Some aspects of our health are beyond our control, as they are in our genes or how our mothers behave during pregnancy.
But this cannot be an excuse to sit back and do nothing. Many factors in our lifestyle – yes, including exercise and diet – can impact our ability to live a long and healthy life.
Below we offer five factors to consider if our goal is to be on this planet as long as possible and enjoy it to the fullest.
Start as soon as possible.
Photo caption, The habits that mothers have during pregnancy are crucial for the baby.
Even before we are born, our health can be affected by the lifestyle choices our mothers make. Several studies indicate that if a pregnant woman is very stressed it can have an impact on the baby, leaving it less able to handle the pressure later in life.
Alcohol abuse can cause fetal alcohol syndrome in babies, which can cause lifelong learning difficulties as well as physical problems. Smoking also affects development.
Some research even suggests that diet during pregnancy may increase the risk of obesity in the child because it changes the DNA of the unborn baby.
Having a happy childhood may boost longevity, as suggested by another study which indicates that those who were unhappy in their youth have a higher risk of heart disease as adults.
Getting outside and enjoying the fresh air is also key. The sun’s rays are an important source of vitamin D, as long as you use sunscreen to prevent skin cancer.
This vitamin is key to having strong and healthy bones, as it helps our body absorb calcium and phosphorus from food.
Benefit from exercise
The pressure of everyday life can leave you feeling like there isn’t much time for exercise. But it’s worth considering that, weight loss aside, there’s a lot to be gained from exercise, and it can make a big difference between being healthy and not:
- Exercise helps you have a healthier heart because it reduces several cardiovascular dangers, including high blood pressure and heart disease.
- Staying physically active can boost mental health and help manage stress, anxiety, and even depression.
- Frequent exercise can help you reach and maintain your ideal weight, which reduces your risk of diabetes.
- Heavy exercise, such as running, is especially good for improving bone density and protecting against osteoporosis, which is when bones become weak and break easily.
Bone health
Photo caption, countless studies talk about the benefits of exercising.
During childhood, our bones are strong and if they break, they usually heal easily. But as we get older, this process slows down and our joints can become weak.
We begin to lose bone density from the age of 35, which is a normal process of aging.
Lifestyle factors such as eating a calcium-rich diet and exercising frequently can keep bones healthy and minimize the risk of fractures.
Stay socially active
We all know that friendship is important for happiness, but it has recently been discovered that friends can also help us live longer.
Studies on loneliness indicate that social isolation is associated with a high mortality rate in older people and that loneliness is a “hidden killer” for the elderly.
Along the same lines, research has shown that married people live longer than single people. Experts believe this is because married people – or those in a relationship – have a better social support network, which minimizes the risk of isolation.
Avoid junk food
Photo caption, The sun is an important source of vitamin D.
A good diet is essential for good health, so avoiding certain foods and drinks can help prolong life. Eating too many high-calorie foods such as sweets or fat can lead to weight gain and obesity.
Some fats are known to be particularly bad for your health. Trans fatty acids, made from hydrogenated vegetable oil, can be found in some margarines, biscuits, cakes, and fast foods.
This ingredient can increase the level of our “bad” cholesterol, which significantly increases the risk of developing arteriosclerosis, which blocks the arteries and causes other complications.
Reducing salt intake is also important for keeping your heart healthy, as eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which in turn can cause heart failure, stroke, e, and other complications.
Excessive alcohol harms health. Not only can it leave us with a hangover the next day, but it can also cause long-term damage to the body’s organs. Chronic abuse is one of the main causes of liver disease.
And we cannot forget tobacco. Many studies warn of the harm it can do to health, as smoking increases the risk of developing around 50 serious diseases.
It is the cause of 90% of lung cancer, damages the heart and arterial circulation, worsens respiratory diseases, and affects fertility.
And a stroke of luck, is it really all in our DNA?
While there are steps we can take to help ourselves live a long, healthy life, there may be an element of luck in the equation: our DNA.
Aging research often focuses on telomeres. These are the protective caps found at the end of chromosomes, sometimes resembling what we see at the end of shoelaces. Their role is to protect the end of the chromosome and prevent the loss of genetic information during cell division.
Every time our cells divide, the tips of our telomeres get smaller. Over time, they get so short that they stop cell division, which means cell death. This is how we age.
Studies have shown that longer telomeres are linked to a longer lifespan, while shorter ones are linked to cardiovascular disease and dementia. Long telomeres can be inherited.
Perhaps one day in the future we will be able to predict how long we will live.
