Want to feel sprightly and active as you get older? Beyond midlife, our bodies start to deteriorate, but small biohacks tweaks that target all our body's systems - are the secret to longevity, says neuroscientist and author Dr Julia Jones. But it goes beyond slimming down or hitting the gym regularly. 'Don't just focus on fitness, also address gut diversity, sleep quality, stress levels and social integration,' she says. Try these tips to change the way you age.
1 BE GRATEFUL
A calm life is a longer one-high stress levels can shorten life expectancy by as much as 2.8 years, found researchers**. Try the 'three good things' exercise, which encourages daily gratitude, says psychologist Miriam Akhtar. This simple practice can help dampen the effect of harmful stress hormones in the body when the going gets tough. Ask yourself every day: 'What's good in my life? What am I grateful for? What's going well right now?'
2 NOURISH YOUR GUT
Support a healthy gut by moving from a diet that is high in red meat and processed foods for more wholefoods, such as fish, beans, grains, nuts, fruit and vegetables. This 'optimal' diet can add 10 years if you start younger, and eight to nine years if you switch at 60, found researchers at the University of Bergen, Norway.
3 HAVE A BLAST OF COLD WATER
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