== Steps ==

#Avoid Carcinogens. Carcinogens cause cancer, which can kill you.

#*[[Quit-Smoking|Quit smoking]]. Any form of smoke is bad for you, no matter how little you take in. The majority of the medical community states that smoking is very hazardous to your health and can often result in premature death.

#*[[Apply-Sunscreen|Wear sunblock]]. Even if you are dark skinned and have no history of skin cancer in your family, the increasing number of UVA and UVB rays hitting the Earth from the sun pose a threat to anyone and everyone who spends more than 15 minutes a day out of the house or office. However, remember to also ”’spend some time in the sun”’. Vitamin D is very important to your health. Just remember to apply sunblock and not to spend too much time in harsh, direct sunlight.

#Change your patterns of consumption.

#*[[Drink-Water-for-Health|Drink plenty of water]]. The universal solvent is a most effective weapon against toxins and many other violators. It flushes out your system like nothing else does.

#*[[Eat-Less-Sugar|Avoid simple carbohydrates]]. Carbohydrates cause your insulin levels to rise, which has been associated with increased incidence of breast cancer in menopausal women.

#*Avoid overindulging. Too much of anything can cause harm, whether it be food, drink, drugs, or even medicine — even Tylenol can be fatal if ingested in great enough quantity. Non-prescription and illegal drugs may contain chemicals and/or other drugs that are unfit for human consumption, but keep in mind that alcohol and tobacco are among the worst drugs. Do not forget that caffeine is also a drug. Any drug, from alcohol to aspirin, carries with it a risk of shortening and ending your life. If you do decide to use any drugs, be responsible — do your research, make sure you understand their properties and side effects, and use them appropriately. The same applies to food — read nutrition labels and do some research to understand what the information means to your health. With anything you ingest, moderation is key.

#*Consider a calorie-restriction or [[Adopt-an-Intermittent-Fasting-Diet|intermittent fasting diet]].

#*[[eat more omega-3 fats|Balance your Omega-3:Omega-6 ratio]]. There is mounting evidence that a diet high in omega-6 fatty acids (fats) increases your chance of cardiovascular disease and cancer. To improve your ratio, reduce your intake of omega-6 fats (particularly bad are corn and canola oil, as well as many nut oils), while increasing your intake of omega-3 fats from foods including fatty fish, especially [[Grill-Salmon|salmon]].

#[[Use-a-Squat-Toilet|Consider squatting to defecate]], as it may greatly reduce your chance of getting colorectal cancer (potential fatal) or hemorrhoids (which are mostly just unpleasant).

#Consume antioxidants. They decrease the chance of developing cancer.

#*Drink lots of tea. There are two main types of tea – green and black. Both are from the the same tree, however green tea is less processed than black tea. Green tea has many health benefits, including reportedly reducing the chance of heart attack and cancer. Other benefits include increased energy and metabolic rate (good for weight loss), and high antioxidant content (slows down aging). Black tea has these benefits also but at a reduced level. Try and drink 5 cups of green tea a day. Using more tea bags or leaves is a better way to make strong tea than brewing longer. Note that green tea typically contains caffeine, which may have a negative effect on your health and lifespan.

#*[[Taste-Dark-Chocolate|Eat dark chocolate]]. One piece of dark chocolate a day can benefit the heart as cocoa solids have a beneficial effect of the heart and arteries. Dark chocolate has more antioxidants than other kinds of chocolate. Look for 60% unprocessed cocoa or more. Chocolate also makes you happy (in case you did not know) because it releases endorphins. Chocolate that has been alkalized or dutched loses most of it’s anti-oxidant capacity.

#*Drink one glass of red wine a day. Red wine contains substances called polyphenols which maintain the elasticity of the artery walls and also act as antioxidants – thus helping maintain a healthy heart and slowing down aging. Anecdotally, the oldest woman in the world, Jeanne Calment, drank one glass of wine a day, and she lived until she was age 122. If you would rather not drink wine everyday, consider eating red grapes instead.

#*Make sure you get your 5 a Day! Fruit and Vegetables are extremely good for you!

#Reduce stress

#*Have close relationships. People who are able to confide in close friends or life partners have been shown to live longer and healthier lives. This is due to the alleviation of stress, boredom, and depression. The result will be a mentally and physically healthier person. Cherish your friends and family.

#*Reduce causes of stress and depression in your life. This can have a very negative impact on your heart, and other physiology. Learn to cope with stress by trying different relaxation techniques or simply by looking at things differently. Take deep breaths during your most stressful moments.

#*Try not to be afraid. Seriously, the worst stress comes from the inside. If you are in constant fear of anything or everything (phobias) you become as fragile as an ant, asking for life to step on you. Be as passive and easy going as you can. There are bigger things like earthquakes, stray bullets, automobiles and airplanes that can kill in an instant but which you cannot defend against, and are not afraid of anyway, right? Fear is a tool, and it has a purpose, but it is most often bad for your well-being. Do not be afraid, be aware.

#*[[Be-Optimistic|Look on the bright side]]. Having an optimistic point of view is healthy and those who drink from the cup that is half full tend to have a much stronger resilience to any health problems.

#*Keep on working. It’s been proven that people who stay active in their jobs, or volunteer work, live longer. Being a part of a community and/or work-force into your golden years will keep your life filled and fulfilling up until the end.

#*Smile. Smiling is like relaxation. It relieves stress and changes your attitude. Not only more people will like your positive attitude, but you’ll change your mood. Having a positive attitude can add 7 years to your life (according to researchers)! So put a smile on!

#*Laugh and Hug! If you laugh or hug every day in an average life span, you live seven more years!

#*Have Purpose. Many people over the age of 100 claim a reason behind their life, and suggest that their reason has helped them reach such ages. Some reasons for living can be as practical as providing food for others, or even as abstract as providing inspiration. One woman even claims that her age itself has become her reason for living!

#Watch out for problems

#*Think first. This step includes looking both ways before you cross the street, as children are taught but many adults take it for granted, and wear protective gear when necessary. Whether you are riding a bike or skateboard, working on a construction site, or handling potentially harmful substances, be careful. While the human skull is quite thick and sturdy, severe head trauma can result from the brain being jostled around inside the skull from an impact, potentially resulting in permanent brain damage or even death.

#*Be safe. Avoid potentially dangerous activities that frequently or occasionally end in death or dismemberment, such as bullfighting, or relationships with dangerous people.

#*Attend yearly physicals. Identifying potentially deadly health problems early can result in their eradication.

#Introduce regular exercise into your life. While most people lead quite busy lives, the benefits of exercise usually present themselves in all areas of your life. Gradually introducing exercise will lead to longer patterns of fitness rather than adopting a harsh workout regime each New Year’s. A simple way to start is walking. Studies have shown that walking 2 miles-a-day cuts the risk of death almost in half! 30 minutes a day also works because it reduces as much risk of a heart attack as a highly intense exercise.

#Educate yourself. One of the most consistent markers of longevity across the world, in all economic conditions is higher education. If you stay in school and get a degree, it seems to increase your chances of living longer more than almost anything else, apart from taking physical care of yourself with regular exercise, eating healthy and not smoking.

# Write a gratitude list. When you write a gratitude list, you will feel much better about yourself and you won’t think about what you don’t have. When you focus on what you have now, you attract more good things into your life. You will live longer because gratitude makes you feel happy.

#Develop a sleep schedule. It is not as important to get a certain number of hours of sleep, so much as it is to get the same amount of sleep, at the same time, day in and day out. Sleep gives your body a chance to heal and regenerate; having a stable sleeping routine will help your body take care of itself more easily. If you do not carry out successful sleep cycles over an extended period of time (48+ hours) you can seriously affect your physical and mental health.

#Use your mind. This will help you make better decisions to help you live longer. It will also help in survival situations. There’s no point to living a long life if you are not happy, and this is one way to enlighten yourself and enjoy life. Lastly, people who read and exercise their mind a lot tend to be less prone to Alzheimer’s.

#Floss every day. Certain bacteria live in your teeth and can cause arteries to swell. Swollen arteries can lead to heart disease.

#[[Laugh a Lot|Laugh at least once a day]]. You hear this day in and day out, laughter is the best medicine. While there may not be proven scientific benefits, every time you laugh you always feel good inside. So take time to laugh today, and everyday. Play a crazy game, watch comedy. What ever makes you laugh, go ahead and do it. You will feel a million times better.

If you really want to live longer, then you can start with your attitude. Your way of thinking can not only impact the quality of your life, but also how long you actually live. In 2002, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that optimistic people decreased their risk of early death by 50 percent compared with those who leaned more towards pessimism.

“The exact mechanism of how personality acts as a risk factor for early death or poorer health is unclear,” says Dr. Toshihiko Maruta, the main investigator in the study. Most likely, it has to do with the fact that pessimists have an increased chance for future problems with their physical health, career achievements and emotional stress–particularly depression. “Yet another possibility could be more directly biological, like changes in the immune system,” Maruta adds.

Besides optimism, are there other personality traits that can help us live longer, healthier lives? According to Dr. Howard Friedman, a psychologist at the University of California at Riverside, conscientiousness is related to mortality in a significant way. The Terman Life-Cycle Study, which ran from 1921 to 1991, examined an array of factors like personality, habits, social relations, education, physical activities and cause of death.

“Those low on adult conscientiousness died sooner,” Friedman concluded. Conscientiousness does not mean looking both ways before crossing the street; it means looking both ways when the light turns green so you don’t accidentally run down some slow-moving pedestrian. Beyond that, a conscientious person’s long-living qualities probably have to do with the fact that they are predisposed to constructively reacting to emotional and social situations, and are more likely to create work and living environments that promote good health.

Besides looking at the world through rosier-colored glasses, there are also more traditional practices that the aspiring centenarian can take. People should stop smoking, eat a balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight. While these may sound “nannyish,” they are factors that cannot be overlooked. This might not sound like much fun, but it’s a lot more fun than dying.

Research shows that obesity, for example, contributes to a slew of medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and various cancers. So powerful are certain lifestyle choices that recommended diets along with maintenance of physical activity and appropriate body mass can, over time, reduce the incidence of cancer by 30 percent to 40 percent, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Animal lovers will be happy to know that having a pet can add years to your life, as well. One of the first studies in this arena, which appeared in “Public Health Reports” in 1980, showed that the survival rates of heart attack victims who had a pet were 28 percent higher than those of patients who didn’t have an animal companion. “The health effects seem to be very real and by no means mystical,” says Alan Beck, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University. “Contact with companion animals triggers a relaxation response,” he says.

Rebecca Johnson, a professor of gerontological nursing at the University of Missouri at Columbia, showed that interaction with pets does, in fact, reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. The ability of companion pets to reduce our overall stress level probably accounts for most of their life-extending qualities. “For many people, pets also provide a reason to get moving,” adds Johnson. How many people, after all, would actually get any exercise if it weren’t for their over-enthusiastic dog?

To many people, quality of life is equally as important as life span. It is a good thing, then, that many of the things that can improve your longevity can also improve your quality of life.

© 2011 Forbes.com