We Know It's True But Here Are the Facts: Healthy Eating Does Promote Longer Life

Healthy Eating Will Help You To Live Longer 

Everyone knows that eating nutritious foods will lead to a longer life, but most people don’t know why this is true. You may have forgotten about the different types of nutrients in foods and beverages, so it is a good idea to learn more about the minerals and vitamins that you consume each day. Experts know that healthy eating promotes a longer life because your body is stronger and damage is repaired when you consume a lot of nutrients. When you eat a diet that is low in nutrients, your body can’t develop new cells that will provide vital energy.

Nutrients Required For a Longer Life 

Here are a few of the essential nutrients you need each day to promote a longer and healthier life. 

Nutrient 1: Vitamins

Researchers have discovered numerous types of vitamins in natural foods, and it is also possible for scientists to create artificial vitamins. If you buy a processed food, then it will typically have artificial vitamins, making it a fortified food. Dietitians recommend consuming foods that are natural to ingest the most nutrients. Some of the most common types of vitamins include:

• Vitamin A – in eggs, broccoli, spinach and carrots
• Vitamin B – in milk, beef, poultry and fish
• Vitamin C – in citrus fruit such as grapefruits, lemons, oranges and limes
• Vitamin E – in sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach and seeds
• Vitamin K – in kale, cauliflower, eggs and fish

By eating a diet that has a wide variety of foods, you will get an assortment of vitamins that will boost your immune system, build strong bones and keep you energized. 

Nutrient 2: Dietary Minerals

Your body contains major and trace mineral elements that you ingest from plant foods, water and different types of meat. Without these minerals, your body will slow down, and you may also develop brain fog. The major minerals required by your body include:

• Magnesium – found in spinach, legumes and whole grains
• Sodium – milk, spinach and salt
• Potassium – carrots, bananas and tomatoes
• Phosphorus – rice, poultry and red meat
• Calcium – found in dairy products, canned salmon and some vegetables

The trace minerals are also important for your body, and these elements include: 

• Selenium – eggs, seafood and grains
• Iodine – found in fish and fortified iodized salt
• Molybdenum – nuts, whole grains and legumes 
• Magnesium – dark chocolate, beans and nuts 
• Zinc – dairy products, poultry and oysters
• Copper – liver, nuts and whole grains
• Iron – red meat, beans and nuts 

Minerals are a vital component to create and repair your teeth and bones, but these nutrients also keep you healthy in other ways. 

Nutrient 3: Proteins

Protein foods contain amino acids that are essential for the cells in your body. With amino acids, your body will have the right level of hormones so that you will have vibrant skin along with resisting diseases such as the common cold or influenza. While you might think that meat or fish is the primary source of amino acids, there are other foods that contain this nutrient. Add these foods to your grocery list:

• Raisins
• Avocados
• Almonds
• Chia seeds
• Pumpkin 
• Watercress

Surrounding Yourself With Healthy Eating People is Good For Your Own Personal Habits

As the saying goes, things that are out of sight are out of mind, and this goes for food as it does for many other things. You may already have found that the best way to stop yourself from eating unhealthy foods is simply to keep the food that tempts you out of the house. However, you can take this a step further and spend your time with people who are eating food that is healthy as well. 

Eating right around other people who are committed to health is much easier than having to say no to a steady stream of chicken wings, pizza, fries and cake. Eating a healthier diet will come more naturally when your friends are doing the same thing. Being around healthy eaters also means you may get the chance to see several different models of healthy eating. Seeing how different approaches work for different people can help keep you from becoming locked into thinking rigidly about healthy food choices. For example, you might see how people can be healthy on a vegan or vegetarian diet as well as one that incorporates meat. You might get tips on how to incorporate treats into your diet without ruining it. 

You may also get inspiration for healthier eating. In particular, if you have not paid particular attention to your diet in the past, you might assume that healthy eating means that you will never be full or eat flavorful food again. You might assume that your choices of what you can eat will narrow significantly. Dining with other healthy eaters may introduce you to ingredients, cuisines and ways of approaching cooking that you have not considered. If you are unsure about vegan food or quinoa, you can have a taste of your friend's food without committing yourself to an entire meal. You may be surprised to learn how much variety and flavor is available when you switch to a healthy diet. Other healthy eaters may also be able to share tips about recipes and restaurants as well as the latest thinking in nutrition circles. 

People who are healthy eaters also tend to live healthier lifestyles in general. Therefore, being around healthy eating habits may result not just in eating better but in creating and maintaining other healthy habits. Thanks to your healthy eating buddies, you may find yourself also quitting smoking, cutting back on your alcohol consumption or starting to exercise. Among people who have healthy eating habits is also the best place to find companions to join you in that exercise. A walk around the block or through the park may seem a lot more appealing when you have someone to join you. 

When you surround yourself with other people who have healthy eating habits, you are taking a holistic approach to health. In other words, you will no longer see healthy eating as something that is somehow separate from the rest of your life but something that is integrated into it along with other healthy habits and healthy ways of thinking. If you have always been a healthy eater but not known many others who were, being around other people who have chosen the same lifestyle as you may feel like a revelation. If you are just getting started on healthy eating, others can be an important source of advice and reinforcement.

Dementia Can Be Delayed with Healthy Living

Increasingly, scientists are highlighting the link between healthy living and delaying the onset of dementia. The evidence is now conclusive that quitting smoking and exercising regularly can reduce dementia risk substantially. In general, people should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-level exercise each and every week. Regular walking and swimming are recommended for people new to exercise and those with relatively high risk for injury. 

Ideally, dementia-delaying exercise routines should combine cardiovascular exercise with moderate strength training. Elders and people with fragile health can benefit greatly from high-repetition, low-weight strength training regimens. Working out with light weights is also useful for maintaining balance and coordination. When exercising, it is important to use proper safety gear. After all, sports injuries and head injuries are themselves associated with greater risk for dementia. Properly fitted helmets are critical for cyclists, in-line skaters and similar types of fitness enthusiasts. 

Statistically speaking, some seem destined for some cognitive impairment whatever their life habits. Many dementia symptoms are ultimately associated with Alzheimer's Syndrome, a disease with causes that remain opaque to medical science. Nevertheless, positive life changes are broadly associated with higher functioning for most average people. Key ways to delay dementia include maintaining positive sleep patterns, strong social connections and healthy eating habits. Mental exercise and stress management also play roles in delaying the onset of cognitive deficits. 

Making lifestyle changes is almost never an overnight process. The key to succeeding at a project like this is focusing on building consistent daily habits. Taking self-improvement one day at a time can prevent burn-out or abandonment of goals. Remember that it can take up to 28 days to evolve a tentative practice into an ingrained habit. Many experts argue that maintaining healthy habits is particularly important for older people approaching their retirement years. Besides protecting mental faculties, healthy living habits also contribute to whole-body health. The earlier one starts making positive life changes, the more benefits one can experience. 

Researchers have demonstrated that competitive games and mental exercises can potentially keep people from developing premature dementia symptoms. Once maligned, even video games now receive approbation from professionals who study the prevention of dementia and Alzheimer's Syndrome. Although developing new habits is far from easy, the rewards of healthy living are clearly evident to sensible observers.