One of the main topics people seem to talk about these days relating to health is longevity. The population is aging, but we aren’t as content to “ride off into the sunset” as we once were. People want to live longer and they want to avoid degenerative conditions and diseases longer. Here are a few valuable tips for living longer from a Yakima chiropractor.

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You Really Are What You Eat

What you put into your body on a daily basis really does have a massive impact on how long you’ll live. Everyone knows that one person who ate whatever they wanted, smoked, drank a lot and still lived to 95, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

With diseases such as cancer and diabetes so prevalent in North American society, you must be conscious of what you eat if you want to live longer. Avoid processed foods and packaged foods, refined sugar and flour, soft drinks and even bottled juices, which are high in sugar. Eat out less frequently and modify your portion sizes. Drink clean water and drink plenty of it. If you can switch to eating a healthy diet 80% of the time, you’ll be well on your way to living longer.

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Take Care of Your Physical Self

While your diet will take care of your body on a cellular level, it won’t help you build lean muscle, keep your heart and lungs healthy and keep your ligaments and tendons flexible. It’s important to move your body everyday and incorporate more intense exercise at least three times per week. Sitting for long periods is bad for you, so make sure you get up and move several times during the day. And to keep it all in balance and working together, visit a Yakima chiropractor for regular adjustments.

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Odds and Ends

Some other important long life tips include maintaining strong social connections throughout your life, dealing with emotional traumas and not letting them build up, finding healthy methods of stress relief, and challenging your mind on a regular basis. Take care of your dental health, don’t smoke, drink alcohol in moderation and respect your environment.

Above all else, remember that living a longer life is of no use if you aren’t happy and enjoying it. Living longer for the sake of living longer is of no benefit. Make the choice to be happy and practice gratitude on a daily basis. The key is to live longer with a smile on your face, free from disease and chronic pain. Most of it is up to you, but our team at West Valley Chiropractic Centre can help make it a reality.