15 Tips for Living to 100

I ran across this article today and thought it would fit right in with my goals of trying to live healthier! I don't know if I'll live to 100, but more and more people are doing just that. What are you doing that is on the list? What else would you add to the list?

• Start planning for longevity today.
• Eat healthy. The basics are pretty consistent: avoid junk food; limit prepared foods (restaurant and take out), sugary drinks and sodas; eat lots of fruits and vegetables.ere.
• Control your weight. It’s really simple; the fatter your body, the harder your heart has to work to supply it with blood and the harder your knees have to work to keep it moving.
• Don’t add salt to your food. Salt is a growing health problem in the United States and is contributing to high blood pressure and heart disease. There is so much salt already in the food we eat that adding extra salt is unhealthy.
• Take a multivitamin and fish oil daily.
• Maintain Family Units. In today’s fractured world, many families live far away from each other. Yet in places such as Sardinia, Italy where there are ten times the centenarians as in the United States, families typically live together in units that include the grandparents. They call it the grandmother affect.
• Eat on A Smaller Plate. People in Okinawa, Japan use plates about the size of a salad plate.  They live seven good years longer than the average American and have 1/5 the rate of breast and colon cancer and 1/6 the rate of heart disease. Centenarians stop eating with they are 80% full.
• Meditate Daily. According to Herbert Benson, people who meditate at least 10 minutes daily to illicit the relaxation response (opposite of fight or flight) have lower risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and more.
• Remain Active. It’s not about running in the Boston Marathon. It’s about staying active and moving. Hardwire some type of physical activity into every week of your life. Walk in nature, take the stairs, do yoga or tai chi, garden. Do this at least two to three times per week.
• Stay Connected. People live longer who have ongoing social interactions, who are able to share their happiness and sorrow and who have companionship. This does not mean chat rooms and Facebook (or Gather, LOL!). It means sitting in the room with real people. Volunteering, participating and sharing are life extenders.
• Have a purpose. People who have a reason to wake up in the morning live longer, healthier, happier lives. What’s yours? If an answer doesn’t pop into your head, search for one.
• Have a day of rest. Having one day a week where all you do is relax, abstain from work and any stress related activity, and/or pray has been shown to increase longevity. 
• Remain Spiritual: People who are part of a faith based community who pray at least 4 times per month live between 4 and 14 extra years.
• Choose friends wisely. People tend to become who they hang out with. The Framingham Study showed that if your 3 best friends are obese, you are 50% more likely to become obese. Friends with healthy habits increase your chance of remaining healthy.
• Smile More: People who are happier and have a more positive attitude live longer. Happiness lowers stress, strengths your immune system and keep the tips of your chromosomes, called telomeres, longer, preventing cancer and disease.
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  Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/15-tips-for-living-to-100.html#ixzz2J8YnLBZb