According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), life expectancy in the UK is 79.2 years for males and 82.9 years for females with the average life expectancy at 80.96 years. Life expectancy progress in the UK has stopped for the first time and the reason for this was explained by the ONS who said: “The stalling of life expectancy was linked to a particularly high number of deaths from 2015 – 2017 which coincided with a bad flu season and excess winter deaths.” The longevity of your life is 75 percent down to your lifestyle and you have the power to change many variables that influence how long you live with certain foods.
Put simply, the major change you can make is a healthy, well-balanced diet.
The NHS said: “Ensuring that you have a healthy balanced diet is an important step towards good health. Good health is essential in leading a full and active life. A balanced diet means eating the right amount of foods from all the food groups.”
Numerous research have suggested that eating healthy foods can help in extending your life.
A diet which includes lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and a moderate amount of unsaturated fats (meat and dairy) will ensure longevity, lower cholesterol levels and help maintain a healthy weight.
You should choose your fats wisely wherever possible and avoid trans fats entirely. The Mayo clinic explains that trans fat is considered by many doctors to be the worst type of fat you can eat. A diet loaded with trans fat increases your risk of heart disease, the leading killer of men and woman.
Trans fat can be found in foods such as:
- Baked foods including cakes, cookies and pies
- Fried foods such as french fries, doughnuts and fried items such as chicken
- Cream and margarine
When it comes to fruits and vegetables try get at least five servings a day and foods rich in antioxidants will defend your cells from damage.
Try limit the amount of refined grains and load up with whole-grain foods and swap healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats for unhealthy saturated and trans fats.
Best foods to eat include:
- Berries
- Olive oil
- Fish
- Beans
- Vegetables
- Nuts
We all want to live longer and lead healthy lifestyles and ensuring your diet gets the right types of vitamins and minerals is crucial.
Another huge factor is quitting smoking which will decrease your chances of getting heart disease, osteoporosis, emphysema and other chronic lung problems.
You should speak with your doctor about getting help with quitting.
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