Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Simple Habits for Longevity

The other day on Facebook, a friend shared an article that reminded me how we can make small changes in our daily lives that will improve our health and help to extend our longevity....even without breaking a sweat!
 
FLOSSING our teeth can add anywhere from 1.5 - 6.4 years!!!  The combination of fighting gum disease AND heart disease is flossing's "anti-aging" trick.  As with any new activity that we want to make a habit, we need to create a routine.  This morning while flossing, I thought about 3 things I wanted to accomplish today.  One was this blogpost, so I was going over the things that I believe to be easy longevity tricks that I wanted to research and share.  When flossing at nite, you can think about 3 things for which you are grateful from that day.  Before you know it, you have flossed between every tooth while practicing daily mindfulness.  Here is an article discussing the benefits and how-tos!!
 
 
Our bodies are comprised of 70% water.  Thus, DRINKING WATER refills what we lose through perspiration and the daily behind-the-scenes working of our cells.  It is recommended to drink half your body weight of water, in ounces (i.e. a 130 lb person needs to consume 65 ounces of water everyday).  Our skin is our largest organ and it needs water to maintain firmness and elasticity, especially as we age.  Often times when we think we are hungry, we are actually simply thirsty.  Therefore, drinking water can help with weight loss (or maintenance).  Not having enough water in our systems makes our muscles sluggish and we cannot perform physical activities well.  That is especially true when exercising, so drink plenty of fluids enough in advance to get the results you are working toward.  Water helps with elimination, keeping our kidneys and bowels healthy.  This article will shed more light on these areas and gives five tips for getting more water into your day, to include by eating fruits & veggies!!
 
We can heal and enhance our bodies with the foods we eat and those we avoid.  Following an ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET, like this one recommended by well-respected Dr. Anthony Weil, helps work through and ward off chronic inflammation, which, when left unchecked, is what leads to diseases, like cancer, heart disease, even Alzheimer's, and, ultimately, death.  Eating the right combination of proteins, carbs & fats, supplementing with vitamins and minerals and drinking plenty of water are the keys.  Unfortunately, the typical American "diet" is completely unbalanced and includes far too many of the aggravating foods.  Here is a quick article that provides a bit of detail on some antioxidants that are super beneficial for healing and maintaining a healthy systemic balance.  Add and remove foods gradually as to not be completely overwhelmed by the process, thus avoiding falling into the trap of giving up. 
 
Stress, especially the chronic type under which many people "operate" on a daily basis, is a killer!  We must find ways to manage our stress to avoid an early death!!  MEDITATION is one of those ways.  It doesn't have to be transcendental, for hours at a time or even in a retreat setting, tho any of those can be part of your practice!  However, setting aside several minutes in your day to center yourself, to be mindful, to go inward and work with your inner magic is equally beneficial and, quite frankly, what most of us will fit into our lives, at least initially. (I believe that once you start making many positive changes to enhance your life and see the benefits, you will begin to set as a priority more & longer healthy practices.)  Meditation does many things, like bringing clarity and focus to your days, nurturing your creativity and promoting health and healing.  I have started to meditate using the seven chakras.  I take in and release several deep, cleansing breaths and start with the first chakra, the root chakra.  The chakras ascend the body and are associated with the colors of the rainbow (Roy G. Biv, for those who know this little memory helper!).  I take a few moments or minutes with each one, then I focus on areas of my body that are sore and channel healing thoughts and, finally, taking deep breaths from my roots and pulling them up & out through my crown. 
 
"THINK POSITIVE and positive things will happen."  Having an optimistic outlook and personality, as well as a positive attitude about aging, specifically, can add 5+ years to your life!!  Constant negative thoughts and beliefs not only drag you down, they work internally to damage your cells.  Changing those thoughts and beliefs changes your cells!!!  Revitalizing you from the inside out!  You ARE happier.  You smile more.  What you put out into the Universe comes back to you, multiplied!  You have an aura of health and radiance!  Others want to be around you!  You inspire others to be like you!! 
 
And, as a final practice, check out this TedX talk by John Marcotte where STRIKING A SUPERHERO POSE for just 2 minutes does the following:  "Your power hormone testosterone rises by 8% and your stress hormone cortisol drops by 25%… YES 25%!  And lastly, the research also showed that if you pose like a superhero for just 2 minutes you are more likely to take a risk."  You don't have to be wearing a costume to enjoy the benefits, but it would bring a smile to the faces of many who witness your ability to have some fun, get a laugh and take a risk!!! 
 
After 60-90 days of practice, an activity is hard-wired, thus becoming a habit which you will do automatically.
 
As always, To Your Health!!
 
 
 

2 comments:

  1. Great reminders but I must say I didn't know about the superhero pose. Guess what I'm doing right now?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was new to me, too! It's pretty awesome, right??!!

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