Thursday 23 April 2015

6 tips for a longer life!

I have been reading the book, A Short Guide to a Long Life by David B. Agus. The author is one of the world's leading cancer doctors and researchers, amongst other things. The book is a very easy read and compiled of short chapters, each one about a healthy habit he advises people to adopt, or something he thinks we should try to avoid.

As I have found it a really interesting read, I thought I would share a few of his suggestions of things we should all be doing, ones that I think are especially relevant to parents:

Have children: Obviously, not for everyone but the thought behind this one is that raising children keeps us active, both mentally and physically, which are both recommended for good health.

Grow a garden: Agus writes, "This should be a mandatory rule for anyone with children, especially young ones". He believes it is the best way of teaching children how food grows, what it looks like in all its stages and therefore encouraging healthy eating.

Speak strongly to the next generation: Whilst our children might not be very keen on listening to us tell them what is good for them and what is not, Agus believes it is a matter of finding the right words or images that can convey the message in a relevant way to them. He gives an example of showing his own children the Jamie Oliver video where he fills a school bus with the amount of sugar added into Los Angeles Unified School District's flavoured milk each week. It worked in keeping them off the chocolate milk!

Deal with sickness smartly: "Part of the art of dealing with sickness means sticking to our routines as much as possible". Agus advises against lying in bed all day with the curtains closed if we want a quick recovery because if our body is not moving around, the lymph system which helps fight infections will not be in action. This made me smile, as a busy mother to three young children, I never have the chance to lie in bed all day if I am ill and generally, I get over things pretty quickly. My husband on the other hand definitely follows the lying in bed in the dark route and doesn't get over things as quickly I would say...!

Practise good hygiene: Something we can pass along to our children is the importance of hand washing throughout the day. It will help you avoid germs that could make you ill, as well as prevent spreading germs to others.

Have a glass of wine with dinner: There is plenty of talk of wine o'clock amongst the parenting community so this point might interest you! One drink a day for a woman (two for a man) is considered a sensible amount to reap the benefits, particularly of red wine, in reducing your chances of heart disease. Binge drinking at the weekends is not however permitted!

Do you do all or some of the above already?

If you are interested in reading what else helps you lead a long and healthy life, as well as what is to be avoided, do get a copy of the book, A Short Guide to a Long Life. It is very readable and full of lots of fascinating facts too.
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photo credit 
I am linking this post up to The List
You Baby Me Mummy

12 comments:

  1. Liking that 6th tip! Definitely agree with all of the above :)

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    1. Thanks Suzanne! I think the 6th tip is proving the most popular ;-)

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  2. I must say I do enjoy a glass of wine with my dinner x

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    1. Me too! Thanks for reading and leaving a comment :-). x

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  3. Lovely list - I like number two and wish I was more green fingered to be able to teach my daughter how to garden! #thelist

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    1. Thank you :-). Yes, we have been busy in the garden the last couple of years and my children do love it. I have never been particularly green fingered but I am learning and getting better!

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  4. Great list, lots of really good ideas. Love the glass of wine with dinner plan ;) #TheList

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    1. Thanks! I think the glass of wine with dinner is a pretty easy one for us all to adopt! ;-)

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  5. Ouch, I don't do any of these consistently. I don't have kids or a garden, don't drink alcohol at all, my hygiene habits could be improved and I don't deal with sickness that well. I am on a road to improving my habits though. #thelist

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    1. Well bear in mind I did only select 6 of many in the book! I just read your '50 things' post and it sounds like you have plenty of other good habits you incorporate into your life :-)

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  6. I could totally get on board with the drinking every day thing :) Thanks so much for linking up to #TheList x

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    1. :-). Thanks, will look forward to joining in again! x

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Thank you for reading. I'd love to have your comments and thoughts!