1. Relax and take up yoga, which has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate, improve your flexibility and relieve stress.
2. Stop smoking. One out of every two long-term smokers will suffer serious illness associated with their habit.
3. Control your stress. A little stress is good for us but long term it is bad for our mind and body. Too much stress can increase blood pressure and cause digestive problems that lead to premature ageing of the immune system.
4. Don’t overdo the wine. Wine drinkers actually live longer because wine contains antioxidants that help reduce the “bad” cholesterol and protect against heart disease, but too much of it increases the risk of oral cancers and cause liver and kidney damage. If you like a tipple, it’s a good idea to take milk thistle supplements, which is a super antioxidant plant extract which detoxifies the liver.
5. Watch your weight. This comes as no surprise – being overweight will literally take years off your life. Obesity is fast becoming the number one killer in our modern society and some health experts now put the risk on a par with smoking.
6. Don’t barbecue! Well, at least don’t blacken the meat to a crisp. Cooking meat at high temperatures creates chemicals that are carcinogenic and barbecuing food in excess has been linked with stomach, pancreatic, colon and breast cancer.
7. Look after your health. Your health is your wealth and the secret to a long life!
8. Check your blood pressure. Hypertension is the biggest cause of preventable death. It accounts for half of all cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke and heart failure. A regular check with your GP is recommended.
9. Check for skin changes - see your doctor about any new growths, persistent skin ulcers or sores that don’t heal within a month, new moles or moles that grow, change colour, develop a ragged outline, become itchy, bleed or ooze.
10. Have an eye test – and ask for a glaucoma test. Glaucoma affects one in every 50 people over the age of 40, yet there are usually no symptoms until the disease is so far advanced that eye sight is permanently damaged.
11. Look after your breasts. Know how they normally look and feel so that you can recognise any changes.
12. Have regular smear tests. This helps prevent thousands of deaths per year from cervical cancer.
13. Visit the dentist regularly. Dentists are trained to pick up signs or oral cancer. Between visits check your mouth for sores that don’t heal, white or red patches or lumps on the lip or in your mouth or throat.
14. Stretch your brain. Learn a new language or do the crossword. Exercise for your mind is as important as exercise for your body.
15. Strive for success. The higher your status is, the healthier you are likely to be – say researchers. Aim for success, give yourself goals, and strive to be the best that you can be.
16. Be adaptable and resilient. People who reach 100 are not quitters. All of them share a remarkable ability to renegotiate life at every turn, to accept the inevitable losses and more on.
17. Eat the Mediterranean way. Greek and American researchers found that eating a Mediterranean diet could cut premature deaths by 25%. So go for plenty of fresh fruit and veg, a little olive oil and the odd glass of vino.
18. Be positive. Optimists have a 55% lower risk of death from all causes that those who have a negative outlook on life.
19. Meditate! It can help to reduce high blood pressure and muscle pain, improve circulation, increase blood flow to the brain and lower levels of stress hormones.
20. Get enough sleep. Depriving yourself of sleep affects the body in a similar way to the ageing process and may increase the severity of age-related chronic diseases. So get more shut-eye, you’re worth it.
21. Keep on working. People who work past retirement age are healthier – and wealthier than those who retire.
22. Have a good laugh. It can boost your circulation as effectively as aerobic exercise and it also relaxes blood vessels, reduces the levels of stress hormones and triggers the release of feel-good endorphins.
23. Take care of your bones. Osteoporosis affects one in three women over the age of 50. To strengthen your bones, eat a diet that’s rich in calcium and vitamin D, don’t drink too much alcohol, stop smoking and take regular weight bearing exercise.
24. Have a massage. It can improve your circulation, speed up healing after surgery, boost your muscle tone and promote general well being.

What are your tips for leading a longer life?   Share them now in the Unislim Forum!