What's your advice for good health and longevity?
 

Here's my advice and I don't think it has to be complicated: My advice is to eat only natural whole foods like fresh fruit, fresh non-starchy vegetables, whole intact grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Basically, the only processed foods I eat are extra virgin olive oil and Ezekiel bread. Also, cooking is a form a processing and I do cook some foods.

Moderate exercise daily.

Vitamins: B12 because I'm a vegan and D3 because I'm not very good at converting sunlight to vitamin D.

Drink plenty of water: Not too much and not too little.

Avoid stress: I enjoy doing some meditation from time to time.

Keep mentally active: Read and do puzzles etc..

So far it's working very well. I'm 70 and in good health. I don't take any medications; no over-the-counter medications either. Usually, when I go to the doctor for my yearly check up, they tell me my blood pressure is 100/50. That's after sitting for a few minutes. If they take it as soon as I sit down it will be a little higher, like 110/60.

Overall, I believe in eating as few calories as possible while maintaining an ideal weight and optimal nutrition. (It's my own version of the CRON diet.)

Pet peeve: When people tell me they practice moderation, that gets me. The concept of moderation was promoted by the processed food industry. Remember this slogan from years ago? "There's room for all kinds of foods in a healthy diet." (This assumes you practice moderation.) It's a fallacy that the general public has fallen for, hook, line and sinker. Here's why: If you start with a healthy diet and then proceed to include all kinds of highly processed foods, you no longer have a healthy diet.

:wave:

Receive the right DNA from the right ancestors....to start with and then do all things in moderation.

Move your arms and legs more than your mouth.

Do not hire done what you can do yourself....keep active.

Eat less, exercise more, choose boon companions.

"My advice is to eat only natural whole foods like fresh fruit, fresh non-starchy vegetables, whole intact grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Basically, the only processed foods I eat are extra virgin olive oil and Ezekiel bread. Also, cooking is a form a processing and I do cook some foods."

Sounds like the diet of Neanderthal Man - life expectancy -- 23 :loco: just sayin...

Laugh often! :a20:

I am south of seventy and enjoy good health as you do. I do have a mild case type 2 diabetes but I do not take medication. I have it under control for five years with eating healthy and ecercise.

I agree with:
1. Drink plenty of water as it does a lot more than keep you hydrated as it helps all the internal organs to function better.
2. Avoiding stress is always a good thing.
3. Exercise three or four times a week where your heart rate climbs from 60%
to 80% from the max heart rate, (220 minus your age times the percentages just stated).
4. Keep mentally active.

Eating whole grain type foods or whatever is healthy is sometimes subjective, as there is a lot of people who have type 2 diabetes and they need to watch whatever is consummed. Eating several small meals a day is what has worked for me so far in being able to maintain a consistent weight. Processed foods are not healthy for anyone.

I think longevity has a correlation to genetics. If a family history supports longevity, then one can make a reasonable assumption that one will be blessed with good health and the chance of living to a ripe old age. That is assuming that one does what one can to promote their good health.

Unfortunately some people have medical issues that prevent exercise at a vigorous level or have special conderations.

Running (4 to 5 days each week, 5+ miles)
Healthy foods with a moderate amount of alcohol
Plenty of sex.

Thank you.

No, THANK YOU!

Remember the old saying wine, women and song. Well, after careful scientic study it was been found that singing will kill you. So I have stopped singing.

:agree:

The latest survey I read said that people who use alcohol in moderation live longer than people who abuse it or don't drink at all.

One glass of wine at dinner is suppose to be very healthy for a person.

People who don't drink at all don't live longer, it just seems that way!

Move to The Villages!!!!!:wave::wave::wave:

There's some history of diabetes in my family. My paternal grandmother had that as a cause of death on her death certificate. And a couple of years ago, when I went for a check up, I had a blood-glucose reading of 100. So I decided I wasn't getting enough exercise. I increased my exercise and got a blood-glucose reading of 86 the following year. So, I do believe the genes are there, we just have to be careful not to trigger them with poor lifestyle habits.

As far as eating grain, I don't believe in eating a lot of grain. I have a little less than one serving of steel-cut oats with my breakfast. Then one slice of Ezekiel bread with lunch and one slice with dinner. That's about 3 servings per day and it keeps me satisfied until the next meal.

What I have noticed is that my grandparents, who grew up in Europe (eating whole foods), for the most part lived longer than their offspring who grew up in the U.S. and adopted the standard American diet. Also, there was a study that compared Japanese people living in Japan to second generation Japanese-Americans. The result was that Japanese-Americans had much higher disease rates and lived shorter lives.

I believe if one suspects they have good genes, one should live the best possible lifestyle so as to maximize good health and longevity. And if one suspects they have poor genes, all the more reason to live the best possible lifestyle, so as not to trigger degenerative diseases. (There are women who have the gene(s) for breast cancer yet never get breast cancer.) As one author, Bruce Lipton, has said, "genes are not our destiny". Genes for disease, with a few exceptions, need to be triggered by the environment or lifestyle.

:wave:

:a20:

The secret to living longer is to keep breathing:wave:

I wish! The Neanderthal diet would be even healthier. There's no going back to that.


Without having to worry as much about infectious diseases and being killed by wild animals, I would just put a "1" in front of your "23".

:bigbow:

:bigbow:

I also heard that the more birthdays you have, the longer you live.

Breath in... Breath out.... got it!!!:smiley:

Grandpa
 

When our Grandfather turned 100 my sister and I interviewed him and one of the things we asked him is how he lived to be 100. His answer was 1. You all worry too much, 2. You eat too much white bread and 3. you stop working too young..We asked him what he felt bad about and it was the polution of
the Hudson River. Also, what was his oldest "first person" story told to him.
He said it was when his grandmother (late 1700's) told him the indians were
coming over the mountains and when they got to their farm she messed up her hair, stuck her head out the door and shook her head. The indians did not harm her as they thought she was crazy and would not kill a crazy person. Oldest joke he could remember was: The indians killed all of Murphy's family and he was the only one that escaped. He [Murphy] settled down and had a farm after he killed himself some indians. One day an indian showed up at his farm and asked if he knew where Murphy lived. Murphy asked him why he
wanted to know and the indian said he had killed his family and now he wanted to kill Murphy. Murphy said you know Murphy is known as a pretty good shot and the indian said he knew but he was better than Murphy so
Murphy slit a stick, stuck a penny in it and gave the indian the gun and said
if he could shoot the penny out of the stick he would be as good as Murphy. The indian shot and missed the coin. It was then that Murphy said "do you know who I am". The Indian said no. Murphy said I am Murphy. The indian said do you know who I am? Murphy said no and the indian said I am a dead
indian..!! Joke told in the late 1700's.
Just some little history and fun. :jester:

Stay on the green side of the grass.

I believe I like Chiefs plan. I also like the anti-oxidants in red wine theory so drink lots of red wine. Exercise aerobic 4 days a week and build strength 2 days a week. Rest one day a week. Eat lots of fruit, vegetables, fish, and limited red meat. But also eat a balanced diet, a little bit of everything including eggs, dairy and grains. Make choices we all know, whole breads better then white breads, less processed food over processed food, limited sugar and plenty of water.

Remove as many medications as possible from your body. That includes even over the counter pain killers and cold medicines. If it looks like a pill and you don't have to have it to live, don't take it. And don't forget the red wine.

We have a similar attitude. I have done aerobic and strength exercise for many years. I take assorted vitamins and eat a sensible diet and will only visit a fast food place maybe 3 or 4 times a year. (I like 5 Guys)
Also, I like to hang with people who like to laugh.

Sounds good. And, with some practice, most people should be able to do it in their sleep. Perhaps with the exception of those who have sleep-apnea.

:wave:

Thanks, you've given me an idea.

:wave:

Chief X--Very good comment, I know where to run and know where to get the food but the sex part I duuno where

Resveratrol in red wine
 

I read a book on the subject of Resveratrol in red wine. I believe Resveratrol is the main ingredient that everyone is excited about. Resveratrol is a rich source of anti-oxidants. Well, one important thing I learned is that oxygen destroys Resveratrol. If the wine is exposed to oxygen during the making of it, during the bottling process or during consumption and storage, it is most likely of little value, as far as anti-oxidants go.

But wine will still thin your blood. So if one has any build up of plaque in their arteries, it will help to keep blood flowing through narrowed arteries. In this case it's not a cure or prevention; it just may help to keep you alive a little longer.

There is a way to reverse coronary artery disease but it involves a rather strict lifestyle. And my experience has been that most people would rather die than make the (long term) effort. In case you ever decide to give it a try, or just want to learn about it, there are many books on this subject.
One is: "The Cardiovascular Cure" by John Cooke MD, Ph.D.

:wave: