The focus of this article is the "Secrets" to Longevity and Optimal Health ... they may surprise you!!

Take the POLL.

 

You may be very surprised as these people give the reasons for their long lives.

Take the poll at the end and let us know what YOUR secret to good health is.

 

LIVE LONG and PROSPER ... 17 great tips from the experts -- people who have lived more than 110 years !!

• Body and mind
• Lifestyle
• Diet
• They Made It !! (to 110)
• The Okinawan way (on the whole, they live the longest)

 

 

 

Gay Lyn Fry teaches Yoga in San Diego County

• 1. Exercise regularly and gently. Light exercise is better for your body than heavy exercise. Exercise keeps muscles strong. It also increases blood supply to the brain, which helps keep the mind alert.

• 2. Stretching increases flexibility and helps maintain coordination. This reduces the risk of falling in old people.
  
  
• 3. Don’t over exert yourself. Professor Axt from Germany, who has written ‘On the Joy of Laziness’, advises people to, “Waste half your free time. Just enjoy lazing around. People who would rather laze in a hammock instead of running a marathon or who take a midday nap instead of playing squash have a better chance of living into old age."
  
  
• 4. Choose your parents well. The ability to live for a long time can be passed on through the generations.
  
  
• 5. Take a break from the old routine. Novelty and new experiences are good for the brain. Studies suggest that they increase the formation of neural connections in the brain.
  
  
• 6. Look on the bright side. It’s been shown that optimistic people live, on average, 19% longer than those who are miserable.
  
  
  
• 7. Be creative and allow your self to daydream. A study on American nuns showed that the most imaginative nuns had the longest lifespans. Letting your creative juices flow is good for stress relief.
  
  
• 8. Accept that you will change somewhat with age.

• 9. Be sociable. Humans are social animals from cradle to grave. Being cut off from social activities can be isolating and depressing at any age.
  
  
• 10. Live in a couple. Research has shown that married people live on average three years longer than their single counterparts. “It appears that marriage creates some kind of psychological defense mechanism or protection against illness, but we don’t yet understand the physiology,” Professor Oswald, Warwick University.
  
  
• 11. Have faith in God. People who follow a faith have been shown to have lower mortality rates.
  

• 12. Eat a healthy diet. Cut down on processed foods. Instead eat oily fish, olive oil and whole foods, such as brown rice and brown bread.
  
  
• 13. Eat lots of colorful fruit and vegetables such as, spinach, strawberries and red grapes. They are full of antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, which scientists say are good at protecting our cells from damage. Fruit and vegetables are much more effective at protecting our cells than antioxidant supplements.
  
  
• 14. Have a cup of tea. Tea is rich in flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. Experts say that tea could be even more effective at protecting our cells from damage than regular intakes of fruit and vegetables.
  
  
• 15. Eat curries. The curry spice turmeric contains curcumin, which slows down the aging process by protecting our cells from damage.
  
  
• 16. Have a glass or two. In moderation, alcohol is good for you. It can protect against heart disease.
  
  
• 17. Drink lots of water to prevent dehydration. Being hydrated will give you more energy.
  

Did you eat your curry tonight?

Check out the vegetarian curries at Bombay Restaurant in Hillcrest. Another good place to get curry in San Diego is Jyoti-Bihanga, Sri Chinmoy's establishment on Adams Avenue.

 

Some People who lived to be over 100 years old and HOW (in their own words)

Jeanne Calment of France lived to be 122. She is the oldest person ever to have lived with a fully authenticated birth record. She died in 1997. In her youth she was a friend of Van Gogh's.

Jeanne ..................................................................

• was always healthy
• rode a bike until she was 100
• smoked until she was 110, when she said, "it was becoming a habit"
• until two years before her death, had a glass of port and a piece of her favorite chocolate every day.

Antonio Todde from Sardinia died just before his 113th birthday in January 2002. On his 112th birthday, Todde spoke about the secret of a long life.

"Just love your brother and drink a good glass of red wine every day."

Amy Hulmes, who died at the age of 114 in 2001, attributed her longevity to the fact that every night she

• drank four bottles of Guinness (she was British)
• and took cold baths

   

  Harry Halford died in 2000 at 109. Harry smoked until he was 65. He believed that the secret of his long life was that he started every day with a cooked breakfast!

  Retired farmer David Henshaw on his 110th birthday attributed his long life to porridge, prunes and never going to bed on a full stomach.

The Okinawan Way

The inhabitants of Okinawa, Japan, have the longest life expectancy on the planet. Okinawan longevity is attributed in part to a healthy diet rich in vegetables and grains. But there’s more to it than that. Most lead active lives through into old age. Activities such as dancing, walking, gardening and gentle martial arts such as T'ai Chi are all popular among the middle aged and elderly.

T'ai Chi in San Diego.

Christina Tillotson teaches T'ai Chi in North County and by special arrangement
[photo used with her permission]

Multi-state links for more information about T'ai Chi
What is Ta'i Chi Chu'an?
Find a Ta'i Chi Chu'an certified instructor in the United States

List of instructors qualified in the United States to teach Ta'i Chi for Arthritis.

Tai Chi is also available at the Taoist Sanctuary in San Diego and Noah's Homes in Rancho San Diego (East County).

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