How to Live Longer

"It’s hardly revolutionary to suggest that exercise is good for you, of course. But the fact that people continue to latch on to ever more esoteric minutiae suggests that we continue to undersell its benefits. That might be a data problem, at least in part. It’s famously hard to quantify how much you move in a given day, and early epidemiological studies tended to rely on surveys in which people were asked to estimate how much they exercised. Later studies used cumbersome hip-mounted accelerometers that were seldom worn around the clock. The new study, published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, draws on NHANES data from subjects recruited between 2011 and 2014, the first wave of the study to employ convenient wrist-worn accelerometers that stay on all day and night.

"Sure enough, it turns out that better data yields better predictions. The study zeroed in on 3,600 subjects between the ages of 50 and 80, and tracked them to see who died in the years following their baseline measurements. In addition to physical activity, the subjects were assessed for 14 of the best-known traditional risk factors for mortality: basic demographic information (age, gender, body mass index, race or ethnicity, educational level), lifestyle habits (alcohol consumption, smoking), preexisting medical conditions (diabetes, heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, cancer, mobility problems), and self-reported overall health. The best predictors for how to live longer? Physical activity, followed by age, mobility problems, self-assessed health, diabetes, and smoking. Take a moment to let that sink in: how much and how vigorously you move are more important than how old you are as a predictor of the years you’ve got left."

Click on this link for more details.

Is There One Thing That Leads To Greater Longevity?

“I think the effects of just being positive are overstated,” Dr. Watson said, though he agreed there is some benefit to being positive and agreeable. 

“Psychologically healthy people have a quicker recovery time,” he added. “They are able to tell themselves, ‘This is not that big of a deal.’ They find ways to bring themselves back into that equilibrium.” 

"But for the most impact, those looking to boost their longevity should focus on one simple thing: Being conscientious, Dr. Watson said. 

"Being organized, disciplined, and focused on taking care of yourself offers more concrete habits to live a longer life, he added.

Click on this link that also contains other links regarding mental health.

Coffee: A Health Food

"Coffee does more than boost your energy. A few daily cups of coffee may also lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and depression, support weight management, and help you live a longer life. Just keep in mind that experts recommend limiting caffeine if you’re pregnant or nursing."

It has the following benefits:

• 1. Boosts energy levels
• 2. May be linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes
• 3. Could support brain health
• 4. May promote weight management
• 5. Linked to a lower risk of depression
• 6. Could protect against liver conditions
• 7. Supports heart health
• 8. Could increase longevity
• 9. May enhance athletic performance

Click on the link below for the details and supporting research:

9 Unique Benefits of Coffee

Being Positive Isn't Bad, But - - -

"Many people like myself who are living with a chronic disease and a dying family member find that without an emphasis on the bright side of things, the negatives would be too overwhelming. However, I believe it is important to be careful with generalizations about positivity. As in the example above, saying that 'patients whose moods were overall more positive were 58 percent more likely to live at least another five years' is a misrepresentation of the data. Used as medical advice in popular media venues, such generalizations are bound to have social and cultural repercussions."

Positive Psychology and Health

The Longevity Debate

"So, in a sense both sides of this debate are correct. The evidence does strongly suggest that we are approaching the limits of human lifespan at 115 years. That is the best our current approaches to health care will provide. But, that does not rule out that new technologies can be game-changers. It does mean, that is what it will take – radical new approaches that change the nature of the game of slowing aging."

Link

The Right Dose Of Exercise For A Longer Life

Some recent research on the effects of various durations and intensities of exercise on longevity.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/the-right-dose-of-exercise-for-a-longer-life/?WT.mc_id=2015-KWP-AUD_DEV&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=AUDDEVREMARK&kwp_0=18141