5 simple hacks to add 30 years to your life
Thus, the following are 5 simple changes that you could make in your lives, to basically improve your lifestyle and live longer.
1. Sleep
We’ve been told time and time again that it is essential that we get 6-8
hours of sleep a day if we are to wake up feeling refreshed, with a positive
mindset that would help us accomplish our tasks.
However, a majority of us are burdened with other commitments that we
barely get adequate sleep. This in turn gives rise to issues such as:
- lower productivity at work
- skin changes (more prone to breakouts)
- hormonal fluctuations
- dark circles and bags under eyes
- lowers the immunity in the body.
Thus, it is important that we get sufficient rest to ensure that the
lack of sleep does not burden our way of life.
We’ve heard that natural plants such as Chamomile (blended into tea)
help sleep better. But have you heard of Valerian, which is also beneficial in
falling asleep?
Valerian, scientifically known as Valeriana officinalis, is an
herb that is found commonly in Asia and Europe. Its roots are dried in order to
incorporate it into tea blends.
Dating back to the time of ancient medicine, Valerian has been used during the Middle Ages as a remedy for all sorts of
illnesses and other issues such as insomnia, anxiety and depression in the form of tea. Today, since
there is sufficient evidence portraying that liquids are absorbed faster into the
blood stream (as
opposed to pills which need to be broken down into simpler molecules prior to
absorption), it makes sense as to why this method of preparation has been
utilized for so long.
Valerian acts as a sedative on the central
nervous system.
This basically means that Valerian induces a feeling of calmness and
tranquillity once consumed, so as to minimize feeling hopeless and troubled,
whilst also inducing sleepiness.
Thus, there is certainly no doubt concerning the effectiveness of
Valerian tea that would help us sleep better and so improve longevity.
It goes without saying that Valerian tea would be more beneficial in getting
better sleep and living longer, if we do make other changes in our lives,
including:
- minimizing exposure to bright lights or electronic devices prior to going to bed,
- minimizing the intake of caffeine, and
- eating healthy.
Speaking of Valerian tea, I’ve come across a product by Secrets of Tea,
which is a company that has been blending powerful herbal teas for over 10
years in order to better the lives of people, called Valerian Deep Sleep Tea that’s proven to aid better sleep. They’ve
combined Valerian with other natural organic ingredients such as Rooibos,
Chamomile, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Rose Hip, Peppermint and Liquorice, which
are all ingredients known help get a good night’s rest and wake up feeling relaxed.
Given that it contains so many beneficial ingredients, I’m certainly intrigued
to try to out.
Please
note:
It is best to avoid consuming Valerian during pregnancy since there is insufficient evidence on its effects during pregnancy. It is also advised not to combine Valerian with other medication/drugs such as alcohol, other sedatives, Xanax, etc., since harmful reactions may occur.
The above-mentioned precautions and
interactions have been non-exhaustively extracted from VALERIAN (webmd.com). For a detailed explanation on why
such combinations (and others) should be avoided, please refer their website.
2. Exercise
As recommended by the American Heart Association, it is best that we inculcate
physical activity into our routines.
They suggest that we exercise moderately for 30 minutes a day for 5 days
per week (e.g., brisk walk/badminton) or exercise vigorously for 15 minutes a
day for 5 days per week (e.g., swimming/running), since this helps the heart to
function better and over time, drop a few inches off of our waists, and thereby
improve longevity.
Exercising also helps release the happy chemicals (serotonin and
dopamine) which promote longevity. These neurotransmitters act in such a way as
to ensure that we are in a good mood, thus creating a content environment
within our bodies.
The best thing about exercising: there is no hard and fast rule as to
what kind of exercises you should do. We could simply run, walk, swim, kickbox,
do Pilates or even dance – the type of physical activity does not matter.
All we have to do is keep moving our bodies and be active!
3. Intermittent fasting
This method basically involves an eating window and a fasting window.
What’s most common is the 16-8 cycle where people fast for 16 hours a day and
eating during the remaining 8 hours.
What such a method of fasting does is:
it promotes weight loss by burning fat reserves (this in turn improves
longevity and slows down ageing since the body is able to function better).
it also instils in people a disciplined way of fuelling themselves
through food.
4. Hygiene
It goes without saying that you need to groom yourself to feel at your
best and also be presentable to the rest of the world.
That’s not all. By ensuring that we are hygienic (e.g., by showering
daily, brushing our teeth, take care of our skin and try to eat healthy as much
as possible) our bodies become less prone to diseases and infections, since our
immunity systems are in no way compromised. This in turn helps in living
longer, healthier lives.
However, when it comes to washing our hair, we tend to shampoo our
scalps every time we wash our hair. This is not ideal since the chemicals in
shampoo strip the natural oils off of our hair, leaving it damaged (sometimes
even beyond repair).
Thus, by being educated on how we can practice proper hygiene, we could
certainly take care of ourselves better and possibly add 30 years to our lives.
To learn more about the correlation between
personal hygiene and longevity, refer How Personal Hygiene Extends Life
Expectancy and Affects Health (healthfitnessrevolution.com).
5. Love and affection
We humans are social beings; we need to interact with other humans if we
are to be happy. Thus, in order to live longer, it is essential that we treat
our bonds with parents, relations and even friends very sacredly so as to have
that human connection from which affection stems.
If we are isolated and lonely, we tend to be in a shell that inhibits
our emotions and enjoyment of life, since our lives become very mundane and
boring. This in turn reduces our desire to interact with other humans,
ultimately making us wonder if there is anything more to life. Hence, it is key
that we spend time with our loved ones and make new friends, if we are to feel
adored.
Even when it comes to intimacy, since the circle of life is such that we
are meant to love and be loved, and give life; it is essential that we spend
time with our partners. Such intimacy releases dopamine and serotonin (the
happy chemicals) which certainly make us joyful and also improves longevity.
Sex is also known to reduce the chances of getting cancer (prostate
cancer, breast cancer, etc.) and thereby ensures that healthier lives could be
led.
To learn more about the correlation between sex
and longevity, refer 12 Ways Sex Helps You Live Longer –
Healthline.
Accordingly, by making such positive changes in our lives, we would surely be able to increase our life spans and lead healthy lives! Waking up to see our grandkids or even great grandkids, would certainly be something worth living for!
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