Increasing Your Chance Of Living Longer [Guest Post]

Increasing Your Chance Of Living Longer  

Every health guru seems to have the secret to living a longer life. Some say that you need to eat chocolate; others say that it takes a glass of red wine every evening, and other experts say that they will not tell you their secrets until you have purchased their newest book or video. These tips and many others may provide the clues that you need to increase your chance of living a longer life, but you can increase your chances of living longer without any secret remedy. Simply by being healthy and exercising, you will increase your chances of living longer.   

The first thing that you need to do is break your worst habits. If you smoke, you need to quit. Most smokers are simply lying to themselves about the risks associated with smoking. They may even make jokes about how something has to kill them so it might as well be cigarettes. Jokes aside, no one wants to die a painful death from lung cancer. Once you quit smoking, your body will start to repair itself immediately, and by the first anniversary of the day you quit smoking, your risk of dying of a sudden cardiac arrest will be the same as a nonsmoker. If you drink too much, you need to put the bottle down. If your worst habit is that you eat too much fast food, you need to cut down on that as well.  

Eating healthier foods is actually one of the most important keys to living a long and healthy life. Eating healthy does not have to be painful. Ideally, you should cut down on processed foods. The preservatives and nitrates that are common in most packaged foods have been linked to all kinds of issues from autism to Parkinson disease, and by reducing the amount of preservatives you eat, you increase your chance of living longer. This means cutting out canned soup, fast food, and junk food. The healthiest foods are those that are the least processed.  

By making simple choices, you will be healthier. For instance, if you are buying ice cream, you should look for the brands that are made with cream, sugar, eggs, and a small amount of flavoring. You should avoid the brands that contain preservatives like carrageenan and sweeteners like corn syrup. If you are buying potato chips, you should buy the plain variety that contain potatoes, oil, and salt. You should avoid the brands that include flavor enhancers like MSG. When you need fat, you should use butter instead of processed vegetable spreads. Contrary to popular belief, it is always better to eat natural foods even if they are fatty than it is to eat processed foods even if they claim to be low-fat.  

Once your body is used to a healthy diet, it will direct you. Once you have broken the addiction to preservatives and processed flavor enhancers, your cravings will be in tune with your body's natural needs. After a few months of making healthy choices, your body will guide you in the right direction.    

The final key in living a longer life is exercise. Exercise will tone your muscles, boost your metabolism, and make you feel better. When you exercise, your body releases serotonin, which is the happiness amino-acid in your brain. You will feel happier, and you will actually find it easier to break bad habits.  

It is important to live a well balanced life that is full of natural foods and moderate exercise. In most cases, a healthy life will be a long life.  

However, a healthy diet can still contain sugar and fat. 

About the Author: Joyce G. is a professional health blogger and writer.  She currently partners with Nordictrack.com in raising awareness about the importance of health and fitness. NordicTrack has come to symbolize the means for serious athletes and fitness-buffs alike to “get ready for adventure,” whatever that may be. Click here to Visit our website to look for the best elliptical machines.