Doctors have long advised patients Healtgy eat right and exercise regularly. is experiencing; for example, the prevalence of obesity among U. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines. You are now leaving AARP.

Healthy habits for longevity -

And the younger you quit, the better! Excessive alcohol consumption can increase your risk of heart disease, liver disease, high blood pressure, and certain cancers — all of which can lead to a shorter life span.

According to one study , adults who drink 14 to 25 drinks per week could be shortening their life expectancy by one to two years, while those who drink more than 25 drinks may be shortening their lifespan by four to five years. If you do drink, moderation — one drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men — is key to minimizing these negative health consequences.

Some research suggests that light to moderate drinking wine especially may even reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke. While stress is an unavoidable part of life, elevated anxiety and worry can have a significant toll on the body and disrupt almost all of its processes.

Research suggests that chronic stress can increase risk of depression, anxiety disorders, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, inflammation, and obesity, as well as shorten life expectancy. According to one Finnish study , for instance, heavy stress reduced the lifespans of both men and women by over 2 years.

Luckily, there are several ways to manage stress and protect your mental health, from journaling and yoga, to therapy and meditation. Friendships and relationships are more than just emotionally fulfilling; they are beneficial for your physical health too! In fact, according to the study, the health risk of social isolation is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is more significant than being obese or inactive.

Having strong, meaningful relationships can increase feelings of happiness and overall satisfaction with life, as well as reduce stress and improve overall health.

Even being supportive of others can be good for your health, so make sure to prioritize time for friends and loved ones. Numerous studies have shown that inadequate sleep is linked to serious health conditions including hypertension, inflammation, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity — all of which contribute to a shorter lifespan.

On the other hand, too much sleep can also be bad for your health, as it has been associated with a greater risk of stroke and heart disease. Impact of healthy lifestyle factors on life expectancies in the US population. Li Y, Schoufour J, Wang DD, Dhana K, Pan A, Liu X, Song M, Liu G, Shin HJ, Sun Q, Al-Shaar L.

Healthy lifestyle and life expectancy free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: prospective cohort study. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking and Tobacco Use: Fast Facts. Kim ES, Shiba K, Boehm JK, Kubzansky LD.

Sense of purpose in life and five health behaviors in older adults. Preventive Medicine. Guimond AJ, Shiba K, Kim ES, Kubzansky LD. Sense of purpose in life and inflammation in healthy older adults: A longitudinal study.

Crowe CL, Domingue BW, Graf GH, Keyes KM, Kwon D, Belsky DW. Associations of loneliness and social isolation with health span and life span in the US health and retirement study. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A. Yu B, Steptoe A, Chen Y. Social isolation, loneliness, and all-cause mortality: A cohort study of 35, Chinese older adults.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Joyce J, Ryan J, Owen A, Hu J, McHugh Power J, Shah R, Woods R, Storey E, Britt C, Freak-Poli R, ASPREE Investigator Group. Social isolation, social support, and loneliness and their relationship with cognitive health and dementia.

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Lisko I, Kulmala J, Annetorp M, Ngandu T, Mangialasche F, Kivipelto M. How can dementia and disability be prevented in older adults: where are we today and where are we going?.

Journal of internal medicine. Harling G, Kobayashi LC, Farrell MT, Wagner RG, Tollman S, Berkman L. Social contact, social support, and cognitive health in a population-based study of middle-aged and older men and women in rural South Africa.

Kivipelto M, Mangialasche F, Ngandu T. Lifestyle interventions to prevent cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer disease. Nature Reviews Neurology. Irwin MR, Vitiello MV. The Lancet Neurology. Sleep disturbance and the risk of cognitive decline or clinical conversion in the ADNI cohort.

Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders. de Cabo R, Mattson MP. Effects of intermittent fasting on health, aging, and disease. New England Journal of Medicine. Mattson MP, Longo VD, Harvie M. Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes.

Ageing research reviews. Dong TA, Sandesara PB, Dhindsa DS, Mehta A, Arneson LC, Dollar AL, Taub PR, Sperling LS. When cooking more at home, you will have more control over the ingredients you use, you may naturally eat a smaller portion, and you'll score the stress-relieving benefits of creating something from scratch.

Plus, compared to peers who eat out less than one meal per week, individuals who frequently eat meals prepared away from home, two or more meals per day, may have a higher risk of all-cause mortality, shows a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Now that you've cooked your meal, you can score even more wellness gains by sharing it with others. Research from the Framingham Studies shows that smoking, obesity, happiness and even loneliness are contagious too. The social networks of long-lived people have favorably shaped their health behaviors.

The quality of the nutrition isn't the only benefit; a March study in the journalAdaptive Human Behavior and Physiology reports that dining with friends or family is linked with feeling happier, more engaged with the community, more satisfied with life, more trusting of others and laughing more.

Instead, they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about it," Buettner reveals. Things like tending to the garden and keeping up with house and yard work without high-tech tools add in significant daily movement.

Whether you find joy in hiking while listening to your favorite podcast, prefer to tend your vegetable garden or enjoy walking around the neighborhood to chill out after a long day, moving more has been shown to improve mood through the boost of natural "feel-good" neurotransmitters known as endorphins.

Cardio, resistance training, yoga, tai chi, Pilates or any activity can bolster balance, increase strength, burn calories and reduce the risk for depression, heart disease and more, according to Fruhbauer. Your local community center may offer fun classes you could attend.

In fact, a mere 2-minute walk after a meal can help balance blood sugar. When possible, she says, "I encourage my patients to go for a walk on their lunch breaks or try light weight lifting while watching your favorite TV show in the morning or evening.

Chronic sleep deprivation can increase everything from pain related to migraines and fibromyalgia to risk for heart disease and cancer, Fruhbauer explains. Buettner adds that a constant or frequent barrage of stressors ahem, constant phone pings and frightening or tension-filled news updates can trigger chronic inflammation , which is associated with every major age-related disease.

According to Buettner, many people in the long-lived Blue Zone communities have common routines that help shed stress, such as taking a few moments to remember their ancestors, praying, taking naps and gathering for happy hours. Many of these involve some aspect of social community, which can amplify the benefits.

Fruhbauer suggests scheduling time for self-care, just like you might coordinate an oil change or haircut in advance. She believes that creating a commitment three days per week for even 15 minutes can make an impact over time. Walking, meditation and breathing are science-backed and free ways to reduce stress and also promote sounder sleep.

Taking a break from electronic devices 30 to 60 minutes before snooze time, eating more sleep-supporting foods and following bedroom design tips can all make a big difference in your rest success.

The Blue Zones are five regions around the world that are home to the most centenarians, or people who live to age or older. Those who live the longest and strongest usually live in environments that nudge them daily to move, eat nutritious foods mostly plants and focus on sleep and stress management.

While the Blue Zones environment is often set up so that the healthy choice is the easy choice, you don't need to rely on sheer willpower to make these healthy changes for longevity, Buettner says.

Instead, try to sprinkle in numerous small changes to your daily routine and environment to promote well-being, and surround yourself with like-minded friends who appreciate joyful movement.

Seek out methods of self-care that are easy to slide into your daily routine, and try tweaks for better sleep in one week. Use limited data to select advertising.

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