O.K. I know that "lists" can be a beatdown, but I found this one slightly amusing! Want to live longer....? Check this out! I personally love the 'smelling...' um....smelling Lilacs (The scent of lavender)? I WILL LIVE FOREVER...that's my favorite scent! :-)
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Just because 2010 makes you another year older doesn’t mean you have to feel or look it. More and more research shows that from what you eat to how you live, it is the little things you do that add years to your life. Check out these fascinating, science-based tips to keep you on track for a long, healthy life.
Eat omega-3s every day
"I like to call them the anti-aging fat," says Cheryl Forberg, RD, resident nutritionist on "The Biggest Loser" and an expert in anti-aging nutrition. Getting the recommended amount can help lower cholesterol, keep cells functioning properly, and combat inflammation, which reduces your risk of cancer, stroke, and heart attack. Flaxseed, walnuts, and some leafy greens contain omega-3s, but seafood is the best source. Research published in the December 2008 Journal of Nutrition found that DHA, an omega-3 found in fatty, cold-water fish, helps keep aging brains healthy.
Have two 3-ounce servings of salmon, herring, lake trout, or other fatty fish a week, plus a daily serving of walnuts, soybean oil, spinach, kale, or ground flaxseed.
Eat these 10 foods to keep your brain sharp and healthy
Sniff lavender or rosemary
When study participants sniffed the essential oils of lavender or rosemary for 5 minutes, levels of the stress hormone cortisol in saliva dropped as much as 24%. That's good, because the hormone increases blood pressure and suppresses the immune system. Even better, people who smelled low concentrations of lavender or high concentrations of rosemary were better at getting rid of free radicals, the pesky molecules believed to speed aging and disease.
See 16 amazing ways to boost your health in 90 seconds
Don’t be a drama queen
If you argue with your partner, fight fair to stay well. Research shows that nasty arguments between couples increase the risk of clogged arteries. In a University of Utah study, women's hearts suffered when they made or heard hostile comments; men's hearts reacted badly to domineering, controlling words. "It's normal to have a fight with your spouse — it's a matter of how you fight," says Ronald Glaser, PhD, an immunologist at Ohio State University. What he and his wife, Ohio State clinical psychologist Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD, put off-limits: "Getting nasty, sarcastic, or personal or using body language like rolling your eyes. It's better to simply agree to disagree."
Why argue? Jump-start your love life with these tips to increase sex drive and rekindle the passion
Stop eating before you’re stuffed
Centenarians in Okinawa, Japan, practice this eating ritual; they also consistently consume a lower-calorie diet, which researchers hypothesize is a key component to longevity. Eating slowly can automatically help control calories: A recent study found that women who ate at slower rates felt fuller and ate fewer calories than those who ate more quickly.
Stop when you're satisfied, not stuffed, says Forberg: "You shouldn't have to unbutton or unzip anything.”
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Stay the weight you were at 18
"Next to not smoking, this is probably the most important thing we can do to stay healthy and live longer," says Walter Willett, MD, chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. Leanness matters because fat cells produce hormones that raise the risk of type 2 diabetes. They also make substances called cytokines that cause inflammation — stiffening the arteries and the heart and other organs. Carrying excess fat also raises the risk of some cancers. Add it up, and studies show that lean people younger than age 75 halve their chances of premature death, compared with people who are obese.
To maintain the weight that's right for you, Willett suggests you periodically try to slip into the dress you wore to your high school prom — assuming, of course, that you were a healthy weight at that age. If not, aim for a body mass index of between 19 and 24.
The simplest way to stay slim: Keep your portions in check. Try these 20 delicious 400-calorie meals
Diversify your workout
Everyone knows that cardio exercise is key to slowing the advance of time and looking younger. More surprising: Strength-training is crucial too. That's because after their mid-40s, people lose 1/4 pound of muscle mass a year, gaining fat in its place.
But, says Miriam E. Nelson, PhD, an associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University, "for a couple of decades, you don't have to lose any muscle, if you do the appropriate exercises." Even people well into their 90s can regain muscle, she's found. Just lift weights 2 or 3 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes.
The payoff: more endurance, stronger bones, less risk of diabetes — and better sleep and clearer thinking. Nelson rock climbs and does plenty of other weight-bearing exercise.
If there's a secret weapon to fight midlife weight, this is it. Try the essential over-40 workout!
Munch on veggies or fruits every 4 hours
These are packed with antioxidants, nutrients that slow the aging process by protecting our cells from harmful free radicals. But some, such as vitamin C, are water soluble. "That means they remain in our body for only 4 to 6 hours, so you have to replenish regularly," explains Forberg. Vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables are loaded with these disease-fighting substances; have a fruit or veggie at every meal and snack — and aim for three to five different colors a day.
Control weight and boost energy with these hour-by-hour tips
Floss daily
At least 23% of women between ages 30 and 54, and 44% over 55, have severe gum disease, reports the American Academy of Periodontology. This is a serious bacterial infection that attacks the tissue surrounding one or more teeth and the bone supporting them. It's the number one cause of tooth loss in the United States, but it's far from just a cosmetic issue: When periodontal bacteria enter the bloodstream, they can cause chronic inflammation, which researchers believe may up your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and even premature birth.
Prevent these problems by flossing at least once a day; treat it like any other part of your routine you'd never skip, such as brushing your teeth or showering.
10 surprising habits and foods that protect your pearly whites
Have a standing lunch date
Or plan any regular activity that helps you stay close to friends and family. In a groundbreaking study, researchers who followed 7,000 people in Alameda County, CA, found that those with the fewest connections to family, friends, community, and religious institutions were 3 times more likely to die over the 9 years in which the study was conducted. Most amazing, those who had the most connections lived significantly longer — even if they smoked, drank, or lived on bacon cheeseburgers.
How can a smile, a handshake, or 5 minutes of chatter keep cells functioning, blood moving, and hearts beating? "That's what we don't know," says psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell, MD, founder of the Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health in Sudbury, MA. It's clear that human contact enhances the immune system, lowers blood pressure, and reduces heart rate, but the "how" is still a mystery.
Friendship can help your health. Keep these 8 buddies on speed dial.
Donate blood
If you do, the life you save may be your own. Many researchers think that we take in too much iron, mostly from eating red meat. Excess iron is thought to create free radicals in the body, speeding aging and raising risk of heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's. Until menopause, women are naturally protected from iron overload, but after that the danger of overdose climbs.
Preliminary studies suggest you can lower your risk of heart disease by regularly giving blood. Thomas Perls, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Boston University who leads the New England Centenarian Study, donates a unit every 2 months. He has a rare blood type, so he's helping others — and he may get something out of it too. If you're scared of needles, at least go easy on red meat: no more than a daily serving the size of a pack of cards.
12 ways to lower your blood pressure naturally
Prevention Magazine / MSNBC.com
Cheers!
Sandra Foxx
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