Longevity And Health

You Have Control To Slow The Aging Process

By Janet Smith, PEERtrainer Health and Fitness Writer
When you mention aging people normally conjure up the image of a wrinkle-faced, slow moving, hard of hearing person.  And don’t forget the failing eyesight, and memory, along with a fairly inactive and boring life. Right? 

Well, maybe that’s you image you get, but it doesn’t have to be that way.  We do have more control than you may realize regarding our health, our longevity, and the quality of our lives as we age.  The steps you take today are setting the pattern for your tomorrows. 

As Dan Georgakas writes in The Methuselah Factor, “With the exception of rare genetic conditions and being female, genetics may play a 5% to 10% role in longevity, but no more and perhaps far less. The number of your years is mostly determined by the choices you make every day—especially food, exercise, and lifestyle choices.” Many mistakenly believe disease, illness, death, and aging are beyond our control. In realty, our body is capable of repairing and regulating itself and maintaining health excellence. Along life can be achieved by following a few simple steps. Medical authorities agree.  The food we eat, our activity level, and our emotional involvement in our lives play a major role in the quality and length of our life as we age. 

Diet and exercise are two of the primary ingredients to a long and healthy life.  If you’re like most Americans, a change in diet is long overdue.  Americans have diets that include lots of meats, refined carbohydrates, and other processed foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables don’t get the respect they deserve.

According to the Journal of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School eating a minimum of five to nine servings daily of fruits and vegetables s the only way we can ensure that we get a sufficient amount of the essential health-supporting elements.  Taking vitamin and mineral supplements or adding some vitamins to processed foods will not prevent the disease associated with eating a diet containing a low percentage of calories from whole natural foods.

Exercise is critical for longevity and health. The functions of our body thrive on activity.  Regular exercise prevents and helps to control a wide variety of health conditions and threats.  Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, cancer, and depression are just a few of the conditions that can be helped or prevented with regular exercise. 

Here’s the bottom line about aging.  Don’t believe you don’t have a choice on how you age.  Eat a diet that’s high in fresh vegetables and fruits, and low in calories.  Exercise daily.  The combination will help ensure you a long and healthy life.