Most individuals are eager to learn ways that they can use to boost their health and extend their lifespan. According to scientists, your life can be naturally extended through things like diet changes, exercise, and specific nutrients.
There are also edible herbs that can be used as natural life extenders. Some of these herbs boost health by promoting cardiovascular function, while others enhance the performance of the body's immune system.
Statistics indicate that the average American's life expectancy is 78.7 years. Whether an individual reaches this age or exceeds it is determined by several other factors besides the genes.
In this article, we are going to discuss some of the best natural ways you can live healthy as you age. By “natural,” we mean an activity or an item that modifies, improves or retards the processes that makes you age.
The natural ways involve the utilization of methods or substances that form the standard part of the body's economy. They do not contain any synthetic materials or approaches such as surgery or the use of hormonal treatment. Following are 10 natural life extension health tips:
1. Spend Time With Friends
Studies have revealed that surrounding yourself with friends and family could help prolong your life.
According to a happiness study conducted by Harvard scientists, meaningful connections are the source of happiness in an individual's life. Lonely people and those with no close friends or family have a higher risk of death than those with healthy social connections.
An associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore analyzed the participation by more than 3,000 individuals aged 65 years and above in a range of activities. The study was performed over a period of 13 years. Associate professor, Thomas Glass, found out that social events may extend an individual’s lifespan in the same manner as healthy measures like reducing cholesterol consumption does.
Experts also recommend the use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to get in touch with friends as the social media platforms are great natural life extenders.
Scientists have revealed that individuals who use Facebook are twelve percent less likely to die than those who do not use the social media platform. Believe it or not, the use of Facebook to post photos or write messages on a wall has been shown to increase life longevity.
2. Minimize The Time You Spend Watching Television
Health experts suggest that watching too much television might lower your life expectancy. Watching television encourages being sedentary by making you sit the whole time on the couch without performing any activity. A study found that individuals who spend more than two hours watching television at night have an increased probability of an early death than those who do not watch television at night.
According to another study, there are increased chances of dying from a blood clot in the lung when you watch tv for more than five hours during the day.
Too much television discourages you from taking part in physical activities. It is advisable to take a brisk half-hour walk to help reverse the mental age by at least ten years. If you are fond of binge watching your favorite TV series, it is about time you put a limit to this dangerous habit. You can alternate watching television with physical activities such as riding your bicycle.
You can also watch your favorite shows while performing exercises such as doing pushups, squats, and lunges. You could keep the television on the background while performing activities such as cooking dinner if that helps.
3. Consume A Lot Of Fish
Studies suggest that consuming fish once or twice a week can help extend your life. Fish is rich in nutrients that help promote a healthy cardiovascular system by reducing the risk of developing a heart attack.
The chemical components found in fish can also contribute to lower the risks associated with other health defects such as cancer. Fish may even help improve the symptoms that are related to rheumatoid arthritis. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids. The presence of these fatty acids in the body modulates the synthesis of hormone-like substances that are known as eicosanoids.
The eicosanoids that are synthesized by the omega-3 fatty acids have several health benefits such as anti-inflammatory effects and reduced blood clotting. The reduction in blood clotting makes the omega-3 fatty acids the best remedy for heart attack. If a heart attack occurs, it is less likely to be fatal.
According to a study that was performed on heart attack survivors, a daily consumption of one gram of omega-3 fatty acid lowers the risk of dying from a cardiovascular disorder by 25 percent. The omega-3 fatty acids may also decrease the level of triglycerides which is a type of fat that is linked to the formation of blood clots.
4. Be Optimistic
According to the large-scale New England Centenarian Study, the most common attitude among centenarians is ability not to dwell on challenges. Experts have warned that stress may lower the life expectancy of an individual.
According to Hymie Anisman, a professor of neuroscience at the Carleton University in Ottawa, stress is capable of provoking a psychological response that is harmful to the body. The body synthesizes cortisol and adrenaline, and these two chemical substances help the body to respond to danger in the short term.
However, these chemical substances can also interfere with the performance of the immune system, the brain, and the cardiovascular system when an individual is constantly stressed. Scientists have found out that being optimistic has some extraordinary benefits to your health.
Doctor Becca Levy from Yale University conducted a study to determine the benefits of an optimistic outlook. In one of her studies, she examined 660 individuals who had earlier completed a survey on their attitude towards aging.
The responses they gave on the survey was then correlated to the ages at which they died. The study found out that individuals who had a positive attitude towards aging lived at least seven and-a-half-years longer than those who had negative views of aging.
5. Conduct Occasional Fasting
Most individuals are familiar with intermittent fasting. It is a common way of losing weight and increasing sensitivity of insulin in the body. Intermittent fasting is also used to lower the levels of bad cholesterol in the body. A recent study has recommended the use of intermittent fasting as a life extender.
Intermittent fasting helps the body’s cells repair themselves as the body is not busy digesting food or trying to remove toxins. According to a study that was performed in 2015, periodic fasting that involves reducing the intake of calories for five days once a month leaves an impact that can last for up to six months.
The study also found out that the biomarkers for health defects such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and aging are also lowered. Studies have also discovered that there are short-term benefits of intermittent fasting. There is also a modified intermittent fasting for women which they can try. The modified fasting for women helps to keep the hormone in check.
6. Use Herbs
The most common type of herb that is recommended is the dandelion. It is capable of lowering blood pressure naturally.
Researchers have also found out that dandelion can decrease swelling; therefore, it helps counteract the mobility impairment that may result from conditions such as arthritis. As a result, this may help lower complications that are associated with a sedentary lifestyle such as obesity and the development of blood clots.
Another common type of herb that can be used is St. John's Wort. It is the most common alternative treatment for mild to moderate depression. The herb's ability to promote healthy sleep can help an individual to live longer. St. John's Wort produces a hormone known as melatonin. The hormone is involved in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle.
Lack of enough quality sleep has been linked to a lowered life expectancy. Poor sleep quality is also related to diseases such as strokes, heart attack, and diabetes. Hawthorn is another common alternative treatment for high blood pressure. The herbal remedy works by relaxing the blood vessels.
It also can lower your heart rate. There is an ongoing study aimed at finding out whether hawthorn can be used to reduce the progression of congestive heart failure. The initial results of this study are encouraging. However, Hawthorn can only produce an effect if it is regularly taken for three months.
7. Exercise
Physical activities such as swimming, doing aerobics, or pushups are the best way of increasing life expectancy. A study was conducted among 80,000 adults. The study aimed at finding out the effects of physical activities on the life expectancy of an individual.
The study concluded that physical activities such as swimming and pushups have lifesaving benefits. The risk of dying from cardiovascular disease was 56 percent lower among people who engage in physical activities than those who live a sedentary life.
Another common form of exercise that is a life extender is strength training. Individuals who do strength training exercises had a much lower risk of dying from conditions such as heart failure and cancer.
Researchers also revealed that strength training helps people to gain a healthy body weight. Running can also be used as a life extender. However, you do not have to run fast for it to serve as a life extender. According to a Danish study, jogging helps significantly reduce the mortality rate among individuals.
8. Dietary Changes
Dietary changes are one of the easiest ways of extending your lifespan. Studies have revealed that several diets can be used to increase life expectancy. One of the most common diets used to increase life expectancy is the Blue Zones diet. The diet is focused on consuming foods such as fish, dairy products, and whole foods. Fermented foods such as kefir and natto are also recommended.
Another type of diet is the Okinawa diet. The diet is named after the people who live in the Japanese Island, Okinawa. The diet is focused on the consumption of fruits and vegetables. The Okinawa diet is plant-based, and it limits the use of dairy and grains. However, it also recommends the use of high-quality meat and seafood on occasion.
The Mediterranean diet is also linked to a prolonged lifespan. The diet is rich in anti-inflammatory foods that help reduce inflammation in the body. The effects of the diet help lower the development of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.
Besides the foods recommended in the diets, there are foods that you should avoid. They include canola oil, pork, and processed meats such as bacon as these foods may increase the risks of cancer.
9. Help Someone Else
A study was conducted by scientists to find out the effects of being helpful or considerate toward another person. After six months, the scientists observed that participants had a greater self-esteem and happiness level than those who were used as the control group.
The study concluded that doing good deeds is associated with physical benefits. The study revealed that people with a habit of helping others experience better health than those who do not have a helpful and considerate attitude towards others.
10. Strive To Be A Lifelong Learner
Smart people tend to live longer. Studies have revealed that the genes of an intelligent person support a long lifespan.
A study that was performed among 3,600 participants found out that individuals who are fond of reading, on average lived two more years than people who do not take part in any reading activity. Individuals who read up to 3.5 hours a week were less likely to die by 17 percent over the course of the twelve years they were tracked.
10 Natural Life Extension Health Tips Conclusion
There are several natural ways to increase your life expectancy. They include strength training and aerobic exercises. Running may also help reduce the risks of death. However, you do not have to run at a fast pace to get results.
A Danish study found out that fast runners have no advantage over their jogging counterparts. Individuals who follow a diet plan such as the Okinawa diet, the Mediterranean diet, or the Blue Zone diet are also likely to have an increased life expectancy.
