10 Easy Steps to Live a Long and Healthy Life

3.Drink up:

Sorry not alcohol but WATER! Your body is virtually 75% water and requires replenishment daily to carry out its complex functions and eliminate toxins. You need water for everything; from helping the blood to make its way 24/7 through your blood vessels to moving the waste products through your digestive tract.

I won't mention 'litres' as that can feel overwhelming but if I said aim to drink one tumbler of water or liquid ( not caffeinated drinks) for every hour that you are awake that doesn't seem so hard so does it? Always remember to drink in between meals and never with meals as the water can dilute digestive juices and interrupt the digestive process. On a night out remember that for every coffee/cola/or alcohol drink you have you must drink another 250ml water to avoid becoming dehydrated. The Ancient Yogis also advice avoiding icy drink as they 'chill the liver' and can alter the processing of fats in the body. Drink a mug of hot water with a slice of lemon in it as its refreshing in the summer and warming and comforting in the winter - trust me, you will become addicted to this eventually!

4.Sleep tight:

To look younger, boost immune function and just generally have a good experience of life getting 8 hours of deep and satisfying sleep - especially REM ( deep restorative 'rapid eye movement' dream ) sleep is essential. You need to build a good routine every evening. Do not eat a heavy meal late at night, aim to have your evening meal before 7pm and make sure it contains complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, brown rice, lentils, pasta; as these will help encourage the body to produce serotonin, which helps to reduce anxiety and lull the mind/body into a relaxed state and induce sleep.

Eat more lettuce with your evening meal or as a late snack it contains lactucarium which is a natural sedative and will encourage deep relaxation and quality sleep. Drink camomile tea or a milky malt drink before sleep. No caffeine ( tea/coffee or cola) or alcohol after 6pm.

Get rid of the TV, Laptop, computers from the bedroom, do not bring work related paperwork into the bedroom, just glancing at them will make you anxious. Do not watch the news, horror films or thrillers late at night, your brain does not know what is happening to others, what is fiction and what is real, if you are watching it your brain will process it as your experience and may 'arouse' your fear or anxiety, even at a subtle level and this will prevent you from letting go to sleep soundly. Keep the bedroom just for sleep, rest and sex - though obviously not in that order!

5.Get some daylight:

We all know that too much exposure to sunlight will make your skin look more leathery and weather worn than your mothers favourite handbag but we do need the sun to help produce vitamin D for healthy bones and general well being. If you find yourself feeling low in mood and depressed as the evenings get darker sooner and there is less daylight you may be prone to SAD ( seasonal affective disorder). You may be waking up in the dark, be stuck in a artificially lit office all day and make your way back to home in the dark.

Get out in the daylight as much as you can especially in the mornings, so walk round the block or park further away so you get the essential daylight to help the production of the feel good hormone serotonin. However make sure that in strong sunlight you wear an appropriate sunscreen every day and sunglasses that block UVA rays. Protecting your eyes from the sun will prevent problems such as cataracts.

6. it's cultured... init..

No don't all rush off to the opera...we are talking yoghurt cultures here. Eating yoghurt that contain 'live' cultures or so called 'friendly bacteria' will help prevents infections such as thrush, cystitis and digestive problems such as bloating. Eat a helping daily and include ginger, papaya and pineapple into your diet. Eat homemade vegetable and miso soups, stew some apples in foil in the oven and eat with live yoghurt and swap fried or battered chip shop fish for steamed or poached fish to help assist the digestive process.

7.Is that glass half full or half empty?

Studies from the Mayo Clinic in the US found that people who had an optimistic outlook on life lived longer and had a more robust immune system than their grumpier counterparts. Counting your blessings or just being grateful about what you do have rather than bemoaning what you don't have also helped create a better and more content outlook on life.

8.Laugh a lot:

Laughter will boost the immune system, release tension, exercise the core muscles, produce natural mood enhancing endorphins to help fight anxiety and depression. Hang around with happy and optimistic people, watch your favourite comedy.

9.Keep it raw:

If you want to stay young and live a lot longer reduce your red meat intake. These concentrated fats and proteins take longer to break down and your digestive system needs a lot more energy to break them down - there is an urban myth that a piece of red meat stays in your system for up to 40 days as your body tires to digest it! Whether this is true or not it can certainly feel like that after a meaty binge!

Also avoid any food that are barbecued or chargrilled as they are deemed 'carcinogenic' ( which means they can cause cancer) Instead, bake, boil or steam foods to help retain their nourishment and eat vegetables and fibre to help assist digestion

10.Eat Breakfast:

This is the most important meal of the day as it will keep blood sugar levels even so that you don't start craving sugary things mid-morning. Porridge made with skimmed or soya milk and a drizzle of honey/sultanas/chopped apple/bananas/blueberries etc, is the ultimate breakfast meal as it is high in fibre, full of vitamins and minerals and will release energy slowly over the morning so that you can go on full of vim and verve till lunch time!
See if you can incorporate some or even one of these over the coming week and I will share more with you next time so that you can defy science and gravity and live a long and healthy life!