1. Proper Food Choices: Doctors trained in functional medicine say that nutrition is the number one element to staying healthy and living a long, productive life. You should focus your diet on whole, unprocessed foods (vegetables, fruits, grass-fed meats, raw dairy, nuts, and so forth) that come from healthy, sustainable, local sources, such as small organic farms and farmers markets. For the best nutrition and health benefits, you will want to eat a good portion of your food raw. Try dipping cut veggies such as zucchini, carrots, celery, etc. in fresh hummus or plain Greek yogurt with a little onion powder, garlic and herbs.

 

Nearly as important as knowing which foods to eat more of is knowing which foods to avoid, and topping the list is sugar. When consumed in excess, sugar acts as a toxin and drives multiple disease processes in your body, not the least of which is insulin resistance, a major cause of accelerated aging.

 

As Michael Pollan says, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

 

2. Comprehensive Exercise Program: Even if you're eating the healthiest diet in the world, you still need to exercise to reach the highest levels of health, and you need to be exercising effectively, which means including not only core-strengthening exercises, strength training, and stretching but also high-intensity activities into your rotation. High-intensity interval-type training boosts human growth hormone (HGH) production, which is essential for optimal health, strength and vigor.

 

3. Stress Reduction and a Positive Attitude: You cannot be optimally healthy if you avoid addressing the emotional component of your health and longevity, as your emotional state plays a role in nearly every physical disease -- from heart disease and depression, to arthritis and cancer. Effective coping mechanisms are a major longevity-promoting factor in part because stress has a direct impact on inflammation, which in turn underlies many of the chronic diseases that kill people prematurely every day. Exercise of any type, laughing, social support/community, doing work that you enjoy, meditation and prayer are all viable options that can help you maintain emotional and mental equilibrium. Sometimes you just need someone to listen as you talk through stress-inducing issues. A Counselor, health coach or a good friend can provide a helpful listening ear.

 

4. Get Tested for Vitamin & Mineral Deficiencies: We are hearing more and more that people are deficient in vitamin D, Omega-3 and some of the B vitamins. But did you know that many people are also deficient in Magnesium and Zinc, two minerals that are essential for heart health, blood pressure, brain function and the synthesis of protein and collagen. If you are taking medication for migraines, blood pressure, or a host of other ailments, you may just need to find out which vitamins and/or minerals you need more of and correct your issue with diet and vitamin supplements instead of masking the symptoms with prescription drugs.

 

5. Take High Quality Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats: Animal-based omega-3 fat is a strong factor in helping people live longer, and many experts believe that it is likely the predominant reason why the Japanese are the longest lived race on the planet. Did you know that your brain is over 60% fat and requires a large amount of Omega-3 fat to function properly? If you experience brain fog, forgetfulness, irritability or “adult onset ADD,” you might see a marked improvement in brain function by taking a minimum of 1,000 mg of a high quality fish or cod liver oil. Keeping your brain sharp will increase your quality of life as you age.

 

6. Avoid as Many Chemicals, Toxins, and Pollutants as Possible: This includes tossing out your toxic household cleaners, soaps, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides, and insecticides, just to name a few, and replacing them with non-toxic alternatives. The good news is that many non-toxic alternatives, including organic bath and body products, are readily available at your local natural grocer.

 

7. Avoid Prescription Drugs. Do you homework. The idea that medicine is the cure for all ills is just plain wrong. Most medicines treat symptoms, not causes. If your symptoms are suppressed and the cause of the problem is not removed, your body will continue to become inflamed. This internal inflammation will not only lead to chronic illness, it will also prematurely age you and take away your ability to enjoy life. Google the name of the drug or condition you are taking it for, and you will likely come up with dozens if not hundreds of pages of information that will help you develop a strategy to stop using the drugs by changing your lifestyle to take control of your health. If all of the online information becomes confusing, seek out a certified health coach or holistic practitioner who can help put the pieces of the puzzle together for you.

 

If incorporating just one of the above suggestions added a few QUALITY years to your life, would you make it a priority? Sometimes we look at lists of all the changes we need to make and decide it’s just too much so we don’t do anything. But if you just pick one – the one that is easiest for you to start right away – and make it a habit, then you have taken a step toward slowing down the aging process and living a more vibrant life! Which one will you start today?

 

 

 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/07/02/prescription-drugs-vs-healthy-diet.aspx?e_cid=20120708_SNL_MC_1

 

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/2121.Michael_Pollan

 

http://www.drweilonhealthyaging.com/hya/ecs/tour2010/recipes.html