How To Live Longer & Better
?
A Few Simple
Habits...
The old paradigm of living was that body wore out over time
& life became increasingly unfulfilling. Many possibilities are irrelevant or not available after a certain age
which was randomly defined by each society and each individual.
New paradigm is that life is a process of constant transformation & not decline. It is full of
potential for unlimited growth. Automatic decline is not programmed into our bodies. Human life is incredibly
resilient.
In 1930s Maurice
Earnest who studied centenarians across European cultures had
noted in his book “The Longer life “that just a few simple habits can take us to 100 to 120 years of active &
clear headed life.
He enlisted following habits.
Eat frugally
Exercise and get plenty of fresh air
Develop an easy going personality
Maintain a good personal hygiene
Drink wholesome liquids
Get plenty of rest
Have a bowel movement once a day
Enjoy a reasonable sex life
Live in temperate climate
Get proper medical attention if
ill
Of all factors, frugal
diet is the factor which was practiced by people who were
consciously living a long life.
Ancient Roman & Greek also had notions of frugal diet as the secret of
longevity.
A human diet restricted to 60 % of normal calories -- roughly 1400 calories per day
for an average adult is on the border line of fasting. The food should be selected carefully. Make sure
that all vitamins and minerals are included. Under nutrition is not same as malnutrition.
Exercise is known to retard aging. How much activity is actually needed to make a significant
contribution to longevity? The least active people had the highest death rates. Surprisingly most striking
improvement came with fairly modest levels of activity.
Some one who walked 30 minutes a day, six days a week had a
mortality rate which was a mortality rate for some one running 30 to 40 miles per week.
Medical research suggests that exercising for fitness was not same as exercising for
health. If you perform regular, minimal
activity -- the equivalent of walking half an hour a day --
you will get most of the longevity benefits obtainable from exercises.
Case Study : This is a case study of Abkhasia. It is a remote mountain
region of southern Russia. Study noted that people here were found to be living beyond 100 years naturally. Much of
the credit for this went to diet besides frequent exercise.
Their total intake of fats &
calories is much lower than westerners. They consumed, on an average 1500 to 2000 calories. Their daily fat
consumption was about 60 grammes.
They mostly ate home grown vegetables and dairy products. Most of them consumed
yogurt, milk every day. They would walk every day distances about 20 miles as the region was hilly and there were
no concrete roads.
Conclusion of case study -- A life time of light eating & considerable
physical activity helps you live longer.
In the words of religious writer Huston Smith: In order to live, man must believe in
that for which he lives. People die when their core of belief is gone.
The most meaningful thing you can live for is to reach your full
potential.
At any given age the body and mind you experience are but a tiny
fraction of the possibilities still open to you -- there are always infinite new skills, insights and depths of
realization ahead of you.
By : Pradeep
Mahajan
Last
updated : Aug 5,
2010
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