Secrets to a long life

Secrets of a long life: 12 simple and surprising tips to help you live to 100

Here are some simple and often surprising tricks that research shows can extend your life..

1 Switch your latte for a cuppa Tea is packed with antioxidants called polyphenols that can help your body fight heart disease, cancer and premature ageing. One Israeli study found that moderate tea drinkers lived substantially longer than those who don’t have a regular cuppa. But remember to give it a good stir before removing the tea bag, as research shows this releases 15% more of the age-resisting ingredients. 2 Balance on one leg every morning It may sound strange, but standing on alternative legs while you dress in the morning forces your body to balance, strengthening your ‘core’ (back, pelvic and stomach) muscles which support your spine.

According to local physiotherapist Tom: “This simple daily act will offer significant long-term benefits when it comes to staying active for longer and protecting against falls and broken bones as you get older.” 3 Have regular sex at least twice a week A large Welsh study on longevity found that those who had sex less than once a month had double the risk of dying prematurely than those who had sex twice a week.

Aside from the health benefits, couples with a healthy sex life can also look up to seven years younger, according to a study by the Royal Edinburgh Hospital – possibly because sex reduces stress, leading to greater contentment and better sleep. 4 Eat three walnuts a day Walnuts are the healthiest nut of all because they contain the most disease-fighting and anti-ageing antioxidants, according to recent search from the University of London

Eating just three walnuts a day is enough to reap the full benefits.

5 Use less sunscreen but don’t burn Figures show that 50% of people in the UK are deficient in vitamin D, the nutrient made by the action of sunlight on our skin, increasing our risk of a host of potentially fatal conditions including heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer.

To boost your vitamin D levels without raising your risk of skin cancer, Cancer Research UK now recommends getting a few minutes (in practice around 15 to 20) of sun around the middle of the day without sunscreen. But make sure you don’t burn, or you’ll wipe out any health benefits. 6 Make six good mates you can always rely on Developing close friendships and family ties is the secret of living to 100, according to a recent Australian study of centenarians.

Friends provide emotional support, which helps us deal with stress, and feeling loved boosts production of feel-good chemicals dopamine and oxytocin, which promote brain growth, combating ageing. Other research has pinpointed six as the optimum number of friends we each need.

7 Stop eating when you’re 80% full The Okinawans, who inhabit remote Japanese islands, have one of the world’s lowest rates of obesity, as well as the highest percentage of people living beyond 100. Their secret? At every meal, they stop eating when they feel about 80% satisfied, happily leaving any excess food on their plate. Researchers have also found animals can live up to twice as long when their food intake is reduced by up to a third.

As well as helping them to maintain a healthier weight, it’s thought eating less means the metabolism has less work to do, putting less long-term stress on the body. 8 Go to bed one hour earlier if you can Lack of sleep can put you at greater risk of health conditions such as depression and heart disease, according to a raft of recent research.

And yet a small change makes a big difference – a study from Harvard Business School in the US found that for people who normally slept for seven hours or less a night, going to bed just one hour earlier led to a significant drop in blood pressure – therefore lowering their risk of heart attacks and strokes. 9 Be a details person Research by Uk psychologist Dr Friedman has found that the best predictor of longevity is how conscientious a person is. That’s right – people who are careful with money, thoughtful, detail-focused and like to put everything back in its rightful place tend to live longer! It’s thought that conscientious people may produce more of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin, which stops them comfort-eating and improves their sleep.

They also appear to be drawn towards healthier choices and can live less risky lifestyles. 10 Buy yourself a pet, and preferably a dog People who own a pet are less stressed, less depressed and can live longer than those who don’t, according to research. The calming effect of owning an animal can even drop blood pressure and reduce your risk of a heart attack, according to University of The West Of England. Another study found owners who walk their dogs daily lived an average of seven years longer than otherwise similar non-dog owners.

11 Don’t put fruit in the fridge You might think you’re making it last longer, but studies show that chilled fruit contains fewer health-boosting nutrients than fruit, which has been kept at room temperature.

For example, tomatoes and peppers stored in a bowl rather than the fridge can contain double the betacarotene and up to 20 times more lycopene. Which is good news, as high intakes of both these antioxidants have been linked to better heart health and lower rates of certain cancers.

12 Be helpful and lend a hand to others Helping others not only feels good – it could reap big health rewards too. A long-term US study found that people who volunteered regularly over a lifetime lived significantly longer than those who didn’t. Volunteers also experienced less depression, fewer pains and better general health.