3 Habits of Long-Lived People That Prevent Premature Aging

People try to regain their youth, beauty and former health, desperately turning to various specialists. But the secret to long life is actually simple: a healthy lifestyle and working on yourself.

Maria Goman, founder of the Santa Maria Integrative Medicine Wellness Clinic in Mexico, certified nutritionist, coach and creator of signature programs on longevity and youth. what habits you need to introduce into your routine to prevent aging.

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1. Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is rightly considered a diet for all diseases. Thanks to it, you can not only lose weight, but also significantly improve your health. This type of diet first became known in the 1950s, when Ancel Keys, an American physiologist, and his team studied the effect of diet on human health. Then he discovered a relationship between diet and life expectancy.

The main secret of the Mediterranean diet is the abundance of green vegetables, fruits and grains.

It completely excludes the use of industrial products: sweets, bakery products, semi-finished products. At the same time, the consumption of food of animal origin is reduced: meat and fish, eggs, dairy products.

This diet has long proven its effectiveness in preventing chronic diseases and improving carbohydrate metabolism. It also has a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels, and helps reduce blood cholesterol levels.

2. Healthy sleep

Sleep is no less important for health. And you need to find a golden mean: sleep as much as your body needs. If you don't get enough sleep or, on the contrary, oversleep, this will negatively affect your brain function.

The number of hours of sleep is individual and determined genetically. You have probably noticed that some people need at least eight hours to feel alert in the morning, while others are content with five hours and do not experience any discomfort.

The norm for each person is calculated from a certain number of phase changes: rapid and slow sleep, each of which lasts from 40 to 60 minutes.

These phases change differently for different people, so some sleep little, while others can spend the whole day in bed to restore their strength.

During the day, our brain accumulates a variety of biochemical substances – these are molecules that are mainly hormones, acids and proteins. When a person falls asleep, about an hour later, cerebrospinal fluid enters his brain, which literally “washes” it of the accumulated substances. If you deprive yourself of sleep, these elements, causing neurotoxicity, lead to various diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Proper sleep is necessary for stable and effective brainwashing.

• Try to have dinner no later than 4-5 hours before you go to bed. This will reduce the load on your digestive organs and help you fall asleep faster.
• Don't skimp on sleep. If you don't get enough sleep at night, be sure to take a nap in the middle of the day for about an hour. This is the principle followed by the people of Italy, famous for their siesta – daytime sleep.
• Get up on your own, not by an alarm clock. A loud melody playing in the morning can interrupt the slow phase of sleep, and then you will definitely feel “broken” after waking up.

3. Activity

Not only our body is subject to premature aging, but also the brain, which begins a global "restructuring" after 45 years. This organ can be compared to an entire factory in which various biochemical processes are constantly taking place. Due to various mutations in DNA and weak work of mitochondria (the main source of energy for cells), brain function gradually slows down, and a person may have problems with memory and concentration.

Preventing early brain aging can be done by engaging in activities aimed at developing cognitive functions. For example, regularly reading books and learning foreign languages ​​allows the brain to build new neural connections, and playing musical instruments develops both hemispheres, increasing concentration.

To keep your brain “in good shape” for as long as possible, don’t forget to replenish vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

One of the most important compounds, the deficiency of which can be found in every second person, is considered to be vitamin D. Its deficiency reduces the mass of gray matter, accelerating the aging process.