Who among us does not want to live as long as possible? As much as we would love to walk the planet for an extended time, most of us are not equipped for what it will take to live a prolonged life either physiologically or fiscally. Increasing our life expectancy at first blush sounds wonderful, but as we get older we begin to breakdown, our chances of contracting serious illnesses or chronic health problems become greater. Who wants to live a prolonged life if the quality of that life is lousy?
Accordingly, there must be something we can do to increase our longevity and enjoy a decent quality of life while we are at it.
We first need to understand that to age gracefully and healthy we require a plan. Just reading this article right now means you should be congratulated for being one of a few people willing to observe the future and prepare for what they see. Most people play the aging game by ear. In other words, there is no preparation on their part and they wing it in life, as they get older. Nevertheless, thoughtful organization should be spent to ready yourself for the future, which means starting to live an improved life as of now. Laying the groundwork is like buying insurance and living a healthy, extended life and having fun doing it, all the while knowing you are covered.
Preparing yourself to live a prolonged life is necessary due to the accumulated damage we do to our bodies over time; this is the price we pay for progressive aging. Investigative information shows us that approximately eighty eight percent of the U.S. population over sixty five old are managing at least one protracted medical problem and in Australia, Stats display about half of those people past the age of sixty five are living with long term ill health. This is factual data and it is just too bad that individuals view persistent medical ailments as a part of the process of aging. Having said that, Would it not be fantastic if many of these conditions could be prevented?
An accurate description of a chronic medical condition is when a prolonged illness or health problem lasts longer than three months time, and these conditions become more readily acceptable the longer a person survives.
The persistent age related illnesses rarely just show up unexpectedly on a given day. They are normally caused by some external factor such as smoking or drinking alcohol excessively, a dearth of physical activity, poor dietary preferences, obesity, avoidance of oral healthcare, a lack of sleep – these are but a few, but major reasons that chronic health conditions occur including:
Unremitting Health Conditions
Arthritis – Rheumatoid arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Polymyalgia rheumatica
Loss of hearing – Presbycusis, Ototoxicity, necessitates hearing device, Tinnitus [ring in ears]
Oral Health Problems – Gum diseases, mouth cancers, bone loss, soft tissue injury, False teeth, implants, type 2 diabetes, general oral health and hygiene
Cancer – Cancer of prostate, skin cancer (non-melanoma), lung cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, melanoma, gallbladder cancer, gastric (stomach) cancer, breast, oral cancer, bowel and rectal cancer
Cardiovascular Diseases – Strokes, circulatory disease, myocardial infarction, cerebrovacular diseases, angina pectoris, hypertension, peripheral artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, TIA
Chronic Pain Disorders – Neuralgia, elbow pain, shoulder pain, spine pain, foot pain, hand pain, hip pain and more.
Diabetes- Blindness, loss of limbs, and circulatory problems, heart issues.
Methods Of Living An Extended, Healthier Life
The primary objective is to hold your own body in the highest regard, respecting it and honoring it. This respect and honor can take on many appearances:
• Eating Healthier – Hippocrates, the ancient responsible for the physician’s oath stated – “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food”. What a great quote!
• Be Sure To Uphold Your Perfect Weight – Sustaining your perfect weight is crucial because when you gain weight you become a candidate for type 2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, coronary heart disease [or CAD], hypertension, strokes, sleep disorders and many more medical issues.
• Calorie Restriction – Publicized as one of the paths to an extended life, it is the only actual verified means of prolonging life. It has been investigated quite a bit especially over the last several decades and it has exhibited amazing results in lab animals from rodents to primates. They have all shown an increase in life expectancy in dramatic fashion after having diets limited in calories but increased in nutritional value. Caloric restriction has resulted in enhanced mental capability, fewer joint and connective tissue problems and lowered incidence of cataracts, not to mention life span increases upwards of thirty five percent and more!
• Quit Smoking – When you smoke, you are adversely affecting each major organ you depend on for life. Quitting or avoiding it in the first place, will raise your odds of increased years. You will also drastically reduce your risk of contracting diseases such as cancer, lung conditions and cardiovascular illnesses.
• Keep Physically Active – Like the song in the movie Madagascar, “You have to move it, move it, move it!” Keeping physically active by bicycling, walking, rollerblading, bowling, doing gardening, using weights for strength training, isometric resistance training or stretching with resistance bands in your own home will improve your odds at longevity and health. Regardless of your current age, you can begin to train and start becoming more physically fit. It will assist you in maintaining your independence when you reach elder status.
• Get Your Required Sleep – A questionnaire supplied by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, reported a minimum of forty million U.S. citizens live with chronic, prolonged sleep problems. Problems with inadequate sleep and your body can mean a higher risk of developing diabetes based on an investigation conducted in 2006.
The study displayed that when deprived of sleep, there is a connection with deterioration in blood sugar maintenance in type 2 diabetes sufferers. Only five hours of sleep or less each evening is linked to weight gain, impaired memory, lowered mental cognition and an elevated risk of heart disease, specifically coronary artery calcification.
• Use Sunblock Each day – UV rays radiating from the sun will cause your skin to age rapidly but also put you at risk for a deadly form of skin cancer known as melanoma. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least thirty.
• Keep up With Your Oral Hygiene – Floss regularly. Studies have reported how poor oral hygiene is more damaging than simply causing tooth decay and periodontal disease. It can be a contributing factor to heart disease, osteoporosis, lung conditions, and there is strong evidence of an association to diabetes.
• Managing Your Stress Properly - A certain amount of stress in your life can actually be a good thing since it works like an alarm within your brain. However, stress is hazardous to your health when it becomes a long term problem over extended time periods. You will eventually become a candidate for heart disease, high blood glucose levels, elevated cholesterol and there will be an increased chance of clinical depression. You must absolutely learn how to manage your stress level by meditation, listening to light music, journaling your thoughts, find a relaxing past time, practice visualization and positive thinking.
• Start Taking Antioxidant Supplements – Let’s face it, our diets are lousy these days unless we make a concerted effort to eat healthier and we all know how hard that can be. Our diets have changed over thousands of years of evolution from eating cooked meat on a stick to heavily refined and processed foods devoid of antioxidants today. This is causing us to combat free radicals in our systems more than we ever have in the past.
We all need a good multivitamin [preferably liquid form] every day particularly if our diets consist of fast food while at work and play. In addition, unless you have been living on an island of late, you have heard of the Resveratrol supplement available. It will provide some exciting health benefits, not the least of which is a powerful antioxidant. It is derived from the skin of numerous fruits but particularly from a regional variety of grape in France. Because of this, red wine has become the beverage of choice for many.
Resveratrol is actively being investigated and the early reviews are quite astounding. The ability to prevent cancer and increase longevity has scientists absolutely palpitating and the research dollars continue to flow. These studies and human trials are confirming that resveratrol is indeed a dominant anti aging antioxidant, which will safeguard your heart, assist with stroke prevention, reduce cholesterol, aid in weight loss, and increase your life span plus so much more.
One of the hardest things we can do in life is modifying our way of thinking, even if it is for the greater good. We are creatures of habit and because of this; we tend to require a good swift kick in the pants in order to make any significant changes to our lifestyles. One sure way of making a change for most of us is to experience a serious health crisis that means change or die.
Why put this kind of stress on you and your loved ones when it might not be necessary. Looking after yourself better so you can have more time with loved ones should be all the motivation you need to start making the changes we have discussed. The good news is you will not have to wait long to see and feel the results of the healthy changes you have made.
Within a few weeks you will notice a difference in your energy and a within a couple months you will be wonder why it took you so long to heed the advice you had been hearing for so many years. Living a long and healthy life will be absolutely worth the effort.
Anti Aging, Anti Aging Theories, Health And Aging, Longevity
Thu, Mar 18, 2010
Anti Aging, Anti Aging Theories, Health And Aging, Longevity