Rather than just lengthening your life, you should find a way to lengthen and improve the quality of your life. Making lifestyle changes can help you do both, while also creating a purpose and meaning that will make the world a better place to live. It’s not the quantity of life that counts, but the quality. Lifestyle changes, such as an exercise program, healthier eating habits and a purpose to life can make all the difference. Humans were meant to eat real foods, remain active and remain useful their entire life. You won’t wear out your body by exercising, but it can rust away from lack of use.
You are what you eat.
While you’ll never turn into a bag of Doritos or a fresh tomato, you will have more of life’s energy from eating a fresh tomato. Our lifestyle has become a pattern of eating fast foods, over processed foods and “pretend foods” made of non-edible ingredients that are poisoning our bodies or robbing it of vital nutrients. You can change all that and add years to your life by changing your eating habits. Salt is NOT the only spice or herb you’re allowed to eat, nor is it the most beneficial. Turmeric, rosemary, oregano, chili peppers and cinnamon, just to name a few not only flavor foods, but add valuable nutrients. Healthy fats, such as flax seed oil, coconut oil or olive oil, can help you live healthier, but hydrogenated trans fat doesn’t. Eating whole foods, foods with minimal processing adds nutrients without adding calories. Learning to eat healthier can help you lose weight and regain your youthful vigor.
Regular exercise can clear the plaque from your arteries and give you a more youthful body.
Regular exercise can do so much for your body from making it stronger, adding endurance, creating more flexibility and helping to lose weight to aiding in preventing serious conditions. In fact, some studies show it might even help unblock arteries and does lower blood pressure. Adding a regular program of exercise to your schedule can keep you younger looking, more energetic and healthier.
Cut out stress and mellow out.
Sometimes exercise is enough to burn off the hormones created by stress, but if you are constantly stressing out over everything, it’s time to change your mind. You can learn to lower your stress levels by changing the way you think about things. If someone snaps at you for no apparent reason, you have several options, you can snap back at them, get angry and fret over it or just assume they’re having a horrible day and forget it. If it was caused by something you did, you can apologize and move on with your life. That can help lower stress levels and make you a happier person.
Learn to laugh again. Laughter is the best medicine in many cases. It fills your lungs with oxygen and helps you burn off the hormones created by stress, replacing them with ones that make you feel good.
Do random acts of kindness or take up a worthy cause. Many people don’t have a passion in life or don’t feel fulfilled because they have no purpose. Find a worthy purpose and work toward making it happen.
Stop smoking and/or excess alcohol intake. Both will shorten your life and your enjoyment of life.
Socialize more and meet new friends. People with an active social life often life longer and richer lives.