1 – Proper nutrition and balanced diet: it has now been established that nutrition plays a fundamental role in the health of our organism. On the other hand, we are what we eat and that is why, for a longer life, the attention to the quality of our nutrition must be maximum. To favor a long life and an old age without (too many) ailments, the Mediterranean diet it is the best elixir to refer to: following this diet means greatly reducing the risk of contracting diseases linked to aging, such as cardiovascular and neuro degenerative diseases. Preferring vegetables, fruit (including nuts), cereals (preferably wholemeal), fish a couple of times a week, white meats and seasonal foods, perhaps at “zero kilometer”, is the best we can do for our feel good. To maximize the anti-aging action, let’s not forget the red fruits and fish richest in Omega 3 and Vitamin B12: among these certainly salmon, blue fish, cod, sea bream, clams and prawns. Among the vegetables, we focus on those with dark green leaves, such as spinach and broccoli. The smart advice? To hydrate and stock up on polyphenols, rich in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic properties and able to keep cholesterol levels under control, a good habit is to sip red tea, rich in these substances. To avoid accumulating too many calories, putting your waist at risk and ensuring a good restful sleep, it is better to finish the evening meal three or four hours before bedtime.
2 – Good intestinal health: the pandemic period has taught us that the intestinal bacterial flora is a real protagonist of our health. The microbiota present in our intestine, in fact, is capable of influencing the correct activity of our organism: from the immune system to pressure, from allergies to weight control. Not only that, because it has been shown that our biological age is also attributable to the microbiota: its good health is essential to counteract chronic inflammation of the organism, which accelerates aging and favors the onset of certain diseases, including obesity, diabetes, heart attack, autoimmune diseases and even neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. To keep the bacterial flora in balance, in addition to following a correct diet, red light for saturated fats and sugars; yes instead to fermented foods such as yogurt or even the milk kefir and foods rich in fiber and prebiotics such as ginger, berries and fruit. Among the habits to forget, there is certainly smoking, responsible for the vast majority of cases of lung cancer and chronic inflammation due to nicotine.
3 – Regular physical activity: among the good practices to be adopted for long life, in addition to healthy nutrition and a balanced diet, we must not forget physical exercise. Movement is essential for the health and functionality of muscles and bones, regulates metabolism and thus prevents weight gain. Among the anti-aging activities, fast walking or light running are perfect, as well as cycling and rowing machine. Good news for golf enthusiasts: it seems that practicing this sport improves the health of the cardiovascular system and the metabolic system, corrects posture and increases muscle strength and functionality.
4 – Quality of sleep and relaxation: a good restful sleep it is essential for the quality of life, but it may not be enough. Forgetting anxieties and stress is also very important because relaxing serves to reduce cellular inflammation and levels of cortisol, the stress hormone involved in the mechanisms of aging and inflammation in the body. Sleeping well is necessary to allow the hormones to do their job well: for example, growth hormone (also called “somatotropic hormone”), which is responsible for metabolism and water regulation, and melatonin, which regulates the cycle sleep-wake and counteracts free radicals. To promote a satisfactory rest, it is better to always go to bed at the same time, however not too late, avoiding excessively abundant and high-fat dinners, and leaving the phone off or in silent mode to avoid being woken up in the middle of the night by notifications and messages.
5 – Sociality and fun: from some studies it has emerged that loneliness is often the cause of some pathologies and certainly during the lockdown we have all experienced how being away from others and not having social contacts has influenced mood, productivity, personal balance and more. Maintaining social relationships is therefore fundamental, just as demonstrated by various researches, which highlight how sociality is among the factors that have the greatest impact on the possibility of living for a long time, even up to 50% longer. Even fun, combined with creativity, seems to have a fundamental role in long life: exercising the imagination stimulates the production of dopamine, the pleasure hormone, increasing satisfaction and the feeling of happiness and well-being.