5 Tips for Living a Long and Healthy Life
5 Tips for Living a Long and Healthy Life
Transcript
00:00As science continues to advance in the world of healthcare, people are starting to live
00:06longer at a higher quality of life.
00:08Although this is an amazing feat for science and society, we're going to take a step
00:13back from the world of technology and pharmaceuticals to take a deeper dive into what changes the
00:17average person can implement today to live a longer and healthier life.
00:22All links used for research in this video are available in the description below, be
00:26sure to check them out.
00:28Now let's jump into our 5 tips to live a long and healthy life.
00:32First we're going to take a look at hydration.
00:34An estimated 75% of Americans suffer from chronic dehydration, so I think it might be
00:39time for you to re-evaluate your personal levels of water consumption.
00:43According to a research paper from Harvard University, experts recommend that everyone
00:48should be drinking between 11 and 16 cups of water a day.
00:51Drinking enough water each day is vital for an abundance of reasons.
00:55It helps keep your joints lubricated, delivers essential nutrients to cells all over your
00:59body, keeps organs operating efficiently, prevents infections, and helps regulate body
01:04temperature.
01:05That's why a cold glass of water on a hot day feels like heaven.
01:10You could also see additional benefits such as improved sleep quality, cognition, and
01:14mood.
01:15Next, we're going to take a look at nutrition and supplements.
01:18Well, we all know to eat our greens and that McDonald's isn't the best food for us.
01:23But there's so much more to optimal nutrition than just eating right.
01:27The vast majority of us assume that the same healthy food choices are applicable for everybody.
01:33And for the most part, it is true, but everyone should take a customized approach.
01:38A simple blood test can tell you about your current baselines for nutrients within your
01:41body and where changes can be made.
01:44The average American diet finds a number of essential nutrients to be lacking.
01:49These areas include calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and D.
01:55Let's take vitamin D as an example.
01:57It is arguably one of the most important nutrients necessary for our health.
02:01According to a 2011 study, 1 billion people worldwide and 41.6% of Americans are vitamin
02:08D deficient.
02:10If you are lacking the vitamin, you could very well be lacking the benefits as well.
02:15Vitamin D helps your body fight disease, resulting in a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis, heart
02:20disease, and the likelihood of developing the flu.
02:23It has also been found to have an impact on mood regulation and potentially improving
02:27the symptoms of depression.
02:29This is just an example from one nutrient in the body.
02:32There are so many more that can affect the way your body operates.
02:36You can add these nutrients into your diet by eating the right foods with a high concentration
02:40of the nutrient, or look to take supplements that you can find in the drugstore.
02:45Before deciding if you want to take any supplements or making drastic changes, please consult
02:49a doctor as I am not one.
02:51Just like the previous two points on this list, a large percentage of adults also lack
02:56sleep.
02:57According to the CDC, 1 in 3 adults don't sleep enough.
03:01Their recommendation is that everyone should be getting between 7-9 hours of sleep a night.
03:06Having a consistent lack of sleep could lead to potentially the most drastic changes in
03:09health versus any other tip in this video.
03:12A lack of sleep contributes to a wide array of health complications and includes obesity,
03:17diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and mental distress.
03:22We've all had a bad night of sleep before, and I'm sure you remember how miserable and
03:27difficult it was to operate throughout the day versus one where you get a good night's
03:31sleep.
03:32The culminating effect of these long nights and lost hours is referred to as sleep debt,
03:37a term that neuroscientist Matthew Walker often refers to.
03:41When sleep debt is incurred, it is extremely difficult to make back.
03:45For every hour of sleep lost, it can take up to 4 days to fully recover from its effects.
03:51When you have night after night of bad sleep, your sleep debt works up a tab, where it continues
03:56to accumulate and gets away from you.
03:58Dr. Walker believes that this conundrum can shave years off of your life.
04:03The best way to prepare for a good night's sleep is to put away screens 2 hours before
04:07bed and develop a routine that helps you relax.
04:10Unwinding and disconnecting from your daily activities is important for getting high quality
04:14sleep.
04:15Feel free to experiment and find out what works best for you before bed.
04:20Tip number 4 is to get exercise and stay active.
04:23We broke this segment down into two sections, and first we're going to talk about cardiovascular
04:27exercise.
04:28A lot of people have a misconception that cardio is limited to activities similar to
04:33running and cycling, when in fact almost any kind of movement can be classified as cardio.
04:39That means activities such as walking, playing sports, dancing, and even jumping up and down
04:44on a trampoline couch.
04:45What these activities all have in common is that they trigger your body to take in more
04:49oxygen to maintain energy levels, which in turn increases your heart rate among several
04:55other reactions within the body.
04:57Getting your heart rate up is essential for strengthening your heart and overall health.
05:01According to the CDC, 1 in 4 deaths is caused by heart disease, which is why maintaining
05:07the health of your heart should be a priority for everybody.
05:10On top of that, it can improve your memory, protect your brain against the decline that
05:14comes with aging, and it also triggers the release of endorphins within your body.
05:19Endorphins are a natural hormone produced within your nervous system.
05:22They are often referred to as the happy hormone because it is known to make people happier.
05:27It naturally lifts your mood and is the hormone behind the phenomena of the runner's high.
05:32The next segment we're going to look at in exercise is resistance training.
05:37When it comes to resistance training, it turns out that there is more than meets the eye.
05:40That is not just for building strength and looking fit or muscular.
05:43A study done by Wayne L. Westcott states that it may help prevent and manage certain diseases
05:49such as type 2 diabetes by reducing visceral fat and improving insulin sensitivity.
05:55It also offers many of the same benefits that cardio offers as well.
05:59His research also proposes that it can increase bone density and help reduce pain associated
06:04with back problems, arthritis, and fibromyalgia.
06:07On top of all that, it can also reverse other skeletal muscular problems associated with
06:12aging.
06:13The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services state that you should do at least 150 minutes
06:18of moderate intensity physical activity a week to stay healthy.
06:23The last tip on our list is the importance of personal relationships.
06:27A review of 148 studies regarding social interactions found that people with strong and developed
06:32social circles are 50% less likely to die prematurely.
06:36And interestingly enough, it has been found that those who have committed to a life partner
06:40on average live 3 years longer than those who don't.
06:44When you have people in your life that you can discuss problems with, you don't have
06:48to internalize the stress.
06:50The science states that even just thinking about the people that you care about after
06:53going through a stressful event or task can lead to quicker recovery from the symptoms
06:58of stress as well.
07:00In turn, this keeps stress levels lower over time and reduces its long-term impact on your
07:05health.
07:06On the flip side, loneliness is often a significant predictor of poor health.
07:11For a long time, it has been commonly associated with depression and is now even being reported
07:15to have an impact on pain tolerance and immune system dysregulation.
07:19What a lot of people overlook is the preparation and changes influenced by being social.
07:24Being around people can promote several changes to your health, such as personal hygiene.
07:29Unintentional peer pressure is another influence when it comes to other health habits such
07:33as exercise, dietary choices, and certain activities that can have both a positive or
07:39a negative impact on your health.
07:41There are so many different factors that come into play when it comes to determining what
07:45a healthy life looks like for you.
07:47The items on this list and the research that the scientists did on these topics are just
07:51a few of the most popular health choices of today.
07:54Well, that is all for this video.
07:56Don't forget to like, subscribe, and turn on post notifications to stay up to date with
08:00our content.
08:02Thanks for watching and we'll catch you in the next one.