Fitness Expert Mackie Shilstone was on the Eyewitness Morning News Wednesday and offered some information on longevity, some things that factor into longevity and some things you can do to not only live longer, but to be healthy while you do so.
NEW ORLEANS - Fitness expert Mackie Shilstone knows something about living a long and healthy life as he has worked with various high-performing athletes and people who just want to get fit.
He says that a man who makes it to the age of 65, can expect to live, on average, to the age of 84 years and 3 months. A woman who successfully reaches age 65, can be expected to live to about 86 years and 6 months.
Another factor, though one you can do little about, apparently has to do with the age your mother was when you were born. Mackie says that University of Chicago scientists say that if your mother was under the age of 25, you are "twice as likely to live to 100, as someone born to an older mother.'
So much for things you can't do anything about, here are some things that Mackie says can help you live a longer and healthier life.
1- Consume green and black teas: Both contain a concentrated dose of catechins, substances that help blood vessels relax and protect your heart. In a study of more than 40,500 Japanese men and women, those who drank 5 or more cups of green tea every day had the lowest risk of dying from heart disease and stroke.
2- Walk 30 minutes or more per day: Those who do so tend to live longer than those who walk less, regardless of how much body fat they have, according to a study of 2,603 men and women.
3- Don't drink soda: Drinking one or more regular or diet colas every day doubles your risk of metabolic syndrome and that isn't good. That is a cluster of conditions that include high blood pressure, elevated insulin levels and excess fat around the middle, that increases your chance of heart disease and diabetes.
4- Get organized: Those who consider themselves self-disciplined, organized achievers live longer and have up to an 89 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's than those who are less conscientious.
5- Meditate: Adding a 10-minute meditation break during the day, where you unclutter your mind, focusing on a peaceful setting or word - helps to reduce your blood pressure and resting heart rate.
6- Probiotics: Immune support, by taking a probiotic supplement (at least 15 billion colony forming units) between meals and consuming your calories in a 12-hour window - like from 7 am to 7 pm - improves immune modulation and response.
7- Sleep: Get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night.