Live to be 100

Here’s some great straightforward advice on how you can live to be 100.

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1) Active lifestyles. Whether you get your exercise through physical work, sport, or play, doing something physical every day is good for you, and has long been demonstrated to reduce risk of many diseases. Get outside, connect with your environment. Run for your life! Just like your ancestors did.

2) Eat well. There are many successful diets out there, and your doctor can help individualize your nutrition for you. Remember that a variety of fresh food is best, and that processed, “engineered”, and fast foods are usually nutritionally depleted and contain a host of additives that your body was never adapted to eat.

3) Sleep well.  It is your body’s way of restoring you physically and mentally. With the advent of the light bulb, our modern world has become busier than ever, allowing us to work and play well into the night, progressively impairing both the quality and quality of our sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation has been strongly associated with multiple increased risks of illness and shortened lifespans, impaired cognitive function.

4) Practice good hygiene.  Hand washing, proper food preparation, lots of fresh air and sun exposure, consistent sleep/wakefulness patterns, good dental care and avoiding crowds and ill people can all significantly reduce your risk of illness.

5) Stay safe.  Risk-taking behaviours, whether in sport, play or work increase your risk of significant injury. Like the Boy Scouts say, “be prepared” when planning your adventures. Consider yourself lucky to be living in one of the safest countries in the world!”

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My one top anti-aging recommendation is exercise:  “if you don’t move it, you lose it”.  This echoes the mantra of Crowley and Lodge in “Younger Next Year” where they say exercise an hour a day, six days a week, for the rest of your life.  You don’t have to enjoy it, you just have to do it!  Regular vigorous physical exercise preserves strength, mobility and agility, but also preserves mental functions, supports mood, and boosts immunity.

Thanks for reading.

Dr. Grant Pagdin.

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Live to be 100.
The best tips on living long and well from your local family doctors
Originally written by Dr. Mark Fromberg.

Photo by Flickr User: Ed Yourdon. (CC BY-SA 2.0)