Avoiding Risks Can Lengthen Your Lifespan

Your life expectancy can be protected by making sure you don't take any unnecessary risks.

For young people, the biggest causes of death aren't diseases or age-related problems. The most common causes are accidents, injuries, and violence.

As you get older, there are certain risk behaviors that also correspond to a significant loss of life years.

According to a 2021 study in the journal Aging, these include:

Prolonged sitting: Loss of 2-4 years

High blood pressure: Loss of 4-5 years

Being chronically underweight: Loss of 4-8 years

Smoking: Loss of 5-7 years

Alcohol abuse: Loss of 5-7 years

Physical inactivity: Loss of 5-7 years

Type 2 diabetes: Loss of 7-10 years

By having several co-occurring risk factors, you compound the risk. For example, inactive people with diabetes and obesity have anywhere from an 8- to 13-year loss of life.

 How Lifestyle and Habits Affect Biological Aging

Other things that can put you at risk without knowing it:

The slowing decay of your body is the number one risk

Your body is like a machine in some respects. Diet and some form of exercise is necessary to keep your body functions working properly. You don't have to get a gym membership to stay fit. I remember my grandparents very well. They spend their days working around the house in the kitchen, and in the garden from sun up to sundown. Very seldom saw a doctor, and lived a long life into their 80s. For people born in the 1880s that was a long life. 

The point is that they spent their lives on their feet keeping up the house, cooking, and cleaning.  Television was for Sundays. Even my parents lived a healthier lifestyle until they retired. After that, they fell into the same trap that we do today. Eat out at least once a day and watch TV when they are home. So why would they change their lives at that age?

 The 1980s were much like today except for the internet and cell phones. We still live in the same houses, go to the same schools, and shop in the same supermarkets and malls. Yes, everything has been modernized over the years and a few things have been added, but if you just woke up after sleeping for 35 years, the older parts of the cities and states haven't changed much. But for my parents who grew up before WWll, the world was a much different place in the 1980s. They tried to live a more modern life by taking advantage of modern conveniences. They liked eating fast food. They started buying TV dinners. These were things they never did when they were working. The problem was that they weren't taking care of themselves and their health started to decline.

They had increased their risk without realizing it just by changing their lifestyle. We all have done something similar ourselves. If you move or even change jobs you might have changed your lifestyle without noticing it, and increased your risk without realizing it. We can all get into a trap at work and lose track of our personal lives. 

Your lifestyle has to come first.  You work so you can live better. You don't live to work. The newest generation of workers has figured that out. And maybe that is why they are demanding a better work life.

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

Avoid sitting down for long lengths of time

 Turn off Your TV

By cutting back on television watching, you may also improve your health and increase your life expectancy.

Here are ​a few reasons why:

Watching TV excessively makes you inactive and more likely to gain weight.

Sitting for prolonged hours can lead to chronic back and neck pain.

TV can be stressful, mainly if you are a news junkie.

TV prevents quality social interaction and can contribute to anxiety and depression.

All of these things can have a negative impact on your health as well as your longevity.

Can TV Shorten Your Life?

According to the ongoing Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle Study, people who spend an average of six hours per day watching TV can expect to live 4.8 years less than those who watch no TV.

On average, every single hour of TV viewed after age 25 reduces the viewer's life expectancy by 21.8 minutes.

It is a fact that sitting for more than 30 minutes will put your body in hibernation mode. That's when your body will slow down the calorie-burning functions and prepare the body for sleep. If you're not sleeping well, not getting 7 or 8 hours every night, you might be spending too much time sitting after dinner. You passed the point of sleep, that's when the body is ready to fall asleep, and you are forcing yourself to stay awake to finish what you're watching or reading.  

I can remember the late 1940s and the 1950s when I lived at home. My mother's parents, my parents, and my brother and I lived in a farmhouse on a small farm. I can remember those times as some of the best times of my childhood. My father had a job in the city. The rest of us worked at the farm. My brother and I were too small to really do any work, but we were learning how to weed the garden and pick fruit from the apple trees. 

The point is that my mother and grandparents worked all day. We had a chicken farm and at the high point, we had about 400 chickens. My grandparents were constantly working, sitting only to eat meals and read for a while after dinner. After we moved back to the city, nothing really changed. There was always work to do, no one sat down except for meals and a short time after dinner to read a book or the paper.

Saturday morning was kid's television, all the cartoon shows came on. Sunday was a time for family television. Usually to watch baseball or football. In the evening the adults would watch a variety show like Ed Sullivan. There were only 2 channels until 1955, after 1955 there were 4 channels. I never watched TV except for sports on the weekends. It wasn't until the 1980s when I began to watch some of the evening shows. Watching TV is a type of mindless activity and should only be done for short periods of time. 

The secret to longevity is to stay active and challenge your mind when you're working. You might not realize it, but having a second job isn't really a bad thing. It keeps you off the couch and out of the kitchen. It can keep you engaged with others and that keeps you in a better mode.

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

Lower Your Stress Level

 Lower Your Stress

Life expectancy can be undermined by stress in two ways. The first way is through the direct effects of stress on your body over the long term.

Stress triggers the release of a hormone called cortisol which helps you respond to threats by raising your heart and respiration rate. Long-term elevations can be harmful, leading to anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

There is also evidence that prolonged stress can "age" cells on a molecular scale. Studies have shown that increased cortisol levels promote cell breakdown and the production of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that damage cellular DNA, causing cells to age and malfunction prematurely. This, in turn, gives rise to many different types of cancer.

To better manage stress over the long term, try mind-body therapies like:

Mindfulness meditation

Gentle Yoga

Tai chi

Deep breathing exercises

Progressive muscle relaxation

Biofeedback

Guided imagery

Turn off Your TV

By cutting back on television watching, you may improve your health and increase your life expectancy as well.

Here are ​a few reasons why:

Watching TV excessively makes you inactive and more likely to gain weight.

Sitting for prolonged hours can lead to chronic back and neck pain.

TV can be stressful, mainly if you are a news junkie.

TV prevents quality social interaction and can contribute to anxiety and depression.

All of these things can have a negative impact on your health as well as your longevity.

Can TV Shorten Your Life?

According to the ongoing Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle Study, people who spend an average of six hours per day watching TV can expect to live 4.8 years less than those who watch no TV. On average, every single hour of TV viewed after age 25 reduces the viewer's life expectancy by 21.8 minutes.

I watched a documentary yesterday about Blue Zones Around the world. These are places where a big percentage of people are living longer than the average. In other words, more centurians than normal. I was amazed at the similarity in these Blue zones around the world. You need to remember that the people interviewed were born in the 1920's. Singing and dancing are a part of their lives. These are very healthy people. One man in a blue zone in Costa Rica was a cattle ranched. It was a small ranch with about 2 dozen cattle. This man rode horseback every day. He was 100 but he looked like he was 70. He chopped wood and grew his vegetables. 

Another lady in Okinawa was playing music and singing at 109. What I saw that was similar was that these people grow much of their own food, spend time in their gardens every day, and cook their own meals. They live with or close to their family and rest in the afternoon. These people are thin and eat small amounts of food, but very healthy. Except for napping, these people work all day doing something. Most of these people live their lives the same way they have done for decades, passing on their traditions to children and grandchildren. 

Our lives are so stressful that we look for any opportunity to sit and relax, but that's not the way we should live. The younger generation in this country and many other developed countries are rejecting this 9 to 5, 5 days a week work schedule that controls our lives and has been for decades. The younger generation doesn't want to conform. Can you blame them? Why do you think so many people didn't return to work after COVID-19. Most of those who didn't return were tired of the 40-hour grind and everything that it represents. 

All these people want is a simpler life with less stress. Less stress will make for a happier life and more time with the family or your spouse. Companies will reap the benefits by having a happier employee who is more productive. 

It's just my opinion that companies need to learn how to work with employees differently. Money is not really the end game for most employees. People want to work but want to be able to balance work and family. The average worker knows they need to make money to live, pay their bills, and send their kids to school, but they don't want to sell their soul to do it.

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

Get Daily Exercise

Improvements in life expectancy are strongly linked to daily exercise. A comprehensive review of studies in the Journal of Aging Research showed that people who exercise regularly—even for as little as three hours a week—lived up to 6.9 years longer than those who didn't.

Habit-building is key to success. The easiest way to build a habit is to commit to daily workouts even if it's just for 20 minutes. If you do, you may skip a day but are more likely to get back on track immediately.

If you exercise three days a week and miss one workout, you may go four to five days without exercising and eventually give up.

For life expectancy, it is more important to exercise consistently year after year than have fits and starts of intense exercise followed by periods of no exercise.

Remember that daily exercise doesn't have to mean going to the gym every day. Home exercises such as yoga, stretching, free weights, swimming, or brisk walking can be incredibly beneficial, particularly if you are older.

This is good advice for seniors too. I often see people who only exercise on weekends and thing they are doing all the exercise they need, but these are the people that will most likely to give up. Exercise is also important for weight loss. I have to do something in the morning to wake up my body. At night your body is in a hybernation mode and burns very few calories. You want to change that mode as early as possible to take advantage of every hour. In the evening when you are seating and resting your body is going back into that hybernation mode. Most of us burn about 100 per hour, during a workout session of about I hour an experienced athlete can burn about 300 calories. Most people new at exercise will only 150 to 250 calories in a one hour workout period. 

When your new at workouts you should keep a log of your calorie intake. Most of us only guess or don't know how many calories we consume. On an average, North Americans will consume about 3500 calories a day. That study was done a few years ago, but is still accurate. Men, if they are active, will need about 2000 calories a day, if they are very active like someone who plays sports every day might need more like 2500 calories a day. On average a woman needs about 1750 calories and maybe 500 more fore woman who are very athletic. These calorie requirements vary with your body weight. But to loss weight you need to consume about 500 calories below that 2000 number or 1500 calories for men, 1250 calories for women. If after several weeks and you still can't lose anything, than you have to look at the food your eating. 

I can eat 3 times a day and stay below 1500 calories. Or I can't eat 3 meals a day in a restaurant and if I stick to 1500 calories, I'll starve before I lose weight. You can check my numbers on a food calculator. I can eat a baked chicken breast, cooked carrots, broccili, and peas, a portion of brown rice and a raw apple for dessert and stay under 500 calories. I'll explain, The chicken is baked and vegetables are steamed, and the rice is boiled. I only use spices, no gravy or sauce and I only drink water. You can heap on the vegetables, not much calories in vegetables, the calories are in the toppings. 

Chicken breasts can be your best bet for protein, one breast is about 28 grams of protein Two breast a day is all the protein you need in one day. I have a protein shake in the morning and get about 30 grams in that shake, and than one chicken breast and I have all my protein for the day. I try for more plant-based protein if I can. If you don't get 50 to 60 grams of protein as you lose weight you will also lose muscle mass. 

Remeber that it take exercise and diet if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

 

Embrace Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism may help you live longer.

This should in no way suggest that you should abandon meat—or that it's even appropriate or safe for you to do so. But research has shown the principles of vegetarianism may increase life expectancy by overcoming three barriers to good health, namely:

Obesity

The overconsumption of sugar

The consumption of saturated fats found in animal-based foods

By doing so, a person can reduce their risk of aging-related diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even colon cancer.

Vegetarianism and Longevity

Several studies have linked the non-consumption of meat to a longer life. This includes a 2013 study in JAMA Internal Medicine which tracked 96,469 Seventh-Day Adventists (a religious order that encourages vegetarianism) for five years.

At the end of the study period, the researchers found that females and males in the group who practiced vegetarianism lived 6 and 10 years longer, respectively, than counterparts who ate meat.

I couldn't go without meat either, but I do adhere to this pyramid only eating red meat once a month. Fish and poultry I can eat once a week. And several days a week I go without meat. But I still get protein from protein shakes. I talked to my doctor about protein shakes. He told me to buy Orgain brand protein powder. It's plant-based with mostly pea protein. I been using it for several years. I eat no dairy, except for cheese, I eat cheese about once a week. I know yogurt is on the list of good foods, but I eat yogurt very seldom. I lost 60 pounds and I had to make a lot of changes to do it, and was it worth it, of course, I'm 79 this month and still feel like I'm 40. That ages your body is the extra weight you add over the years plus the lack of exercise.

If you read my post yesterday I talked about the people who live in the Hunza Valley. I talked about the valley, the people, their diet and how long they live. The average age or life expectance was 120 years. Read the post when you have time. It's a short read, but worth it. I also said in an earlier post that science has to idea how long a hiuman can live under the right conditions. That's another good post.

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

Why the Hunza People Live Longer

Have More Sex

Your life expectancy may be increased by having more sex. Sex is thought to improve your overall sense of well-being, providing you with the incentive to take better care of your health.

Other factors may contribute. One early study reported, for example, that males with a high frequency of orgasms had a 50% reduction in all-cause mortality.

Sex and Life Expectancy

A 2022 study in the Journal of Applied Gerontology reported that the frequency or enjoyment of sex was not as influential on longevity as a person's belief that sex is an essential part of health.

According to the study, which monitored a group of adults aged 55 and over for 27 years, people who held sex-positive beliefs were 78% more likely to live to the expected life expectancy than those who didn't.

I didn't write that post, I just re-posted as part of my series on life longevity. It does make sense that sex might help longevity. I think sex helps you feel better about yourself, that you are not that old. And that sex came still give you and your spouse pleasure. 

Who are the Hunza People? These are the people who live in the Hunza Valley in Northern Pakistan. It's a very much isolated region that has little contact with other parts of the world. I doubt if there is an man-made polution in that area. They eat mostly leafy green vegetables, carrots, and radishes. They rely mainly on whole grains like barley, wheat, millet, which are high in fiber and eat meat and fish only on rare occasions. 

On average, the life expectance is 120 years old. Yes, these are the indigenous people of that area. They live a healthy, happy, stress free life. 

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

Flossing Will Prevent Disease spreading Through Your Body

 Floss Daily

As strange as it may seem, flossing daily may extend life expectancy.

Flossing prevents gum disease and, by doing so, prevents bacteria in your mouth from passing through compromised tissues and entering the bloodstream. These bloodborne bacteria can migrate to the heart where they can infect and damage the heart muscle and valves.

Gum disease, otherwise known as periodontitis, affects 11% of the world's population and is the sixth most common disease worldwide.

Severe periodontitis is directly linked to not only an increased risk of heart disease but also an increased risk of death from heart attacks, according to a 2020 review of studies in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology.

I know how this must sound to you, but it's really true. Periodontal Disease is very serious and if you have ever had your gums craped you never want to do that again. Anything that ends up in your blood stream can infect your organs. Your mouth is loaded with bacteria to add in digestion, but the stomach acid will kill that bacteria but when you have periodontal disease your gums are blooding which means the gums around the tooth are raw and soar so the bacteria in your mouth can enter your blood stream. 

The is the way that bacteria bypasses the safeguard that keep the blood clean and free of germs. Without that protection the bacteria in your blood can infect your organs. Talk to your dentist at the first signs of soar gums.

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.