Imagine that you were told you that the fountain of youth was discovered and all you have to do is put up forty bucks and you can have a jar of it to swallow. I’m sure you wouldn’t fall for that obvious line of baloney but you hear time and time again. And many believing people do fall for this sort of stuff. Many people act like goldfish. Not that they have fins and swim around in a fish tank or something like that, but because goldfish have an attention span of a measly three seconds. That’s right, only a measly 3 little seconds!
That means goldfish are slow learners. After all, what can they possibly learn in 3 seconds? So, if they eat a little green worm that makes them sick, guess what they’ll do 5 minutes later? Yes they would eat another little green worm and get sick again. So what happens after they give that guy their $39.99 for that “fountain of youth in a jar” and it doesn’t work? They forget all about the first guy in 3 seconds just like a goldfish and give another $39.99 to someone else claiming the same thing! So what does all this have to do with you? Well, even though there is no “fountain of youth in a jar,” there are 3 things that can make you live up to 20% longer and look 20 years younger!
First is having a positive mental attitude. That’s right, positive thinking actually makes you live longer. In fact, a study done at the Mayo Clinic revealed that optimists lived 20% longer than pessimists! Imagine that looking on the bright side and cracking a smile every once in a while may put 10 or 15 years on your life. There’s another interesting side note to optimists. They have more friends!
The second is exercise. Of course everyone’s always yapping about how good exercise is. You’ll slave away in the gym. You’ll run around that stupid track and maybe you’ll live an extra year. It’s the last year when you’re too old to care anyway. Well, it gives me great pleasure to tell you just how wrong you are! A groundbreaking study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1994, showed that the bodies of 40 postmenopausal women became 15 To 20 years more youthful after the women lifted weights twice a week for a year!
Lifting weights two times a week is hardly slaving away in the gym. This is something you have to understand. That’s something anyone can do to look fifteen or even twenty years younger. I know it’s not quite as intriguing as the fountain of youth and may take a little more time but it really works.
And for another interesting exercise fact, exercise can even overcome bad genes! In a study of sixteen thousand sets of healthy twins, researchers kept track of the twins’ lifestyles for almost twenty years. At the end of the study, they discovered that those who exercised moderately at thirty minutes of walking twice a week cut their risk of dying almost in half when compared to their sedentary sibling.
That brings us to number three which is decreasing free radicals. Although experts disagree about exactly what causes our bodies to age, one of the leading theories attributes it to damage caused by free radicals. These molecules that are missing an electron, bind with healthy cells and wreak havoc on those cells’ ability to function. Our bodies produce antioxidants to counteract the damage, but if there is not a large enough supply, cellular damage may not be repaired and sooner or later, we become ill. According to this theory, the best approach to slowing the aging process is to provide the body with plenty of ammunition against free radicals. You can do this by increasing your intake of antioxidants.
Now let’s forget about carbohydrates, protein and fat. Instead focus on food as a source of antioxidants to prevent damage in our body. Focus on your health. The most powerful food sources of these all-important nutrients are vegetables and fruits. These should be the greatest portion of items on your plate. Round out each meal with whole grains, like brown rice, whole wheat bread, cereal and pasta. In addition include low-fat dairy products and lean meats. Sugar and fat should be the smallest category in this entire group.
One study done by the National Cancer Institute shows how powerful a diet of this kind can be the key to great health. Researchers examined the eating habits of more than forty five thousand women and found that those who ate a diet high in fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy and lean meats cut their risk of dying from any cause by thirty percent! That’s a phenomenal finding!
So you have a number of ways to really drink from the fountain of youth! Maintaining a positive mental attitude, exercising, and eating well can keep you happy and healthy as you become older and wiser! And hopefully you will enjoy the process of growing older with all life has to offer.
Want to find out more about thefountain of youth, then read more stories by Dr. Michael Pritsker on how to live healthy pain free with chiropractic care.