We’re all living longer nowadays, but how do you live better?

A 102-year-old woman was recently interviewed on television and asked by the reporter to what she attributed her longevity. She looked straight at the camera and with a huge, though toothless, grin, she said: ‘A glass of whisky a day, and a good man whenever you can get one.’Looking at the twinkle in her eye, it was not hard to see why she had reached such a venerable age with all her marbles (if not all her teeth). The woman was full of life.

In the last century in Britain the average life span has increased by more than 30 years. At the last count (in 1998) this was 74.8 years for men, and 79.8 years for women. Greater understanding of issues such as preventative medicine and nutrition have meant that people are looking younger and staying healthier for longer. Even without thedubious benefits of plastic surgery and anti-ageing creams (for which you have to take out a small mortgage), it is clear that 40 is the new 30 and 30 the new 20. Which must be a tad galling for the average 15-year-old.

And this is only the beginning. Implanting stem cells may one day enable doctors to trigger the brain’s ability to create new cells, thereby defeating degenerative diseases of all kinds. In the world of cardiac research, a newly developed drug could help the heart grow new vessels, eliminating the need for heart surgery. Vaccines that raise the good HDL cholesterol will become available and the possibilities suggested by gene therapy are seemingly endless.

Given that we have a longer life to look forward to, what are we going to do to ensure that this life is as good as it can be? We now have years and years to kill. When it comes down to it, it is not how long we can hope to live, but rather how we can continue to live hopefully.

Eat less and better
It could be that the simplest secret to remaining youthful is to eat less. We’re not talking Kate Moss-style limbs here since research has demonstrated that crash dieting affects brain function, energy levels and mood.

In the West we eat on average 40 per cent more than we need to, and overeating is one of the main causes of ageing. Research in animals and humans suggests that a lower calorie diet results in longer life, perhaps because if you eat less the body produces more melatonin, a powerful antioxidant. Dr Roy Walford, Professor of Pathology at the University of California, Los Angeles, is a leading proponent of the calorie restriction theory. Walford says that people may benefit from cutting their calorific intake by a mere 10 per cent, but that they should choose foods wisely to ensure that their diets include enough nutrients.

Look after your bones
It is never too soon to think about osteoporosis and how you can prevent it. A number of factors contribute to the likelihood of getting osteoporosis, including the menopause, diet and your genetic make-up. Perhaps the most important factor is your peak bone mass –the weight and density of your bones at their peak, which is normally at around the age of 26. By taking calcium supplements and doing load bearing exercises (carryingshopping helps, but don’t let that be an excuse to flash the plastic) you can help to maximise your bone density. Preventing osteoporosis will protect you from brittle bones in later life that can lead to fractures and disability.

Exercise your heart and mind
Active people have 50 per cent less chance of developing coronary heart disease than those who aren’t. Regular physical activity is known to reduce some of the common risk factors for developing coronary heart disease, such as high blood pressure, obesity and high cholesterol. It can significantly maintain and improve the strength and flexibility of your muscles, helping to prevent injury and allowing you to participate in everyday life to the full. It can also help to control conditions such as diabetes and possibly reduce the risk of some cancers.

Exercise can also lift your mood, help you to deal with negative emotions and bring you a general sense of mental well-being. There is also a link between regular physical activity and warding off some of the effects of age on the brain. Aerobically fit people have steeper peaks and valleys in brain waves associated with alertness. Exercise also keeps the blood vessels open, which in turn ensures that brain cells get all the nutrients they need for peak performance.

The effects of age on the brain have been much overrated. As long as you don’t develop a degenerative brain disease such as Alzheimer’s or suffer a major stroke, there is no reason why your memory cannot remain excellent well into old age. The secret to retaining an efficient memory is to continue to use it.

Look on the bright side
In the Old Testament it says ‘A merry heart doeth good like medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones.’ Clearly the link between laughter and health is not a recent discovery. The ability to laugh at life is one of the greatest survival tools at our disposal and there is a lot of evidence that tittering, chortling and giggling can protect us from avariety of ills.

Some research suggests that laughter causes a reduction in stress hormones such as cortisol and lowers blood pressure, which in turn may reduce heart disease risk. Increased cortisol levels tend to suppress the immune system, so decreasing this hormone is believed to be beneficial.

Indulging in that most comic of all pastimes – sex – is also said to improve quality of life. In a long-term study published in book form as Secrets of the Superyoung, Dr David Weeks, head of Old Age Psychology at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland, found that the key ingredients for looking younger are staying active and maintaining a good sex life. Weeks attributed this to significant reductions in stress, greater contentment and bettersleep.

Be adaptable and have a purpose
One of the best recipes for ageing gracefully is to try and retain a flexible outlook on life. There is nothing like a rigid adherence to routine to make you old before your time. It is easy as you get older to think you have to settle for what you have left. I knew a woman who started to learn to drive when she was 62. It took her five goes at the test before she was successful. She says now that it is as if a whole new world has opened up for her. Another man of my acquaintance suffered a heart attack at 50 and then took up walking. He is now 73 and has walked the length and breadth of the country.

Having a purpose is central to living long and prospering. For some this will be a question of faith. A belief that sustains and informs their life. For others, work, new interests or family are the force that drives them. You have a reason for getting up each day, regardless of how old you are.

Live in the moment
It is a condition of modern life that we all appear to be searching for contentment. But this is one case where the destination is not better than the journey. Living in the here and now is possibly the hardest thing for anyone to pull off. Someone wise said the way to age gracefully is to appreciate each day and each season. That it is the life not lived that we really regret.

There seems no better recommendation if we are to live long and prosper, that and a drink of whisky and a good man, of course.