In fact, research has shown it’s never too late to start healthy habits. But what about the things you might stop doing—in the name of your longevity.
1.Stop Eating Mainly Processed Foods
Along with processing comes an increase in added sodium, more saturated fat, more sugar, and less fiber. The result? More cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, and diabetes.
For example, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends consuming no more than 2,300 mg (less than 2.4g) of sodium each day—less for many seniors and other people with certain health conditions, like high blood pressure. Do your body a favor, and try to eat “clean” more often, including foods high in fiber (which are linked to greater longevity) and other ingredients you purchase and prepare yourself.
2.Stop Smoking
Some estimates suggest smoking can rob you of a decade of life.Whether you quit cold-turkey or phase out your habit, your body is surprisingly forgiving; blood pressure and circulation improve soon after quitting, and your risk of getting cancer decreases every year thereafter. You’ll look younger, too.
3.Stop Sitting Still
If you don’t feel you have time to exercise, consider this: You may not need to hit the global minimum recommendations of 30 minutes a day, five or more times per week, to extend your life. A study published in 2011 in The Lancet, examining the activity habits of more than 416,000 men and women in Taiwan, found that getting just 15 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each day helped subjects live three extra years. Brisk walking was one of the “moderate intensity” exercises cited in the Taiwanese research.
4.Stop Holding a Grudge
Anger can be a tough emotion to release, especially if you feel justified in your outrage. Maybe the best question to ask yourself is this—is it worth the cortisol? .
5.Stop Keeping to Yourself
Staying social can be a good longevity booster, mostly by helping you manage stress and by strengthening your immune system. Good relationships keep you strong, while bad relationships can leave you in a negative frame of mind, and put you at risk of depression and even heart attacks.
6.Stop Thinking That Only Big Changes Count
The next time you resolve to eat healthier or exercise more, try aiming low! Â Like the exercise advice above shows, even short spurts of activity each day can reap big benefits for your lifespan. Consistency is more important than a short-term, grand gesture.
7.Stop Letting Fear (or Denial) Keep You From Being Healthy
However, don’t confuse being conscientious or diligent with being neurotic about your health, a trait that may be linked to negative emotions like anxiety, anger, and depression. A simplified example might be that a neurotic person worries he might have cancer, and fearing the worst, doesn’t go to his doctor.
8.Stop Cheating Your Night’s Sleep
In epidemiological studies, sleeping too little (fewer than six hours) or substantially more (over nine hours) has been shown to put people at greater risk of death. Quality of life is also on the line: A good night’s sleep can help you ward off stress, depression, and heart disease. If you’re still having trouble getting to sleep, or staying asleep, see your health provider for further help.
9.Stop Stressing
Like anger, stress takes its toll on your body and may actually shorten your life. By trying to reduce stress, you can improve your health in the long-term, and quality of life in the meantime. Working in just a few minutes of meditation a day—even at your desk—can give your brain the mini-vacation from anxiety and tension it needs.
10.Stop Relying on—or Blaming—Your Genes
This is, of course, good news for those of us without that exceptional ancestry.  Besides, why focus on the genetics you can’t control, when the factors you can will benefit from your attention?
