5 Secrets To A Long Life

Full disclosure: the title above is total sarcasm. There are no big secrets here! The 2018 Harvard study did not uncover lost mysteries of how to stay healthy and live a long life. The study confirmed what we have been told for decades, minus all the diet and exercise fads!

After following over 40,00 men and women over 34 years, the study specifically focused on the outcome of life span. They came up with these Big Five “low-risk lifestyle factors” linked to an average increase in lifespan of 14 years for women and 12  years for men!

1. Avoid smoking. Need I say more?

2. Maintain a healthy weight. Using Body Mass Index, you want to stay in the low risk range of 18.5 to 24.9.

***BMI is a ratio of weight to height that—while it is far from perfect and can be off in certain body types—it still give us a quick and easy way to assess weight status.

3. Exercise regularly. Aim to get your heart rate up for 30 or more minutes every day.

*** This is defined as moderate- or vigorous-intensity exercise.

4. Consume moderate amounts of alcohol.

***If you like to drink, keep it to an average of one-half to one drink per day for women and one-half to two drinks per day for men.

***Yes, women’s risk for alcohol use is higher than men due to metabolism and body habitus.

5. Maintain an overall healthy diet. Diet heavy on the vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Keep light on the red meat, processed foods, sugary beverages, trans fats and sodium.

These are all lifestyle habits that everyone of us can incorporate. Every day won’t be perfect, but if you can live more healthier days than not, you are on the right track!