For years, business and motivational gurus have known that there are basic habits that seen to predict professional success and excellence.
Books like ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by motivational speaker and business guru, Stephen Covey, which has sold over 15 million copies alone, show that people are hungry for the secrets of success.
We don’t yet have the perfect formula for long life, happiness and physical health, but a little careful distillation of the massive amount of research on health and longevity reveals that cultivating basic habits will significantly increase the odds of your living long, well and happily.
1: EXERCISE EVERY DAY:
-Long- lived people are doing things like, 20 minutes exercise,
three times a week.
-Farm chores like 4: 30am in the morning!
- Practice gratitude, by making a list of things you’re grateful for, you focus the brain on positive energy.
- Our bodies were designed to move on a regular basis, new studies show that merely 30 minutes a day of walking not only reduces the risk of most serious diseases, but can even grow new brain cells.
2: EAT YOUR VEGETABLES:
No kidding – you should be able to consume 60- 120 grains of carbohydrates a day (depending on your weight and exercise level) and you’d have to eat a stockyard full of spinach to get to that amount.
- They lower the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, prove mood, and they are good for the brain.
- Every major study of long- lived, healthy people shows that they eat a ton of plant foods.
3: SLEEP WELL:
If you’re low in energy, gaining weight, and looking haggard, guess what?
- Chances are you’re not sleeping long enough or well enough. By sleeping ‘Well’, I mean uninterrupted sleep, in the dark – without the television or noisy environment.
-Nothing nourishes, replenishes and restarts the system like 7- 9 hours sleep.
4: GET THE SUGAR OUT:
The number one enemy of vitality, breath and longevity is not fat, it’s sugar.
- Sugar’s effect on hormones, mood, immunity, weight and possibly even cancer cells is enormous and it’s all negative.
5: CONNECT:
Not talking about the internet.
- In virtually every study of people who are healthy and happy into their 9th and 10th decades, social connections are one of the ‘prime mover’ in their life.
- Weather family, church, work, or community, that you can connect with and that involves other people and that extend your life, and be happier always.
6: GET SOME SUN:
At least 10- 15 minutes three times a week.
- A recent study showed that the four healthiest places on earth where people lived longer were in sunny climates.
- Sun improves your mood and boosts levels of cancer- fighting, performance – enhancing, bone strengthening Vitamin D.
