6 habits of the youthful
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Want a long and healthy life? We’re more likely to stay healthy as we get older by pursuing health and wellbeing through all of life’s ages...Because really, age is just a number.
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- 6 habits of the youthful
Dodge gerontogens
Your cells’ age is determined less by years and more via levels of exposure you’ve had to environmental factors called ‘gerontogens’, write researchers in a 2014 issue of Trends in Molecular Medicine. The most impactful gerontogen is cigarette smoke; UV rays are another key element from which to protect yourself.Brain food
To help keep your brain firing like a youngster’s eat a balanced diet that includes foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.Blueberries, salmon, green leafy vegetables, walnuts, kidney beans and tomatoes are just some of the foods that will help feed your brain.
EAT MORE: Healthy foods for your brain
Love Sir David Attenborough
Those who watch nature documentaries score better on language tests than do others completing brain games, found an Australian study published in PLOS One and reported in National Geographic. What’s more, nature documentaries viewers also reported feeling less stressed and having a greater quality of life.Walk this way
Walking is known to boost heart and lung health, but emerging science shows it might also help your brain.Research published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience suggests that engaging in a physical exercise regimen not only helps physical fitness but also helps healthy aging adults improve their memory and brain health.
In other words, walking, riding a bike or swimming may help the brain. These activities improve blood flow to neural pathways. They aid the brain’s ability to grow new pathways in response to stimulation and learning.
Vitamin A and SPF
According to Marian Northington, director of Cosmetic Dermatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the U.S, “Using an over-the-counter cream with an SPF sunscreen and retinol, which is a vitamin A derivative, may help improve skin pigmentation and blemishes, as well as increase collagen content to help with lines and wrinkles.”READ MORE: Healthy ageing, healthy skin
Give back
Volunteering could extend your life.The Greater Good, a positive psychology centre run by the University of California Berkeley, cites a study from research colleague Sei Lee. This found “People who volunteered lived longer, even after considering social factors, like socioeconomic status, chronic health conditions and cognitive function.”
FIND OUT: Is sweating the key to longevity?
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