8 Top Habits for Promoting a Longer, Healthier Life

In today's video, you will learn the eight smart choices for a long and healthy life. The last one will surprise you. Number one, make water your favorite beverage. Four out of five nutritionists agree that water is the most essential nutrient in the body because it carries nutrients to the cells, dilutes, and flushes toxins from the body. In addition, water lubricates joints and organs, forms blood and other bodily fluids, and promotes regularity. At least 60% of the human body is fluid, and studies have found that losing just 5% of our body fluid can cause painful headaches, fatigue, forgetfulness, elevated pulse rate, and confusion. Nutritionists recommend drinking at least eight tall glasses of water each day, but if you're not accustomed to sipping water throughout the day, this recommended minimum may seem impossible. So how can you achieve a minimum of eight tall glasses of water every day? First, grab a glass of water immediately after you wake up before you do anything else. Have the second glass just before you start making your breakfast. Once in the office, keep a glass of water at your desk. Drink one or two glassfuls during the morning session. Enjoy another with lunch and another during the afternoon. Have another glass of water with dinner, then one at night before bed. Those are eight glasses of water. Number two, give yourself a break. Step away from your workstation, shift your mind into neutral, do some slow, deep breathing, and stretch to loosen your neck, shoulder, and back muscles. You will feel refreshed after just a couple of minutes. Take a walk during your lunch break. If your role demands you work extra hours at home, take more frequent walks at least three days each week for your cardiovascular system. Regular, vigorous exercise releases endorphins and other natural chemicals into the bloodstream that help to stop pain and strengthen the immune system against disease. Before we see the third choice for a long and healthy life, kindly support my work by liking the video and subscribing if you are new. That said and done, let's proceed. Number three, get enough sleep. Research has shown that the human body needs at least eight hours of sleep to function correctly. However, most of us are not getting eight hours of sleep for different reasons. Most of us are sleep deprived, which may help explain the rising cases of anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and poor financial decisions among modern adults. The body needs enough sleep to function properly physically, mentally, and emotionally. What choices do you need to make to get the sleep you need? Number four, fix your diet. More people die today from obesity than from any other disease. We eat when we need to, but also when we don't. We eat to be social, and when we feel antisocial, we eat to celebrate anything, and we eat when we are anxious, depressed, or bored. In other words, when in doubt, we eat. And when we do, we tend to eat heavily processed foods loaded with carcinogenic chemicals. As a result, we are overweight, unfit, and vulnerable to disease. You can fix the destructive effects of poor food choices by eating healthy food that defends the body instead of destroying it. Studies show the following foods to be especially effective in supplying your body and brain with the nutrients they need for strength and efficiency while helping prevent problems such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke. Brightly colored fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains such as brown rice, multigrain breads, and oats, beans and legumes, nuts, especially raw almonds and walnuts, and seeds, soybeans, and soy products, salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, and sardines. Green and black tea. Scientists have recently confirmed that modern society is constantly threatened by oxidants that weaken internal organs and other cell tissue. Antioxidants, including beta carotene and vitamins C and E, are crucial to the immune system and cellular integrity. Fortunately, the world is filled with natural antioxidants, including prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, red grapes, cranberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Add any of these fruits to your morning oatmeal or whole grain cereal. You can also drink antioxidants in cranberry juice or unsweetened grape juice. Green tea is also highly antioxidants and can provide a pleasant soothing effect. That said, always read the ingredients list of any food or beverage you are about to buy. The longer the list of ingredients, the more likely the item will do you more harm than good. Similarly, if the ingredients label lists high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated anything, return the item to the shelf and choose a healthy alternative. Number five, stop unhealthy habits such as smoking. If you smoke, I don't have to remind you about the damage you are doing to your body. Unless you stop right now, you are likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as lung cancer, stroke, or heart attack. You have to put a stop to this harmful habit. You see, apart from the health benefits of quitting smoking, it saves you at least about $100 per month. Put those monthly savings to work in a retirement scheme averaging just 8% per year, and over 20 years, it will compound to almost $59,000. In other words, quitting smoking will help you grow healthier and richer. More importantly, you will begin to feel better within days of quitting. You will breathe easier, feel more lively and alert, and experience less fatigue. Additionally, quitting smoking will help you smell better, for which family, friends, and coworkers will be grateful. Number six, supplement your nutrition. Many nutritional specialists believe that good foods alone do not supply the full amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients we need in our current polluted world. This is why it's essential to supplement our daily diets with a high-potency multivitamin and mineral formula. As we age, we pay special attention to our calcium intake for bone density and vitamin C and E for their antioxidant benefits. However, take note that some herbal supplements do not combine well with certain prescription drugs. So if you take prescription medication, be sure to check with your doctor before trying an herbal supplement. Number seven, be proactive with your health. Most people don't get medical checkups because they fear the possible results. And this is why most people end up battling chronic diseases that could easily be managed at an earlier stage. Some cancers, for instance, are highly treatable when detected early. If it's serious, your chances of successful treatment will be greater because you detected it early. If it's nothing, you'll enjoy the incredible peace of mind from a clean bill of health. You will gain an extra measure of confidence and peace of mind. Most doctors recommend a preventive exam at least every two years for people in their 40s than once yearly once they reach 50. Unlike insurance agents and grinning car salespeople, you must be proactive regarding your health because medical doctors generally don't advertise or send reminders. Place your reminders in your long-range planning calendar and call faithfully to schedule appointments. Make your doctor a teammate in your commitment to wellness. Lastly, number eight, laugh. Laughing releases powerful endorphins to strengthen the mind and the body with research showing they can combat actual illness and agony. Imagine what they can do to help support us amid everyday stresses. All we need to do is laugh and let endorphins do their job. Remember, life is all small stuff. Look for humor in every situation and find something to laugh about. Laughter will help clear and relax your mind as you weigh solutions to your problems, ease bodily tension, and help you keep things in the proper perspective, keeping you healthy and strong. Thanks for watching till the end. As you've seen, the choices for a long and healthy life are simple and don't require a lot of money. I hope you will apply them in your life.