Your quality of life is largely dictated by one factor: your physical health. And when it comes to building and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, we all know that eating right and working out are more or less the keys. But the best things you can do for your body are more than simply choosing brown rice over white and hitting the gym five days a week. If you want to take your health to the next level, you need to focus on the details.
Doing the Small Things for Your Body Adds Up
Sure, it might not seem like you are moving the needle much by eating leafy greens, using olive oil to sauté your vegetables, and getting enough sleep, but you are really helping to prevent cancer, stop macular degeneration, and reduce your risk of diabetes. Even a weekly cheat meal full of calories and carbs can help boost your metabolism.
The little things you do for your body will add up, too. Consider the fact that 100 years ago the average lifespan of an American male was 60. Now, it’s all the way up to 75.
“We’ve had a significant increase in lifespan over the last century,” says Dr. Marie Bernard, deputy director of NIH’s National Institute on Aging. “Now if you make it to age 65, the likelihood that you’ll make it to 85 is very high. And if you make it to 85, the likelihood that you’ll make it to 92 is very high.”
The rise in life expectancy can be attributed to factors such as improved medical care and better access to clean water, but it’s also people making good choices about their health. With this in mind, we came up with a list of the things you can do to improve your health, featuring everything from green tea to sex frequency (don’t worry: research says the more, the better).
If you’re ready to live to 100, start off with these 25 habits.
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