10 health tips to help you live longer

Reduce your intake of saturated fats

We all need a little fat in our diet in the form of monounsaturates such as olive oil, nuts and avocados.

But saturated fats, such as those found in meat, dairy products and eggs, coconuts and palm oil are less good for us.

Reducing the amount of saturated fat in our diet helps to maintain a healthy heart, reduce the risk of heart and stroke and lower the risk of obesity.

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Step up your antioxidant levels

Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals.

Free radical damage may lead to cancer, so stepping up your intake of foods containing antioxidants can only do you good.

These foods include mixed berry fruits, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, nuts, grains, some meats, poultry, and fish, as well as leafy greens, soybean, corn and safflower oils.

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Take regular exercise

You can maintain or improve your fitness and general health by taking enough exercise.

The current NHS recommendation is that adults aged 19-64 should take at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking every week, as well as doing muscle-strengthening exercise such as resistance exercises or weight training twice a week. 

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Cut down on alcohol

Prolonged, heavy alcohol consumption puts you at risk of all sorts of health problems including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, liver damage, brain and nerve damage. 

Apart from the physical ill effects, drinking more than the recommended amount can also lead to misjudgment and risk-taking that in turn leads to accidents.

Government advice is  that men shouldn’t regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol for men and 2-3 units of alcohol for women. ‘Regularly’ means drinking every day or most days of the week.

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Reduce your stress levels

Stress can have a huge impact on our emotional and physical wellbeing. One of the key health problems caused by stress is ongoing high blood pressure (hypertension), which can cause kidney disease, heart disease or stroke.

Reducing stress by making alternations to lifestyle – finding more time for exercise, relaxation and time off from everyday life – can have a dramatic effect on our general.

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Make friends with your dentist

It’s perhaps not widely known that poor dental health and gum disease can lead directly to heart disease, but studies have proven the link.

Researchers have found that people with advanced gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those with healthy teeth and gums.

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Take up all routine screening tests

Screening tests save many lives every year, as early diagnosis of certain diseases gives a much better chance of a cure. In England, all women aged 25 to 49 are invited for a cervical cancer screening test every three years, and those aged 50 to 64 are invited every five years, after which screening invitations end.

Also, all women aged 50 to 70 are invited for breast cancer screening (mammography) every three years, and this is currently being extended to age 73.

All men and women in their sixties are to be offered screening for bowel cancer every two years up to the age of 70. Don’t miss out on these opportunities for reassurance or early diagnosis.

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Practise safe sex

Protecting yourself during sex by using a condom can help prevent you from contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). In women, complications from some STIs include cervical cancer, and can even be life-threatening.

In men, HPV (human papilloma virus) infections can cause penile cancer and HIV can be life-threatening.

Safe sex is actually good for your health, so as long as you’re protecting yourself or are in a long-term, monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner, a great sex life can help you live longer.

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Don’t worry, be happy

Being married or in a long-term happy relationship has been linked by researchers to a lower risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, certain cancers, Alzheimer’s disease and depression.

Happiness in other areas of life can also help prolong life: new findings from a five-year study of almost 4,000 52 to 79-year-olds, carried out by University College of London, reveal that the those who reported higher levels of contentment had a 35 per cent lower risk of premature death.

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