How to Live to Be 100
1. Stop smoking. This greatly reduces the risk of heart attack four years after stopping. And the risk of lung cancer falls significantly after ten years of being smoke free.
2. Exercise daily. The article suggest 30 minutes of activity, even if it's broken down into three ten minute segments.
3. Eat five servings of produce daily.
4. Get screened. Make sure we get the screenings recommended for our age bracket.
5. Get plenty of sleep. See? It's a good thing I chose sleep last night, rather than posting!! (Whew, I'm off the hook.)
6. Ask your doctor about low-dose aspirin. They recommend not starting on your own, since there are risks with aspirin.
7. Know your blood pressure. It's recommended to keep blood pressure under 120/80.
8. Stay connected. Having connection with friends and family helps us live longer. So, I extended my life today by going out to dinner and a movie with my husband and close friends!
9. Cut back on saturated fat. (It causes bad cholesterol...LDL.)
10. Get help for depression. Sometimes we don't realize that ongoing bad moods can effect our physical health and shorten our life span.
11. Manage stress. I was surprised to read that "uncontrolled stress is more destructive to your health than being 30 pounds overweight."
12. Have a higher purpose. "By giving back, you give to yourself."
That's the Reader's Digest prescription for living to 100.
Here's my 101-year-old uncle's secret to longevity:
- Keep the bowels moving!
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat lots of vegetables.
- Eat alfalfa.
- And lots of watermelon.
Darn, it's noon already and I haven't had one fruit or veggie yet! Good advice!!
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