Extend your life by 10 years with these 5 habits

With just a handful of specific healthy habits, you could prolong your lifespan by ten years.  This is news from a recently released study published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.  Researchers at Harvard University analyzed data from two major studies featuring information on dietary, lifestyle, and medical histories from more than 120,000 participants.  What was found was that adults who followed all five habits were 82% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease and 65% less likely to die from cancer.

The five healthy habits that could add more than a decade to your life expectancy are the following:

·      Eat a healthy diet

·      Exercise 30 minutes or more a day

·      Maintain a healthy body weight – specifically a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9

·      Don’t drink too much alcohol – no more than one 5 ounce glass of wine, a 12 ounce of beer, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor per day for women or two for men.

·      Don’t smoke – ever

For the study, the researchers estimated that the women in the study who adopted these habits could see 14 more years of life and men would add on 12 more years of life.

Even though these five habits have been included and recommended in numerous lists over the years on how to get and stay healthy, many of us find them difficult to adopt and follow consistently.  One of the habits many Americans are struggling with to achieve is reaching and then maintaining a healthy body weight.  The average BMI for American men is 28.6 which is up from 25.1 in the early 1960s.  Anything over 24.9 is considered overweight and a BMI over 30 is regarded as obese.

Individuals who read the results of this study may be skeptical of the findings and how to practice these five habits at the same time.  But when they take into consideration what happens if they don’t do them, they may change their mind, finding ways to make them a part of their lifestyle:

·      According to a study by researchers at the University of Washington and published in the Lancet, poor dietary habits lead to one in five deaths.  Bad eating habits can also increase the likelihood of high blood pressure and diabetes, which are linked to making poor food choices.  When nutrient-dense foods are chosen the majority of time, such as more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains, health improvements are seen.

·      Not exercising can be another factor in increasing high blood pressure and diabetes in addition to leading to higher rates of depression, anxiety, coronary heart disease and even cancer, according to John Hopkins Medicine.

·      Having either an elevated or too low of a BMI is also not good for health.  Being underweight, which is defined as having a BMI of 18.5 or lower, can increase risk of malnutrition, osteoporosis, reduced immune functioning, and fertility issues, according to Healthline.  A high BMI can increase chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, sleep apnea, and gallbladder issues. 

·      Imbibing in alcoholic beverages is a risk factor for certain cancers, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 

·      More than one in 10 people worldwide have been killed by taking up the bad habit of smoking cigarettes, according to a study in the Lancet.  

The main takeaway from this study is that all five health habits must be adopted and practiced together in order to significantly increase a person’s changes of extending their life by 10 years.  Even though you may have to make some trade-offs if you want those extra years, that’s 10 years of more time spent with family, friends, and to make a difference in your life and in the life of others.