Fountain of Youth

I always wonder why some people get to have their grandparents around for so much longer than other people. Are they doing something different? Is there something I could have my grandparents do to make sure they stay healthy for as long as possible? People are known to decrease in health and increase in disease after age 65, so the goal should be to continue being healthy beyond your 60s in order to improve overall health and life length. In looking this up, I found that there are several studies that show that there actually are things that people could do to stay as healthy as they can, which may increase their life expectancy. It may not be a fountain of youth, but it’s definitely helpful.

Of course we all know that exercise and eating healthily are essential for everyone, but people who are getting older may not work as hard to do that. One study shows that eating a diet full of fruits and vegetables and low in calories and staying active every day, in addition to reducing stress, even stress related to positive life events, is the best thing we can possibly do to increase our quality of life and the length of our lives. Exercise alone decreases the chances of getting diabetes, heart disease, and many other illnesses. Being lazy is one of the worst things you can do for your body and health at any age, but especially as you get older.

While other studies show that occasional fasting and diabetes medications could possibly aid in life expectancy, proper nutrition, lowered stress, and an active lifestyle are guaranteed ways to improve your life and health. I plan on sitting down with my grandparents and finding out exactly what they’re eating and how much they’re exercising, to make sure that they’re around for as long as they ca be!

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Picture from: http://mailkoleksi.blogspot.com/2013/03/tips-for-staying-young-and-happy.html

 

One thought on “Fountain of Youth

  1. sjb6039

    This post is interesting in that my great grandmother is currently 97 and is living perfectly healthy, however she does not exercise nor does she eat healthy. She loves to eat chocolate and sweets. So why is it that she is living for so long? A big factor to consider is genes that are passed down because life expectancy rates may run in families.

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