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Longevity – Slowing Down the Hands of Time

Disease never comes without a cause. It is not fate or our stars, nor is it often due to factors beyond our control. Most diseases are due to the simple outworking of the laws of cause and effect. Longevity is not different. It is about keeping the laws of health. The laws of health are the laws of nature, just like the law of gravity. It is indeed a law of cause and effect.

For centuries people have been looking for the “Fountain of Youth”. And in modern times the search for the “Magic Bullet”, the “Miracle Pill” to conquer diseases is still going on.

Let us for the moment forget about the “Magic Bullet” or the “Miracle Pill” and ask ourselves one of the most relevant questions regarding longevity: “What are the secrets of the longest – lived people on the planet?”

Answering this question will really be an eye-opener and help in our quest for a quality of life and longevity.

Thomas Parr lived for 152 years

Thomas Parr, often referred to as Old Parr or Old Tom Parr was born in 1483 and his gravestone states that he died in 1635. So that was a good old stretch. If true, that means he saw 10 sovereigns on the throne of England.

The story is that he never married until he was 80  and at that age looked about 40. As all parts were functioning properly he had two children who, common with the times, died in infancy. His wife died before him so, still full of vim, he married again at 122.

In 1635, King Charles I invited Parr to his palace and inquired as to how the old man managed to have such a long life. Parr answered that he had lived a simple life as a farmer, eating mostly potatoes, fruit, and oatmeal. Unfortunately, “Old Parr” was not accustomed to the rich foods served at the palace. That night after dining, he became very ill – and died. King Charles felt so terrible for having killed Britain’s oldest citizen with royal delicacies that he commanded Parr to be buried in Westminister Abbey, where his grave can still be seen today.

Thomas Parr put his long life down to a moral temperance and vegetarian diet.

According to Adventist Health Study 1 that included 34,000 Adventists in California the lifestyle choices people make a big difference on life expectancy. The study found out that the following five factors each roughly represents about two years of extra life: whether the people 1) chose to be vegetarian, 2) maintained a medium body mass index, 3) ate nuts with some regularity, 4) had not been smoker during their life, and 5) had regular physical exercise.

*The Five Lifestyle Practices that can add 10 years to your life

+2    Vegetarianism
+2    Maintaining a healthy weight (BMI)
+2    Eating nuts regularly
+2    Not smoking
+2    Getting regular exercise
10 Years   

Let us now briefly discuss the importance of the above five  lifestyle practices that can add years to your life.

Eat well

The optimal diet has many reasonable benefits, including a longer life span, greater quality of health, and for sure lower medical costs. The optimal diet is not restriction. To the contrary it is about  making selection from the major food groups.

According to Stoy Proctor, a nutrition expert, the key to optimal diet is optimal nutrition. The concept is to maximize intake of the 26 essential nutrients from a variety of natural and minimally processed foods, and minimize foods that are heavily processed or contain excessive amounts of calories, sugar, fats and salt.

Maintain a healthy weight

Overweight individuals are at higher risk for developing conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and some forms of cancer, all of which can shorten life expectancy. And if a person has a BMI of 30 or higher and are considered obese, the risk of developing weight-related problem is even higher.

Eating nuts regularly

Nuts and seeds contain fat-soluble health fats as omega-3, omega-6, vitamin E, and protein. The Harvard Physicians Health Study found that nut intake reduces the risk of sudden heart attack, and the Loma Linda Health Study found that four to five servings of nuts per week cut the risk of coronary heart disease in half.

Not smoking

Every cigarette costs the smoker approximately seven minutes of life.

Be active

We all know exercise is good for you, but research is proving that the impact it has on your life may be more significant than you ever imagined.

Research shows, that the best way to increase your life expectancy is not found in a pill rather in choosing an active, healthy lifestyle. In fact, the research is so convincing that the American Medical Association and the American College of Sports Medicine have recently started a national campaign called “Exercise is Medicine” to educate doctors and their patients on the importance of regular physical activity for preventing disease, promoting health, and increasing longevity.

In addition to the above mentioned points it is very important to mention that millions are chronically dehydrated and they are aging quicker and dying younger because of it.

Moderate sun exposure is also a key ingredient for a better health. The air we breathe and how well we breathe it has a huge impact on our health.

Sleep is a crucial  element in healing and staying young. This means sleep deprivation can have serious consequences on one’s health.

Last, but not least, be a positive thinking person and enjoy life. As Norman Vincent Peale puts it “Our happiness depends on the habit of mind we cultivate. So practice happy thinking every day. Cultivate the merry heart, develop the happiness habit, and life will become a continual feast.”

These simple lifestyle choices can indeed slow down the hands of time.

Yours in Natural Health

Information provided by Dr. Dawit Mengistu - http://www.agapehealth-ltd.co.uk