5 Tips for Living a Long and Healthy Life

Bodyweight Balance

Transcript

00:00As science continues to advance in the world of healthcare, people are starting to live

00:06longer at a higher quality of life.

00:08Although this is an amazing feat for science and society, we're going to take a step

00:13back from the world of technology and pharmaceuticals to take a deeper dive into what changes the

00:17average person can implement today to live a longer and healthier life.

00:22All links used for research in this video are available in the description below, be

00:26sure to check them out.

00:28Now let's jump into our 5 tips to live a long and healthy life.

00:32First we're going to take a look at hydration.

00:34An estimated 75% of Americans suffer from chronic dehydration, so I think it might be

00:39time for you to re-evaluate your personal levels of water consumption.

00:43According to a research paper from Harvard University, experts recommend that everyone

00:48should be drinking between 11 and 16 cups of water a day.

00:51Drinking enough water each day is vital for an abundance of reasons.

00:55It helps keep your joints lubricated, delivers essential nutrients to cells all over your

00:59body, keeps organs operating efficiently, prevents infections, and helps regulate body

01:04temperature.

01:05That's why a cold glass of water on a hot day feels like heaven.

01:10You could also see additional benefits such as improved sleep quality, cognition, and

01:14mood.

01:15Next, we're going to take a look at nutrition and supplements.

01:18Well, we all know to eat our greens and that McDonald's isn't the best food for us.

01:23But there's so much more to optimal nutrition than just eating right.

01:27The vast majority of us assume that the same healthy food choices are applicable for everybody.

01:33And for the most part, it is true, but everyone should take a customized approach.

01:38A simple blood test can tell you about your current baselines for nutrients within your

01:41body and where changes can be made.

01:44The average American diet finds a number of essential nutrients to be lacking.

01:49These areas include calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and D.

01:55Let's take vitamin D as an example.

01:57It is arguably one of the most important nutrients necessary for our health.

02:01According to a 2011 study, 1 billion people worldwide and 41.6% of Americans are vitamin

02:08D deficient.

02:10If you are lacking the vitamin, you could very well be lacking the benefits as well.

02:15Vitamin D helps your body fight disease, resulting in a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis, heart

02:20disease, and the likelihood of developing the flu.

02:23It has also been found to have an impact on mood regulation and potentially improving

02:27the symptoms of depression.

02:29This is just an example from one nutrient in the body.

02:32There are so many more that can affect the way your body operates.

02:36You can add these nutrients into your diet by eating the right foods with a high concentration

02:40of the nutrient, or look to take supplements that you can find in the drugstore.

02:45Before deciding if you want to take any supplements or making drastic changes, please consult

02:49a doctor as I am not one.

02:51Just like the previous two points on this list, a large percentage of adults also lack

02:56sleep.

02:57According to the CDC, 1 in 3 adults don't sleep enough.

03:01Their recommendation is that everyone should be getting between 7-9 hours of sleep a night.

03:06Having a consistent lack of sleep could lead to potentially the most drastic changes in

03:09health versus any other tip in this video.

03:12A lack of sleep contributes to a wide array of health complications and includes obesity,

03:17diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and mental distress.

03:22We've all had a bad night of sleep before, and I'm sure you remember how miserable and

03:27difficult it was to operate throughout the day versus one where you get a good night's

03:31sleep.

03:32The culminating effect of these long nights and lost hours is referred to as sleep debt,

03:37a term that neuroscientist Matthew Walker often refers to.

03:41When sleep debt is incurred, it is extremely difficult to make back.

03:45For every hour of sleep lost, it can take up to 4 days to fully recover from its effects.

03:51When you have night after night of bad sleep, your sleep debt works up a tab, where it continues

03:56to accumulate and gets away from you.

03:58Dr. Walker believes that this conundrum can shave years off of your life.

04:03The best way to prepare for a good night's sleep is to put away screens 2 hours before

04:07bed and develop a routine that helps you relax.

04:10Unwinding and disconnecting from your daily activities is important for getting high quality

04:14sleep.

04:15Feel free to experiment and find out what works best for you before bed.

04:20Tip number 4 is to get exercise and stay active.

04:23We broke this segment down into two sections, and first we're going to talk about cardiovascular

04:27exercise.

04:28A lot of people have a misconception that cardio is limited to activities similar to

04:33running and cycling, when in fact almost any kind of movement can be classified as cardio.

04:39That means activities such as walking, playing sports, dancing, and even jumping up and down

04:44on a trampoline couch.

04:45What these activities all have in common is that they trigger your body to take in more

04:49oxygen to maintain energy levels, which in turn increases your heart rate among several

04:55other reactions within the body.

04:57Getting your heart rate up is essential for strengthening your heart and overall health.

05:01According to the CDC, 1 in 4 deaths is caused by heart disease, which is why maintaining

05:07the health of your heart should be a priority for everybody.

05:10On top of that, it can improve your memory, protect your brain against the decline that

05:14comes with aging, and it also triggers the release of endorphins within your body.

05:19Endorphins are a natural hormone produced within your nervous system.

05:22They are often referred to as the happy hormone because it is known to make people happier.

05:27It naturally lifts your mood and is the hormone behind the phenomena of the runner's high.

05:32The next segment we're going to look at in exercise is resistance training.

05:37When it comes to resistance training, it turns out that there is more than meets the eye.

05:40That is not just for building strength and looking fit or muscular.

05:43A study done by Wayne L. Westcott states that it may help prevent and manage certain diseases

05:49such as type 2 diabetes by reducing visceral fat and improving insulin sensitivity.

05:55It also offers many of the same benefits that cardio offers as well.

05:59His research also proposes that it can increase bone density and help reduce pain associated

06:04with back problems, arthritis, and fibromyalgia.

06:07On top of all that, it can also reverse other skeletal muscular problems associated with

06:12aging.

06:13The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services state that you should do at least 150 minutes

06:18of moderate intensity physical activity a week to stay healthy.

06:23The last tip on our list is the importance of personal relationships.

06:27A review of 148 studies regarding social interactions found that people with strong and developed

06:32social circles are 50% less likely to die prematurely.

06:36And interestingly enough, it has been found that those who have committed to a life partner

06:40on average live 3 years longer than those who don't.

06:44When you have people in your life that you can discuss problems with, you don't have

06:48to internalize the stress.

06:50The science states that even just thinking about the people that you care about after

06:53going through a stressful event or task can lead to quicker recovery from the symptoms

06:58of stress as well.

07:00In turn, this keeps stress levels lower over time and reduces its long-term impact on your

07:05health.

07:06On the flip side, loneliness is often a significant predictor of poor health.

07:11For a long time, it has been commonly associated with depression and is now even being reported

07:15to have an impact on pain tolerance and immune system dysregulation.

07:19What a lot of people overlook is the preparation and changes influenced by being social.

07:24Being around people can promote several changes to your health, such as personal hygiene.

07:29Unintentional peer pressure is another influence when it comes to other health habits such

07:33as exercise, dietary choices, and certain activities that can have both a positive or

07:39a negative impact on your health.

07:41There are so many different factors that come into play when it comes to determining what

07:45a healthy life looks like for you.

07:47The items on this list and the research that the scientists did on these topics are just

07:51a few of the most popular health choices of today.

07:54Well, that is all for this video.

07:56Don't forget to like, subscribe, and turn on post notifications to stay up to date with

08:00our content.

08:02Thanks for watching and we'll catch you in the next one.

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