4 Simple Steps to Living Longer

Most of us know the basics of good health, even if we don’t always practice them: regular exercise, not smoking, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, alcohol in moderation. And what do we get in return? A longer life for starters. In fact, a recent British study suggests that clean living can add as much as 14 years to our lives…

For years, we have heard that certain behaviors such as exercise, proper diet and moderate alcohol consumption are linked to health benefits. But with each new study, the recommended lifestyle changes get more confusing. How much exercise do we really need? What kind of diet? How much alcohol is too much? These questions leave us wondering what steps will really do our body good. Most of us simply want an easy, clear approach that will help us make healthier lifestyle choices.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that good habits influence health, little is known about their combined effect. Does moderate alcohol intake compensate for a lack of exercise? Or can a cluster of small changes in lifestyle add up to improved health?

Your Everyday Choices Matter

To address such questions, British researchers recruited and surveyed more than 20,000 people between 1993 and 1997, tracking them until 2006. As part of the EPIC study (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition), the researchers scored people based on four defined behaviors − smoking, physical activity, drinking, and fruit and vegetable intake − and matched those scores with health outcomes.

Participants, none of whom had cancer or cardiovascular disease, completed a health and lifestyle questionnaire, had a physical examination and had their level of vitamin C measured. The health behavior scores ranged from zero (a participant who did none of the four healthy behaviors) to 4 (a participant who adhered to all healthy behaviors).

“Healthy behaviors” consisted of not smoking, regular exercise, little to moderate alcohol consumption, and eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Not smoking was defined as currently not smoking. Physical inactivity meant having a sedentary job and doing no recreational exercise. (See related article: Gaining Weight at Work?)

The researchers considered moderate alcohol intake to be between 1 and 14 units of alcohol per week. In Britain, one unit is generally a small bottle of regular-proof beer or a small glass of wine. (A can of strong beer is around 4 units of alcohol.)  

Vitamin C levels were consistent with at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day. 

The researchers tracked the deaths in the study group until 2006. The results, published in the online journal PloS Medicine, were dramatic. After controlling for other factors that might contribute to death, such as sex, age, body mass index, and social class, those who practiced none of the four healthy behaviors (a score of zero) were four times more likely to die than those who practiced clean living habits. 

In fact, those who consistently practiced all four healthy habits (a score of 4) were likely to live approximately 14 years longer than those who did not. Those who scored a 2 were twice as likely to have died. 

Deaths were most commonly from cardiovascular disease, although some died of cancer and other causes. The researchers concluded that the lower mortality risk for those with all four health behaviors was the equivalent to being 14 years younger in age.

Backed Up By Science

Previous research supports the benefits of one or more of the health behaviors tracked in this study. For example, physical inactivity at work and leisure correlates with higher mortality rates. The authors of the EPIC study have previously reported that high fruit and vegetable consumption, measured by the amount of vitamin C in the blood, is also associated with lower mortality rates in men and women.

Previous studies have established that vitamin C levels are a good indicator of fruit and vegetable intake. Interestingly, vitamin supplements are not associated with effects on mortality, and study results were similar even after excluding people who take daily vitamins. Vitamin C levels may also correlate with other healthy eating practices, such as eating lots of fiber and fish but little fat.

Lastly, an earlier European study that tracked more than 2,000 older men and women indicated that a Mediterranean diet (heavy in fruits, vegetables, plants oils, fish, and whole grains), plus not smoking, moderate alcohol use and moderate physical activity were associated with more than a 50% reduction in mortality.

Men involved in a U.S. Health Professions Study who had five healthy or “low-risk” behaviors and attributes also had a much lower risk of coronary artery disease than those who had few or none of these. What are low-risk behaviors? No surprise, they include not smoking, low body mass index, moderate to vigorous activity, moderate alcohol consumption, and a healthy diet.

Your 4-Step Plan

While the science is well-documented, the tough part is getting people to adopt – and maintain – healthy habits.  Why? Bad habits are simply hard to give up, plus the recommendations seem to change daily. The British study, however, makes it pretty clear that simply changing four behaviors will boost your health.  Below are some guidelines to start your journey toward a longer life. (See related article: Finding the Fountain of Youth)

1. Get moving.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends getting 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week. If you haven’t been exercising at all, start out by walking briskly 15-20 minutes a day and build from there. Even that amount will lower your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease or diabetes.

Ideally, your workout routine should include aerobic exercise to get you breathing hard and increase your heart rate, a couple of days of strength training and flexibility exercises like stretching.

2. Drink in moderation.

 

Lots of studies suggest that moderate drinking, particularly red wine, can lower your risk of heart disease. Moderate drinking is defined as one drink for women and two for men a day. One drink equals four ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

3. Don’t smoke.

Smoking increases the risk of developing many cancers, chronic lung diseases and heart disease. It’s not easy to quit but there are many smoking cessation programs and medications that can help you. The American Cancer Society (Cancer.org) can guide you to its local chapters for more information.

4. Eat more fruits and veggies.

Eat at least five to nine servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day, preferably 2-4 of fruit and 3-5 of veggies.  And mix them up: Try to get in a variety of red, yellow and green varieties.  That way you’ll get a wider sampling of nutrients, too.

This may seem like a sweeping lifestyle change, but the EPIC study showed that small differences can have a significant impact on your health. Don’t feel like you have to do it all at once; make gradual changes if you need to. Ultimately, the benefits of adopting these four simple habits are well worth it. After all, who wouldn’t mind being 14 years younger?

Will You See Your 80th Birthday?

What is your life expectancy? Can you rely on good genetics to keep you thriving through the years, or do you need to do more to up your odds of living longer? Find out your chances of making it to age 80 in this life expectancy quiz.

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Nurturing The Inner Self

When most of us hear the term inner self, thoughts of self-help books, spirituality or psychology come to mind. The inner self is about the subconscious or Higher Self within each of us, also known as or our true self. When we look in the mirror and say, “I want to get to know the real me” we are talking about our inner self. Healing the inner self is learning how to be happy and comfortable in your own skin. It is a process of regaining harmony of mind, body and spirit.

Our minds are a powerful tool, so powerful in fact that we sometimes create our own problems. The stress we feel because of our problems eventually begins to affect our bodies and the way we function. This in turn leads to feelings of demoralization and sunken spirits. Remember where the problems originated though and you will be able to trace many of your present illnesses back to your own mind. Some people feel it is possible to think yourself sick. Can you imagine what would happen if you reversed that negative thinking in a more positive direction? When you begin the process of nurturing the inner self, you begin to change your outlook on life and improve your overall situation.

Some people refer to the power of positive thinking as faith healing. We have all heard of people who overcame the odds and defeated a life-threatening disease, owing it all to a positive attitude and a will to survive.

A great example of this is Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer but decided he would accomplish the one thing he had always wanted to do: win the Tour de France. Lance overcame the odds and won the Tour de France seven consecutive times. He could have given up at any time, but instead he persisted and did what made him happy. Cycling lifted his spirits, kept his mind occupied and helped his body recover.

It is easy to be caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As we focus on taking care of our families, working hard in our careers and trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors, we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. We may not even notice the level of neglect until it is too late and we become burnt out. 

It is important to recognize when you have crossed the line of working hard to feeling burnt out. Before this happens, it is a good idea to nurture you inner self. One good way to do this is to make time each day to do an activity you used to enjoy but no longer have time for. Perhaps you used to read every night before bed, went for a jog in the morning, or kept a journal in the afternoon; but once you got busy, these activities fell by the wayside. It is time to start enjoying these activities again.

Even if you start with one activity, it is better then none at all. You can always incorporate the others later. When we feel happy, our outlook on life completely changes. Our self-esteem lifts and we feel like we can conquer the world.

Having a negative outlook seems to be the easier choice for some people because it is much easier to complain and give up than to be optimistic and persist against all odds. Perhaps you will feel an immediate release of pressure, but because you have not handled the situation appropriately, it will most likely haunt you. Choosing the positive route is more difficult, but the rewards usually present themselves in life changing, long term results.

When trying to nurture your inner self, it is important to be aware of the types of people you keep in your inner circle. Take a good look at your friends and family; are any of them chronic naysayers? Are they always putting you down? Alternatively, do they support you and try to build your self-esteem?

Once you are aware of negativity, you will find that being around negative people can be draining. Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly on the defense in this crowd trying to protect yourself. Perhaps you have learned to deal with your mother’s criticizing words or your friend’s constant negativity towards others, but your inner self is cringing and feeling hopeless in their company.

It might not affect you right away, but over time, the negativity will have an affect on you.

You have to remember that your inner self is your subconscious and things that creep into the subconscious stay there, eating away at your defenses. Those seemingly harmless comments will come back to haunt you when you least expect it. Surround yourself with people who are positive and you will notice that their positive attitude will give you a boost. A simple compliment, a kind word or a nice gesture can change someone's entire day.

Imagine that you are having one of those days where the cat broke one of your glass collectibles, the electricity was turned off and you received a bill from the IRS saying you owe them $3,000. You feel like throwing in the towel, but then you begin to think of this situation as a challenge you can overcome. A friend calls with a word of encouragement and suddenly you feel invigorated. It is time to get in gear and manage.

Nurturing your inner self is easy and can be fun. Do things that make you feel good. Here is a short list of ideas to get you started.

- Get creative. Write a book, start a journal, take up painting, redesign your room or landscape your yard. Creating something gives us a deep sense of satisfaction. It does not matter if you are good at it.

What does matter is that you have fun while you are doing it. Who knows, perhaps you will find a new hobby along the way.

- Pamper yourself. Treat yourself to a massage or go splurge at the bookstore. Meet a friend for lunch at a restaurant or sit in an outdoor café and have coffee.
- Get physical. Go to the gym and have a good work out, do some gardening, take the dogs for a walk or play with your kids or pets.
- Join a club. Meeting other people and socializing feels good.
- Volunteer. Nothing feels better than knowing you are helping someone less fortunate.
- Laugh. Laughter truly is the best medicine and it is contagious, so include a friend.

The inner self reminds us to enjoy life. When we are caught up in the daily grind, we can wear ourselves out without even realizing it. Take some time to have a little fun and be proud of what you have accomplished. Your inner self will thank you.

How Do You Deal with Difficult Emotions?
It's natural to experience anger, jealousy, hurt - even though your mother told you that "a frown doesn't suit your pretty face, Dear!" But have you ever felt so overwhelmed by these emotions, or that you spend too much energy getting over them? Everyone could use some healthy options for dealing with difficult emotions. Find out how well you deal with suffering in this difficult emotions quiz.

http://www.lifescript.com/Soul/Self/Well-being/Nurturing_The_Inner_Self.aspx

Tips For Better Family Communication

Do you regularly get together to talk with your family about problems or the day’s events? Or is your idea of family communication nodding to one another as you pass each other on the way to the bathroom? Conversation is the key to any strong relationship, but family communication is especially important. Want to improve your family’s communication skills? Try implementing these simple steps...

1. Create opportunities for talking. It’s no secret that Americans are overworked, overcommitted and overscheduled. Parents rush home from work to to take them to soccer practice, piano lessons and Girl Scout meetings, all before hitting the drive-through window to pick up fast food for dinner. Mix in kids who’d rather text their friends than chat with Mom or Dad, and we have a family communication crisis.

So what can you do? Make time for talking by reducing the number of activities your family is involved in each week − the time it frees up for communication will be invaluable. And if you do find yourself in the car running from place to place, make a point to turn off the radio, the cell phones and the personal game players, and use that opportunity to catch up on the day’s activities.

2. Insist on family meals. In addition to bringing everyone together for a wrap-up of the day’s activities, insisting on a few standing family meals creates ritual and routine that kids come to expect and look forward

to. Use the family dinner table as an opportunity to share what’s going on in family members’ lives.

3. Go on individual dates with your children. Spending time with each of your children lets them know that they matter and aren’t getting lost in the hubbub of a busy day or large family. Older teens might enjoy going out for a hamburger or a latte at their favorite coffee place. Younger children often enjoy going to the supermarket, especially when you let them select their favorite cereal or special dessert. Don’t forget your spouse or the older family members who live near you. Regular date nights for couples and lunches with aging parents keeps those relationships healthy, as well.

Or maybe you could create a family Web site or blog. This would be especially helpful to families that find keeping in touch more difficult as the kids grow up and move away. Or put your texting abilities to work to let your loved ones know you’re thinking about them. If your son is facing a big test one afternoon, for instance, send him a text message at lunch letting him know you’re behind him.

6. Create family traditions. Tucking the kids into bed at night, setting up a family movie night, attending religious services or creating special holiday treats are all examples of family traditions. Family members come to expect and appreciate these traditions, seeing them as opportunities to come together as a unit. If your family is short on traditions, there’s no reason you can’t start some now. Why not set up a bowling night once a month? Or grow a family garden? Or visit the same spot every year for summer vacation?

Maintaining positive family communications benefits your family in so many ways. Children feel comfortable sharing their problems with parents, reducing the risk of peers having an undue influence on their lives. Parents remain connected and intimate with each other and their children, strengthening the family bonds. And all family members develop effective communication styles that can improve the quality of their relationships beyond the family home. Why not start talking today?

Are You Neglecting Your Child's Internet Safety?
With a plethora of inappropriate content and predators on the web, Internet safety is important for your child. Child Internet safety tips from friends and family are great, but do you really know how to keep your child safe online? There are many tools at your fingertips to monitor and ensure your child's safety. Test your understanding of Internet safety with this child Internet safety quiz.

4. Remember the 80/20 rule. When trying to improve any relationship, listening is far more important than talking, so when it comes to family communication, listen four times longer than you speak. Likewise, think twice about what you say before you say it. Sometimes a parent’s first reaction is to rant and scream, especially to negative news. Do your best to avoid this, and if you do verbally explode before your child is finished, apologize quickly and assure him or her that you’re now ready to listen.

5. Use technology to your advantage. If the family computer’s been relegated to homework duties or surfing the Web, why not put it to work by creating a family newsletter that you publish monthly, just for your immediate family? Ask everyone in the family to contribute "articles" and information about themselves, then print out a copy for each person and hand deliver it.

reference: http://www.lifescript.com/Life/Family/Parenting/7_Tips_for_Better_Family_Communication.aspx

Ways To Live Life To The Fullest

Are you charting a course to fulfill your dreams? Or are you wandering around without a compass, hoping you’ll somehow find your way? If you’re stuck in a rut, let our happiness experts help you get back on track. Then take our quiz to see if you’re living your life to the fullest…

1. Don’t Try to Buy Happiness
Would you be happy if you had a hundred new pairs of Jimmy Choos or a brand new BMW? Maybe at first you would, but as time went on you’d “just want more, bigger, better and different in a never-ending fashion,” explains Alan Gettis, Ph.D., author of The Happiness Solution: Finding Joy and Meaning In An Upside Down World (Trafford, 2006). The pleasure centers in your brain come alive when you score the perfect skirt or a great pair of jeans, but the feeling fades. After all, if you could really buy happiness, everyone would have bought it already!

If you still believe money is the secret to satisfaction, consider this: According to a University of Illinois study, the Forbes 400 (the wealthiest billionaires in America) and the Maasai tribes of East Africa (simple, pastoral herdsmen) exhibit the same levels of happiness, regardless of their monetary differences. In plain English: Money doesn’t buy happiness.

2. Go for Girl’s Night Out
Could seeing a movie with your pals save your life? Maybe so, when you consider that loneliness is a life-threatening condition that can raise your risk of heart disease and depression.

Connecting with friends counteracts stress and spurs the release of oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that soothes and calms. Maybe that’s part of the reason women have been gathering in groups for centuries, grinding corn, knitting quilts or weaving baskets. “Instinctively, we know it’s good for us,” says Rebecca Radcliffe, motivational speaker and author of Hot Flashes, Chocolate Sauce, & Rippled Thighs (EASE, 2004).

It helps to have a close group of friends, but it’s also important to interact with people outside that circle. Every kind of positive interaction, from smiling at the waitress to chatting with your neighbor, can boost your mood, says Radcliffe.

3. Answer the Call of the Wild
Claude Monet once said, “The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration.” Take his advice and make a date with Mother Nature. It will lower your stress levels, strengthen your immune system and leave you feeling blissfully tranquil.

Can’t spare time away for a weekend camping trip? You’ll reap the same benefits from a quick stroll through the park or an afternoon spent gardening. Even a glance at a tree-lined street or blue sky through your office window will boost your mood and productivity.

4. Make the Little Things Count
So, your alarm woke you up on time for work this morning. If that thought doesn’t make you jump for joy, ask yourself what would have happened if the alarm had failed? You would have woken up late, rushed out the door, forgotten your briefcase and arrived at the office disheveled. Worse, what if you hadn’t woken up at all?

On a typical day, a million things go right, says Gettis. The shower has hot water, your favorite cereal is in the cupboard, your car starts and your computer turns on. “We’re often on auto-pilot and don’t appreciate the good things around us,” he notes.

It’s human nature to rubberneck at the accident on the freeway. But instead of seeking out the bad, focus on the good that’s right in front of you.

5. Pursue Your Passions
“Passions ignite us and keep us going,” says Gettis. But some of us are so entrenched in our daily lives that we’ve lost sight of them. Radcliffe suggests asking yourself this question: “If God came to you and told you to go after your dreams right away, what would you do first?”

Stumped? It’s time for a blast from the past. What did you love to do as a child? Which clubs did you join in high school? When did you last feel truly happy, and what were you doing at the time? The answers can help you rediscover your passions. For more ideas, make a list of things you’ve always wanted to learn, and then learn them. Dance the tango, study German, take up rock-climbing, play the guitar, write a poem…anything goes as long as you’re doing it for you.

“Giving an outlet to our creative selves satisfies a hunger that cannot be filled in any other way,” explains Radcliffe.

6. Forgive Yourself

 
Airlines have a limit when it comes to carry-on luggage. Pity we can’t set limits on ourselves when it comes to emotional baggage. Dwelling on past mistakes only prevents us from being happy in the present.

“Focusing on the past is a trap,” says Gettis. The key to forgiving yourself is to understand and accept your own history and to learn from your mistakes. How have they made you stronger and wiser? Use the lessons of the past to make better decisions today.

Forgiveness is an ongoing process. It can take months, even years. But in the meantime, “focus on creating a fulfilling life in the present,” suggests Gettis.

7. Live in the Moment
Cocktail hours, social events or a day off work can be great fun. But what about the rest of your life? What about the time you spend at work or running errands? If we only have isolated moments on the calendar to live for, we’re in trouble.

Most of our lives are made up of seemingly mundane moments spent pumping gas or standing in line at the grocery store. Yet we often dismiss these moments. They don’t count, we say. They’re not a part of our real lives. With this attitude, you’ll waste 80% of your life, notes Gettis. “If there’s anything resembling a magic bullet or a key to the universe, it’s the ability to be fully present…here and now,” he explains.

What’s the secret to living in the moment? This story from Gettis’ book says it all: A Zen master lay dying. One of his disciples remembered the fondness his teacher had for a certain cake and set out to find it. He returned with the delicacy for his master, who smiled appreciatively and slowly nibbled it, all the while moving closer to death. His students asked him if he had any last words and he whispered “yes.” The students drew closer, so as not to miss a single word. He said, “My, this cake is delicious!”

Are You Living Your Life to the Fullest?
James Dean once said, “Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” Do you take time to pursue your passions or are you a slave to the daily grind? Find out if you need a new lease on life with this quality of life quiz.