How to Live Forever, or as Close to that as you Care to

These conclusions are from a National Geographic article on people who have lived to be over 130. I don't remember the details, they were published in the early 70s for a conference.

People who live to extreme old age have these things in common:
-Fulfilling marriages and friendships-having someone with whom to share and live life helps to ward off loneliness, provides someone who understands one completely, and the regular monogamic sexual or romantic activity seems to be good for life in general.

-Low impact exercise (walking) and lots of it-Exercise is a must, but high impact exercise like running will damage the body if used as the main way to burn calories. Walking long distances at brisk paces, done because there is no other way to get somewhere, increases blood circulation, burns fat, and brings in nature.

-Simple food, sometimes little of it-food damages the cells of the body as it is digested, this is called oxidation. If food is eaten only in small quantities, and not stored in body tissues (fat), it does less damage. Natural food is much better for this purpose, as is combining different foods in a meal (no diets).

-Relaxed lifestyle (live in non-industrial rural areas)-The mind-body connection is very real, and people who worry continually will have higher blood pressure, more stomach trouble, and rockier social lives. Hurrying is bad, for it doesn't allow a person to appreciate the world and thus be content in contemplation. Life doesn't have to be filled with constant activity, or only with goals and struggle.

-Daily work-People need to feel useful in order to be at peace with themselves and with the society they live in. Productive work that is socially valued gives a reason for the person to not lose hope over a failing body, and it makes them feel valuable instead of like a dead weight on their family. This work is usually in the community, rather than inside the family, and physical labor is common. The monetary rewards fade into insignificance as long as they are enough to keep up a good and independent lifestyle.

These things are very good to know. No wonder people age so quickly and badly today, they don't recognize the importance of these actions for a good life. If I remember correctly all the people polled were also religious, but this is more of a dependent variable.

Quote :

-Simple food, sometimes little of it-food damages the cells of the body as it is digested, this is called oxidation. If food is eaten only in small quantities, and not stored in body tissues (fat), it does less damage. Natural food is much better for this purpose, as is combining different foods in a meal (no diets).

I need to practice more of this one. I don't like sweets at all, but I am a fiend for pasta. Need to get that out of my system. But I love raw vegetables so I am going to start trying really hard to eat healthier.