Experts believe that life expectancy can reach 125 years! There are certain factors within your control, including nutrition. Do the math below and see how your daily eating habits will impact your lifespan.
Add 7.5 Years: Vegetables & Berries
Both are rich in flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds that improve brain function and protect from dementia. Consume at least six servings vegetables (two cups per serving) and two servings berries (one cup each) weekly. Having trouble working them into your diet? Simply blend one detox drink daily and you are done.
Add 2.2 Years: Fish
Salmon and sardines reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 50% (the most common cause of death for women). Add two servings (100 grams each) weekly.
Subtract 4.6 Years: Soft Drinks
According to researchers at the University of California, even one small can of soda per day accelerates the aging process at the cellular level, while its high sugar content causes inflammation. Replace it with carbonated water.
Add 5 Years: Vitamin D
The sunshine vitamin reduces oxidative stress, which causes your cells to age, and has been linked to autoimmune disorders, like multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s Disease. You can get it from egg yolks, canned tuna or enriched milk and orange juice.
Add 1.5 Years: Nuts
Nuts are a staple of the Mediterranean diet, which has been studied extensively because it keeps you healthy and living longer. Nuts reduce inflammation, which harms your immune system. Thirty grams of any nuts consumed daily are enough to lengthen your telomeres, the protectors of our genes that keep us healthy, according to one BMJ study.
Add 5 Years: One Little Glass
A little alcohol (a maximum of 5 oz wine, 11 oz beer or 1.5 oz of any alcoholic beverage daily) reduces the risk of death by 25% according to researchers in the Netherlands. They suspect a small dose of alcohol increases good cholesterol (HDL), which protects the heart.
