Updated 06/22/2010 03:07 PM
Smart Living: Discovering your fountain of youth
By: Ivanhoe Broadcast News
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It turns out you may not need a fountain of youth to stay young.
In addition to not smoking cigarettes, eating plenty of fruits, veggies, antioxidants and exercising regularly, here are more tips to help you live healthier longer:
- DON’T OVERSLEEP
According to the Archives of General Psychiatry, sleeping too much can reduce life expectancy.
People who get more than eight hours of sleep have a significantly higher death rate than normal. Sleeping less than four hours also increases death rates. Ideally, people should aim for six to seven hours of sleep per night to live a long and healthy life.
- HAVE MORE SEX
There is ample evidence that sex helps keep us healthy and increases our longevity. Researchers have found that it’s not actually the biological response generated by sex that makes us live longer.
It’s more likely that having regular, intimate sex means that you are less stressed, happier and better rested, which are all factors that can lower blood pressure and protect against stoke and heart disease.
Here's a listing of pet shelter or adoption services in the area:
- GET A PET
Pet owners, especially those with dogs, report fewer visits to their physician than people without pets. Pet owners have also been shown to have lower blood pressure.
The reasons for these findings are most likely related to an array of psychological factors, such as the facts that owning a pet decreases loneliness and depression, encourages laughter and nurturing, and stimulates exercise.
- SEE THE GLASS AS HALF FULL
Maintaining a positive attitude about life and aging seems to be the number one way to add years to your life. Your way of thinking not only affects your quality of life, but also how long you actually live.
According to researchers at the Mayo Clinic, optimistic people have a 50 percent lower risk of an early death compared with those who are more pessimistic.
This is because those with a positive outlook on life tend to be less stressed and better equipped to deal with adversity, which consequently makes them healthier in general.
Every Monday and Thursday YNN's Jennifer Borget offers lifestyle reports that help families make decisions about careers, finances, nutrition, fitness and parenting with our
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