A few months ago, Evolving Wellness featured a 5 Part Series on How to Live a Long and Healthy Life, based on the documentary “How to Live to 101” by Horizon BBC.

The documentary introduced us to 3 populations of people in the world that seem to all be beating the odds and having the largest amounts of the longest living citizens. The 3 populations were from: Okinawa (Japan), Loma Linda (California) and Ovodda (Sardinia).

Based on the research done for this documentary, as well as taking the common thread from other world studies, I have compiled a list of 10 Guidelines for a Long and Healthy Life.

10 Guidelines for a Long and Healthy Life

1. Consume lots of fruits and vegetables
2. Consume soya proteins
3. Consume low calorie diets
4. Know your genetics
5. Exercise regularly
6. Avoid smoking
7. Avoid drinking alcohol
8. Adopt a vegetarian lifestyle
9. Have a well developed spiritual life
10. Have effective strategies for coping with stress

1. Consume lots of fruits and vegetables

Study after study point to the positive, overwhelming and unquestionable benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables in large amounts each day. They have numerous health benefitting properties that help us prevent many diseases and keep our bodies working optimally.

However, one must keep in mind that in today’s times due to current farming practices and known negative effects of pesticides, one needs to choose only organic produce to get the most out of your fruits and vegetables.

2. Consume soya proteins

Contrary to popular belief, soya proteins are not all bad and to be avoided. Japanese and other Asian cultures have been eating them for centuries and reaping the benefits, without any visible negative health effects, such as the much feared increased chances of breast cancer in women.

The key to maximizing these benefits are not to eat processed soy food and not in large amounts. Soya proteins should be an addition to a healthy and balanced diet not its basis.

3. Consume Low Calorie Diets

This is another now well documented fact that low calorie meals and diets keep our bodies working better and longer.

Even if one looks at evolutionary proof, our ancestor’s food was scarce and they did not have many chances (if any) to overfill themselves, something most of us do today on a regular basis.

The benefit of this is that it also helps you maintain a healthy weight and drastically reduces your chances of becoming overweight.

4. Know your genetics

One may think that this one is out of their hands, but on the contrary our genetics are still very much in our control of how they are going to be expressed. Just because one is predisposed to something, does not mean they have to or will get it.

The first step here is to get to know your genetics through parents and grandparents and be proactive about what you find out.

If you find that you have a tendency towards a particular condition, do something as early in life as possible to avoid aggravating that condition or giving it fuel to manifest itself.

For example if you find out that you have a family history of varicose veins, start wearing support hose/socks early in life on a regular basis. If you find you have a family history of heart disease, be disciplined with the proper diet.

No matter what your genetics indicate, there are many things one can do to reduce the chances of having them negatively manifesting themselves.

5. Exercise regularly

This is a no brainer. From an early age to a ripe old age, we all need constant movement for our body to last and function properly. We were designed to move actively not to sit around inactively.

Exercise is recommended to be done on a 3-5 times a week basis, for at least 30 minutes during which your heart rate should be increased.  However for even better results one should incorporate a daily routine of some weights and cardio.

6. Avoid smoking

This is also an obvious point as today we know without any hesitation that smoking ages us faster, makes us more susceptible to respiratory illnesses and various cancers, just to name the obvious.

There is no way anyone in their right mind should be smoking ever or subjecting themselves to second hand smoke if they care about their health.

7. Avoid drinking alcohol

This is always surprising for some but so was the idea of smoking a few decades ago.

We all have to understand that alcohol is a toxic substance to our body and there is no room for it, in any amount, in the body of an individual serious about their health.

Negative effects of alcohol consumption range from headaches, indigestion, malnutrition, liver damage, kidney damage, brain cell damage, decreased fertility and cancers, just to name a few.

8. Adopt a vegetarian lifestyle

Some people always struggle with this one due to how our society is set up, but more and more studies are all clearly pointing to improved health, upon removing animal products from one’s diet. Drastic reduction of cholesterol, blood pressure, cancer risks and heart disease are all rewards to gain from this action.

So whether you go vegetarian or vegan, all of us should at least be making a conscious effort at minimizing animal products in our diet.

9. Have a well developed spiritual life

Many people may undermine this reason, but faith in a higher power has been curing the incurable for centuries.

And it is important to note, this is not necessarily about having a religion, but about having a well developed spiritual life. One in which you have a belief in a higher purpose for life and a higher power that exists and binds us all as one.

10. Have effective strategies for coping with stress

Don’t be fooled by this point being last as it is probably the most important of all the 10 guidelines.

We know today with certainty that stress creates toxic chemical reactions in our body that impede our health in various and usually serious ways.

Hence finding effective coping techniques for stress is critical if we want a healthy and long life. Long leisurely walks, exercise, laughing lots, meditating or reflecting on the bigger picture are all examples that work for some at reducing stress and dealing with it effectively.

Conclusion

For optimal health and the chance at a long and healthy life, one needs to know that all 10 guidelines need to be taken seriously and incorporated into one’s life, without any excuses or exceptions.

If you are however just starting out and trying to turn your health around, be sure to give yourself realistic goals ad perhaps master incorporating one guideline into your life daily life routine at a time. Otherwise, you may get overwhelmed and the whole list may end up being too tedious and impossible to achieve.

And if by chance you are still skeptical about the need or purpose for living long, understand the fact that it is not just about living long but about the consistantly healthy quality of life that is our birthright from the beginning of our life, right to the end.

*Photograph provided by nats

About the author:
Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is a certified holistic nutritionist, biologist, educator, writer, researcher and speaker in the areas of health, science and holistic wellness. She is a nutritional science expert and her teaching and writing focus on natural, wholesome, plant-based and organic nutrition to achieve optimal health and longevity. Learn more about Evita Ochel or Follow Evita Ochel on Twitter.