Longer & Better: Five Ways

Aired on Lifetime Television
November 2 and December 14, 2008
Show 524

We've all heard basic tips on how to live longer, healthier lives: get enough sleep, eat right, don't smoke. How about some tips you may not have heard? Tip #1: Don't Oversleep. Seven hours a night is about right. Too much sleep leads to problems: in fact, women who slept 9 hours or more had a 70 percent increase in their risk of stroke. Yikes! Tip #2: Be Optimistic. It sounds cliché, but researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that optimistic people reduced their chance of early death by 50% over those who were pessimistic. Optimists tend to be healthier, have lower blood pressure, and less stress. Tip #3: Get a Pet. Pets tend to make us happier and decrease loneliness and depression, which helps us live longer. One study found survival rates for heart-attack victims were 12% higher if you owned a pet. And pet owners tend to have lower blood pressure. Tip #4: Eat Your Antioxidants. Dr. John La Puma, our own ChefMD, will tell you this too. Antioxidants help eliminate free radicals, which can damage your healthy cells and lead to premature aging or even cancer. Tip #5: Laugh. The old adage "Laughter is the best medicine" holds true. Laughter reduces stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, and releases endorphins that act as pain killers. It also helps your blood circulate, relaxes your blood vessels and reduces stress. So laugh it up and live longer.