? At the office? Even when your voice gets a little edgy, it's a sign of inner hostility, and that tells your immune system you're geared up for a fight. Translation: Get ready to be hurt by an overactive immune system.
Sleep
When you sleep, your immune system can finally relax, recharge, and repair. It can't do this during the day -- it's too busy defending you. But during sleep, all kinds of important repair processes take place.
Exercise In Rhythm
Dance! Sway! Move to the beat! The latest research suggests that while exercise is great, rhythmic exercise is even better -- numerous studies of athletes show that those who moved the most rhythmically (i.e. swimmers and rowers) enjoyed the lowest immune system activity. Other studies have shown that adding music to rehabilitation improves the outcome. So don't just walk -- walk to the beat!
Eat a Few Brazil Nuts
Healthy, balanced meals emphasizing plant-based foods are important to your immune system, giving you all the requisite vitamins and minerals. One of these minerals, selenium, helps prevent autoimmune diseases. And one of the best sources of selenium is the Brazil nut, although you shouldn't eat more than six a day.
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JILLGAITTENS 09:55:59 PM Feb 15 2009
You are right Xaamo~ The FDA and big pharma and some (most) docs are all corrupt and all they want to do is keep us sick. When I finally found a brilliant doc who is DOUBLE BOARD CERT in homeopath med and I finally found help and hope the medical board has now harrased her to no end and forced her out. It is bull that this can happen but it does all the time. These quack docs just want to give us all these new meds to keep us sick. They don't fix the problem they just want to mask the symptoms and all the while filling their pockets with huge kickbacks from the pharm industry which is one of the biggest and most corrupt industry in the US. And to tropictopia- Before too long every vitamin or natural substance is going to be regulated by the FDA and the pharmaceautical industry. Just like in Europe and other countries. For instance, we won't even be able to go to a vitamin store and buy vit.C capsules with 2,000 mg doses because...according to the FDA .... it is over our U
Gloria81604 09:43:00 PM Feb 15 2009
Totally agree about the long-term effects of antibiotics...my brother took them in the eighties for a skin condition...right...and he developed severe intestinal tract issues. His entire system was falling apart, with continued loose bowels, and stomach irritation. He was hospitalized and told that he needed to be operated on...they told him his colon was falling apart. It was colitis, created by the continued use of antibiotics. He says he would have had a colostomy bag today, except for the fact that he had no insurance...and they treated him in a different manner..he recovered to a degree, but still has permanent damage. I have had to take antibiotics for as long as two years because of a severe staph infection due to surgery on my arm that did not heal properly. I know that the medications changed me internally, and that I remained foggy in the brain, and sleepy much of the afternoons...until I finally was off the medications and had a year of cleansing of all medications, save one
tropictopia 08:41:28 AM Feb 15 2009
AOL report on this:The FDA has effectively banned a naturally-occurring form of vitamin B6 called pyridoxamine by declaring it to be a drug, reports the American Association for Health Freedom. Go into my YouTube channel. There's a link to the article on the left side, and other info to help you see what's going on. http://www.youtube.com/user/AwakenAmerica
XaamoTTomaaX 06:26:45 PM Jun 29 2008
Wha!? In the medical community? Hardly. Every time you bring a child to the doctor with a cold the reflex reaction is to prescribe AB's in the same way they over drug every other condition whether actual or manufactured (ADHD for ex.). Doctors and drug companies are in bed together and they all profit from our poor health. Please don't tout the capitalistic and corrupt medical community as anything more than a business community. If you want to take care of yourself, do it the right way and the right way is not to over drug your body which is the common philosophy in the "medical community". Sure some drugs have their place but if you have ever been behind the scenes in a doctor's office you would know that the drug reps give all sorts of perks and kick backs to doctors in exchage for the doctors prescribing their drugs as often as "legally" possible.
mikee60369 09:56:12 AM Jun 29 2008
"Avoid Antibiotics"..."which can prematurely age the immune system". Wuh? Prove that claim.
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