The Success Principle: Have You Ever Wondered Why Some People Are Always Happy, Healthy and Wealthy?
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Eat To Live, Do Not Live To Eat: It is no big mystery why more than a third of the U.S. population is overweight. We have made food the center of our universe. From weddings to funerals to holidays, it seems like almost every milestone event in our lives revolves around food.
You Can Live A Truly Happy, Healthy And Wealthy Life: You can easily add decades to your lifetime--though it is never too late to start.--How To Live To Be 101--You Are What You Eat--Let Food Be Thy Medicine. Three things to do. Daisy McFadden, will celebrate her 100th birthday this November. Still active and alert, she believes her eating habits have greatly contributed to her longevity. (1) What To Eat:
For years she has eaten a breakfast of oatmeal, cranberry juice and a banana. For lunch she usually has a salad with beets, cucumbers, tomatoes and either chicken or fish. Dinner is a plate of steamed vegetables and lean meat. Fresh fruit often follows for dessert. (2) Simple Exercise Makes a Difference--"If you want to live to be 101, you have to live an active life both mentally and physically, and you do not want to be overweight." (3) Enjoy Yourself! "We live in a stressful world, You need to be able to take time for yourself and enjoy what you do." Stay Married.
RECOMMENDED 10 WAYS TO LIVE LONGER:
Look For the Laugh
People with a good sense of humor increased their odds of survival by 31 percent. When something strikes you as funny, your body produces less aging stress hormones.
Pop Five Pills
The daily doses for your health and longevity: one multivitamin; 600 milligrams of DHA/omega-3 fatty acid (fish oil) for brain function; 1,000 IU vitamin D for bone and heart health; 600 milligrams of calcium for bones; and 200 milligrams of magnesium to counteract the bloat and constipation that calcium can cause. For maximum absorption, take half a multivitamin at breakfast, half at dinner.
Do Not Gum Up the Works
One little strand of floss can keep disease at bay. "Flossing prevents gingivitis, which ages your arteries and immune system. In fact, studies show that people with gum disease have an increased risk of heart disease and a higher mortality rate.
Talk and Walk
You probably already know that walking 30 minutes a day is great for you-but bringing a friend along is even better. You not only get the benefits of physical activity but also the social contact that helps bolster immunity and reduce stress. People over 70 with a lot of friends live an average of 22 percent longer than those with few personal connections, a 10-year Australian study found.
Taste the Rainbow
The more naturally colorful your diet, the healthier it is. Vibrantly hued fruits and veggies are loaded with antioxidants. Fill your grocery cart, lunch bag, and dinner plate with a variety array of produce.
Aim for Your Optimal Weight
Sticking close to your teenage weight is good for your health and your vanity. Gaining a lot between the ages of 18 and 40 is particularly dangerous because "every 10 percent increase in weight raises blood pressure, and high blood pressure is one of the major factors affecting aging. Plus, lowering your daily caloric intake by 10 to 20 percent seems to be linked to a longer life.
Do Some Good
People who volunteer live longer and have fewer overall health problems, including depression and heart disease, than those who do not. "It is a way to make friends and build social networks, and it gives people a sense of purpose."
De-Stress with Intimacy
Sex has been linked to lower blood pressure and a heartier immune system. "It relaxes you and helps strengthen your relationship with your partner, which in turn increases longevity." To wit, one study found that women who said they enjoyed sex lived longer than those who did not.
Finish Those Annoying Tasks
The burden of leaving a lot unfinished on your to-do list-think de-cluttering closets or paying a stack of bills can have the same cumulative impact on health as a major life event like divorce or a death, research has shown. This sort of generalized stress can age you the equivalent of eight years.
Hit the Sack
Seven to eight hours of shut-eye a night is ideal, research shows. "Sleep deprivation increases the risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, and weakens your immune system. To achieve the deepest rest, he recommends sleeping in a cool, pitch-dark room-use eyeshades for a blackout effect if you need to.
5 FOOD ADDITIVES TO AVOID:
We have all consumed processed and packaged foods. After all, they are easy, convenient and often times tastier than what we can prepare from scratch. But if you pause and read the labels, you may be appalled at the number of additives found in such foods.
Many studies have shown the ill-effects of consuming too much food additives. There are over 1,400 man-made chemicals added to the American food supply today. Five main categories raise the red flag:
1. Artificial sugars: Created to pacify the sweet cravings of dieters, sweeteners do more than sweeten your food -- they serve as a health hazard. Aspartame, Acesulfame K and Saccharine are all chemically produced to sweeten our foods without the calories of sugar. Ironically, these empty calories can create a vicious cycle of craving more sweets, with the inevitable consequences of weight gain. They have been linked to behavioral problems, hyperactivity, allergies and are possibly carcinogenic.
Sweeteners are rampant in diet, lite or sugar-free products. They are used in dry mixes for beverages, instant coffee and tea, gelatin desserts, puddings, non-dairy creamers, chewing gums, breath mints, diet soda, yogurt, even children's medicine and vitamins. Try more natural sources of sugar as in honey, molasses, and maple syrup in moderate quantities.
For diabetics, you can use Stevia, a natural herb sweetener, found in health stores like Henry's or Whole Foods Market.
2. Artificial food colors: Food colorings are used to make the food look more appealing or to replace colors lost in processing. However, do not let these colors deceive you. Artificial colorings are synthetic dyes that are mostly coal-tar derivatives.
They are suspected to cause allergies, asthma, hyperactivity and are possibly carcinogenic. Chief culprits: Candy, beverages, soda, gelatin desserts, pastry, sausage, baked goods, even fruit like green oranges sprayed with red dye to make them look ripe.
Go back to nature. Read labels and opt for natural products. Shop at the farmer's market for organic produce.
3. Preservatives (BHA, BHT, EDTA, etc): You may see these ingredients in chips, fried snack foods, baked goods, carbonated drinks, cheese spreads, chewing gum, ice cream, breakfast cereals, cosmetics, animal feeds and drugs. The list can get even longer but these will suffice. These preservatives are actually synthetic petroleum-based and fat soluble antioxidants, used by manufacturers to prevent oxidation and retard rancidity. They can cause cancer, allergic reactions and hyperactivity, and BHT may be toxic to the nervous system and the liver.
Choose food and drinks labeled with "no artificial antioxidants." Avoid poor quality vegetable oils. Look for cold-pressed virgin oil which contains natural antioxidants such as Vitamin E. Eat fresh produce that doesn't contain these preservatives.
4. Nitrites and Nitrates: Love your bacon in the morning? Cured, preserved, smoked meats are saturated with nitrites and nitrates to preserve shelf life and give it the healthy pink hue. These two preservatives may prevent the growth of bacteria but they transform into cancer-causing agents called nitrosamines in the stomach. They also produced noticeable side effects like headaches, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.
Instead look for nitrite-free processed meat. Prepare your own food if possible. If you consume food containing such preservatives, balance it by eating foods high in Vitamin A, C, and E.
5. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): You may be happy that you are dining in restaurants that carry the "No MSG" declaration. But do you know that MSG lurks in all kinds of sauces used to prepare the foods that you thought are MSG-free? They are also significant in all kinds of snacks, seasonings, candy, even infant formula, over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements.
Buy MSG-free snacks and read labels, so you can make healthier choices.
