10 Of The Easiest Ways To Prolong Your Life Expectancy
Everyone finds it hard to motivate themselves some days. If it’s not happening for you today, don’t worry – give yourself a day of self-care, safe in the knowledge you’re working towards a longer life.
A longer life expectancy is just a few small changes away.
THE BRIEF
Time to read: 4 minutes 30 seconds
Time to action: Just do it when you feel like it, you know?
Mantra: Incredible small steps, loooonnnggger liffffeeeeeee
Main message: Go smarter, not harder, and live longer
Stat: 13% of the population that will live to 100 – here’s how to get there and enjoy every step of the journey along the way
Most of us hope for a long life. A few embrace the “live fast, die young” motif, of course (usually until they get there), while a teeny-tiny section of us simply do not give a fuck. Once you know exactly what will put more candles on the birthday cake, you still have to take the action!
So for the benefit of the lazy-but-well-intentioned of you, we asked a panel of 10 experts for some simple tips to help extend life expectancy. Here are the 10 most unexpected.
1. Nestle into routines
Personality really does affect longevity. The devil-may-care types who took more risks with their diet, live shorter lives. On the other hand, those who are consistent and nutritionally aware stick around for longer. You can't change your personality, but sticking to some basic nutritional rules is well within your power.
2. Caring is sharing
Caring for people beyond your immediate family circle helped people “achieve greater longevity”. So help out someone who can’t help you back – just sharing your expertise in some areas can change both of your lives for the better and, notably, make it longer.
3. Pop the kettle on
Coffee is your body’s answer to instant energy, even if it is partly (largely) a placebo effect.
A paper looked at 40 research studies (give them credit, that must have been awfully dull) and found drinking 3.5 cups daily was the sweet spot for reducing mortality risk.
A whopping 3,852,651 people participated in the research which also found that decaf will still give you the health and energy kick you’re after, withut he caffeine shakes.
4. Brilliance in beer belly bacteria
Believe it or not, pints (in moderation) help. Beer is rich in gut bacteria that can improve your probiotic balance and extend your life by protecting you from health conditions. Looking at the drinking habits of 5,500 people across 2 decades, people who drank half a pint every day were 81% more likely to reach 90 years old.
5. Play chess weekly
If we’re honest, there is excessive sitting in chess. And yet both Grandmaster chess players and Olympic medallists have the same “long-term survival advantages” over us commoners. This shows how an active body is essential, but keeping your mind moving will pay off for us all equally. So, a 100-metre chess race, anyone?
6. Don’t sweat the squat stuff
You know a daily sweat session is the key to a longer life. Ironically, though, worrying about missing it could harm your longevity. In a recent study, those who thought they were less active than their peers had a higher risk of mortality, regardless of their health. Comparisons, like resistance, are futile.
7. Timing isn't everything
A paper challenges the notion of needing long workouts.
Exercising for as little as an hour daily improves your chances of postponing the skulled hoodie. This can be 12 5-minute exercises or an hour of non-stop fitness, it doesn't really matter. When looking at longevity, your body will respond positively either way.
So the saying is right – a quick game really is a good game.
8. Eat 28 grams to keep your 21 grams
28g is the amount of fibre to eat each day if longevity is your goal. Even people who got as little as 16 grams of fibre daily were 80% more likely to live longer and remained healthier than those who didn't.
9. Iron, man
Some people age like fine wine, others like milk – and it’s partly down to the iron levels in your body.
We’re not suggesting gorging on steaks; you can go for dried apricots, white beans, spinach, and mushrooms, too. With no side effects that outweigh the benefits, you can eat more often knowing you’re adding to your magic number.
10. Eat less for more
If you live to 80 years old, you'll eat a hefty 35 tonnes of food in your lifetime. To add on extra years, you only need to forgo meals for 2–4 days every six months. Fasting tells your body to kill older or beat-up immune cells and breed new ones. When you fast, your white blood cells deplete initially, triggering stem cell-based regeneration of new immune cells, rebuilding your entire system. For it to work, you need to give food the cold shoulder less than once a month, but the reward? Well, many more months of life to make up for it.
[REFERENCES] (1) Evolution and Human Behavior (2) Journal Age and Ageing (3) Stanford UniversityDR DRAGON
A GP for an eclectic community, Dr Dragon is a prolific author in the world of health. Award-winning for his content creation and ability to answer the actual questions asked of him, his theories are always worth listening to for those looking for the little things that can make a real difference in our lives.
