VIV Blue

The relationship between longevity and lifestyle

In this sense, modern life creates dissonance. On the one hand, life expectancy is increasing, on the other hand, the demanding lifestyle that creates stress and strain harms one’s health and so do the dietary habits and types of work that forces many to sit for long periods of time, usually in front of a computer, during the day. In Hong Kong, for example, the world champion in the matter, women live to the age of 88 and men to the age of 82. This is an extremely old age on all accounts. In Israel, women’s life expectancy has extended to the age of 84 and men up to 82. This is a difficult contradiction for the population because one may ask how is it exactly that the intense and somewhat unhealthy lifestyle that many managers keep, not translated to one’s life expectancy? The answer is related not only to longevity, but to lifestyle and the impact on their quality of life.

This is where the long-term concern is expressed. What is neglected now will have an impact later on and will cost you greatly in a few years. The body and mind are one, as we have already mentioned before. This is expressed in the simplest and most tangible way when you cry. Emotion or pain causes a physical reaction – tears. This of course is reflected in many other parameters throughout your life. Those who eat processed and high-fat foods may develop heart disease, those who sit most of the day and have a passive body may develop skeletal problems and neck pain. In this sense the holistic approach, according to which man is the sum of his physical and mental parts, provides an accurate picture of the interaction between the body and mind. Both the body and mind mutually influence each other, and the holistic approach believes that support and care for yourself must relate to all aspects, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.

To balance an intense lifestyle, one must first understand that it is such a lifestyle. That means, looking for a moment from the side at the pace you are going, and bringing to attention, the working hours, the energy that certain actions require, the time it takes to reach certain things, what are the priorities in life and how this can be changed. It is not simple, because many are not aware of it, or don’t have the time and energy to bring about great life changes.

This is also the reason why the field of personal health welfare is becoming such a significant part of many lives. Medical Wellness, a lifestyle, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) is said to be the “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being” which includes various parameters that create our health level – nutrition, sleep, emotions, work, fitness and more. The World Health Organization refers to this as a “positive approach to life,” meaning that “you cannot choose the state of health, but you can consciously choose health by living your life responsibly and taking proactive steps for your wellbeing,” or as singer Amir Dadon sums up nicely in his hit song – “Choose Right”.

How to live right? The five simple steps

Thanks to science, medicine, the awareness of proper nutrition and the availability of quality healthcare services, life expectancy is increasing around the world as well as in Israel. However, in order to optimize such life expectancy, a person’s lifestyle must be consistent, and a daily routine must be cultivated. It is this consistency that helps improve health and mood so that both the quality of life and life expectancy increases.

A study that took place over the course of 34 years, by Harvard University, including more than 123,000 women and men found that adopting five simple habits can dramatically increase your life expectancy – up to an additional 14 years for women and 12 years for men. That’s a lot. In a study published in 2018, conducted by the Chan School of Public Health, researchers found that American women and men who maintained healthy lifestyles were 82% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 65% less likely to die from cancer compared to people with less healthy lifestyles for the duration of about 30 years.

“This study highlights the importance of maintaining healthy lifestyle habits for the improvement of life longevity in the U.S population,” said Frank Hu, chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard Public Health School and senior author of the study. “However, the commitment to healthy living habits is very low. Therefore, public policy should place more emphasis on creating healthy food, and socially supportive environments for encouraging and promoting nutrition and healthy lifestyles.” You, of course, shouldn’t wait until these changes occur in public policy. It is advisable to change your personal lifestyle right now to improve your health and mood.

According to the study’s editors, maintaining five healthy habits adds years to our lives:

Stop smoking

Studies show that smoking shortens life by about seven years, so if you smoke it is the first habit you will need to change. No matter how much you exercise and eat healthy, smoking will continue to harm your health. Yes, this also includes vaping, chewing tobacco and or other ways of incorporating nicotine or smoke into your body.

Exercising Regularly

In 2006, Canadian researchers determined that “an increase in physical fitness will reduce the risk of premature death, while a decrease in physical fitness will increase this risk. Even small improvements related to physical fitness reduce the risk of premature death.” Another study, stated, that people who went from being completely out of shape to being in shape for a period of 5 years had a 44% reduction in the relative risk of premature death compared to people who remained out of shape. Canadian researchers emphasize, that studies have shown that an average energy expenditure of about 1,000 calories a week is associated with a 20% -30% reduction in mortality for any reason. Daily exercise will prevent illness, improve mood, relieve stress and do you good.

Healthy nutrition

There is no doubt that you will receive compliments if you say that you run 20 km a week, but if you continue to eat processed foods and high-fat foods, fitness alone will not significantly improve your health. It is also just as important to eat right. In this sense, the “Mediterranean” diet, being low in fat and rich in vegetables and fruits, has become a household name around the world as it is considered excellent for the purpose of improving a person’s state of health. It is important to note that it should be maintained over time in order for a person to truly reap its benefits.

Maintaining a healthy body weight

Many things can affect weight – genetics, age, sex, lifestyle, habits, sleep and even someone’s profession and workplace. Anyone who works in an office job knows this. Some of these factors can make it difficult to lose or maintain weight. Therefore it is important to be active and choose healthy foods. To maintain your weight, you need to burn the same number of calories you consume. The desired BMI range is between 18.5 and 25. Self-discipline, responsibility, awareness and adherence to a diet and an exercise routine are the key ingredients to maintaining a healthy body weight for years to come.

A moderate consumption of alcohol

Alcohol, perhaps contrary to popular belief, is not harmful to one’s health, assuming that it is consumed in a very moderate way. “Alcohol benefits the heart and contributes to preventing the causes of coronary artery disease,” explains Dr. Sandra Gonzalez of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Baylor College. Moderate alcohol consumption leads to lower mortality rate from cardiovascular disease. A glass or two of beer or wine a day, does not harm health and in some cases can even benefit it.

Have you decided to make a change? Take a moment to consult with a doctor

Seemingly it is hard to believe that it is possible to live much longer than average, but studies show that it is. Also keep in mind, that the five leading causes of longevity are related to health problems connected to a person’s lifestyle. Smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar are also linked to diet and lifestyle. As a result, emotions are affected as well – obesity affects body image and self-confidence, while smoking harms the body on many levels, high sugar levels can lead to diabetes which endangers health and imposes a certain lifestyle. All these things can be prevented with the help of these five habits mentioned. According to researchers at the University of Chicago, maintaining four of the five habits is enough to reduce the chance of developing dementia during old age by 60%.

Before deciding on diet and exercise, it is important to remember another aspect that is important for maintaining your health – medical diagnosis. It is very nice to buy running clothes and start hitting the park trails or deciding that from now on you are removing sugar from your menu, but every such action has consequences. For this reason, it is worthwhile to consult a doctor and undergo a professional diagnosis or examination before making a new change. As early as 2012, Harvard Medical School stood at the brink of implementing the steps that lead to a healthy lifestyle. “Most people can walk safely, but it is best to check with your doctor beforehand, in case your legs are unstable, suffer from dizziness or are taking medications that may cause dizziness. In addition to finding out if there are chronic diseases or various heart diseases lingering.”

Small tips for along the way

If you are overweight, start eating healthier and be sure to eat only during meals and not in between. It is important to emphasize to not being tempted by enticing and unhealthy snacks. It is recommended to stop eating at least two hours before bed and preferably not after ten at night most days of the week. If your lifestyle makes this difficult, you should at least make sure you have a light meal that does not burden the digestive system. Here is the place to pay attention if you wake up tired. If so, you may need to improve your sleep hygiene. Inadequate sleep that is not quality can accelerate obesity and morbidity later in life.

If you are not fit, start exercising more. It is recommended to maintain at least 15 minutes of brisk walking a day or 150 minutes a week (5 half-hour walks each). Drink over 2 liters of water a day and to check to make sure you have drunk enough, pay attention to whether your urine is clear. Good eating and exercising regularly, is positive for both the body and mind. As for alcohol, the key is to focus on dosage. It is possible to deviate from time to time, but rarely and not excessively. Remember that even if you do not always meet all five of the criteria listed here, that’s fine too. Any improvements in your lifestyle that you make will gradually improve your life expectancy. The main thing is to start.

Surround yourself with beloved family, good friends, and a diverse community life – all of which have been found to contribute significantly to life expectancy.