A healthy life without old age ailments
Living for eternity is too ambitious, but according to recent research we should be able to tap the 115 years in the future. How do you make sure that all those extra years are more than worth it, without too many old age ailments?
1. Drink enough tea
With a cup of tea you have gold in your hands. They are convinced of that in China. The drink is not only invigorating and thirst-quenching, but also good for health. Both green and black tea contain antioxidants. The most important are polyphenols in the form of catechins: substances that provide the slightly bitter aftertaste and that help keep the blood vessels flexible. Let the tea steep enough. In the first two to three minutes, mainly fragrances and flavors and the stimulating substance theine are released. Only then it is the turn of the polyphenols.
Drinking three cups of tea a day is associated with an approximately 10 percent lower risk of stroke. At least four cups provide a 15 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to the Health Council.
2. Make your gut happy
Beans, fermented vegetables (kimchi) and garlic: they are daily fare in Korea. A good habit, because the intestines feel really good with these foods. Just like leeks, asparagus and chicory, beans and garlic contain a lot of prebiotic, fermentable fibers (prebiotics is a collective name for substances that promote the growth of certain types of bacteria in the body). These serve as a food source for the ‘good’ lactic acid bacteria in your gut. They also contain non-fermentable fiber for regular and smooth stools. Kimchi, like yogurt, is full of good lactic acid bacteria and therefore belongs to the probiotic foods (probiotics are living bacteria that can have a positive effect on health). Pre- and probiotic food contributes to a balanced composition of the bacterial population, the microbiota, in the intestines. This allows the intestines to better defend itself against pathogens from outside.
Therefore, just like the Koreans, eat plenty of beans, fermented vegetables and garlic. Put leeks, asparagus and chicory on the table often, or make your own kimchi. Don’t forget your daily portion of yogurt.
3. Eat more legumes
We need protein as a building block for the body. It is good for health if you get this more from legumes, nuts, grains and seeds than from dairy or meat. “The average Westerner eats one and a half times as much animal protein as vegetable protein. This should be exactly the other way around,” says Stacy Pyett of Wageningen University & Research.
Epidemiological research shows that people live longer if they eat according to the disc of five and especially opt for plant-based food sources. Legumes, rich in protein and dietary fiber, are already a good candidate. They are good for your gut and lower the level of unhealthy cholesterol in the blood. Enough reason to put a bean dish or lentil soup on the table every week.
4. Move enough
Make sure you get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, advises the World Health Organization. These are activities in which the heart rate increases and breathing becomes faster. Think of cycling, climbing stairs, swimming or training in the gym. As you age, your bone mass decreases. That is why it is recommended to also do muscle and bone-strengthening activities at least twice a week, for example exercises with weights, cycling and (running) walking.
5. Stay in touch
Costa Rican Anna (105) swears by simple fare: rice, beans, corn tortillas and vegetables. She regularly dances and maintains close friendships. That’s good, because research points to a link between strong family ties, happiness, a sense of belonging and experiencing better physical health. And Costa Ricans love a flirt, whether they’re 20 or 100-plus. You bet that you will get healthy blushes.
6. Sleep like a primeval man
Sleeping problems are rare among natural peoples in Namibia. They don’t even know a word for insomnia. American researchers discovered that the sleeping behavior of the Namibian hunter-gatherers is mainly determined by the ambient temperature. They spend a lot of time outside and that can also promote a good night’s sleep. According to research leader Professor Jerry Siegel, it is good to bring our natural temperature cycle back into our lives a little more. It is influenced by your day and night rhythm as well as by the seasons.
“In industrial countries we live in a ‘thermoneutral’ environment, with little temperature variation. Mimicking a natural environment, with temperature changes and sufficient daylight, can improve your sleep,” says Siegel. Important advice: don’t worry too much if you’re slacking off some sleep for a while. Neither do hunter-gatherers in Namibia.
7. Take small steps at once
“A long way begins with a single step,” says the Japanese philosophy Kaizen. Kaizen can be translated as ‘the teaching of small steps’ and has been described by the American psychologist Robert Maurer. Your efforts to live healthier and stay active longer are more likely to succeed if you ‘chop them up’. Provided they are so small that you don’t need willpower to keep them up. That applies to all tips in this article.
Eating more vegetables and less meat? Start with an extra scoop of vegetables per day and include a vegetarian day every week. Is that too difficult? Start with one bean extra and a smaller piece of meat and go a little further. Sweets less? Have one less cookie with your coffee. Or half a cookie. Move more? While watching TV, walk around for a minute and build up slowly. It sounds very simple, but it works.
This article previously appeared in Plus Magazine March 2020. Not yet a Plus Magazine subscriber? Becoming a subscriber is done in no time!
Sources):
- Plus Magazine
