We’d all love to live as long as possible. With a good diet, regular exercise, and a healthy lifestyle, it’s entirely possible. However, there are plenty of things to lure you away along the journey. Vices like smoking, drinking, and McDonald's are all very tempting! Is it possible to enjoy life, and extend it at the same time?

Today, we’ll show you how to live a long and healthy life. It’s not about restricting yourself from all the things you love. It’s about taking a sensible approach, and making realistic decisions. Let’s dive in and take a look, shall we?


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See your doctor regularly, and get insurance

First of all, you’ve got to take an active approach to looking after your body. That means scheduling regular visits with your doctor, and going for checkups. We can all ignore things for the sake of an easy life. But, you just never know what’s around the corner. That’s why health insurance and critical illness insurance is essential here. Take a look at Gocompare.com, and make sure you’re protected. It’s just good sense to look after your health and body in this way.

Stick to a balanced diet

We’ve all tried crash diets and the latest crazes. As a long-term solution, they’re just not realistic. You might lose a few pounds here and there. But, it won’t help you stay healthy for good. Instead, you need to adopt a simple, balanced diet. (Take a look at WebMD.com for healthy diet tips). Don’t deny yourself the things you love, just eat them in moderation. Balance them out with fruits, vegetables, and plenty of protein. Switch the dense carbs for complex carbohydrates. There’s no need to limit your options, but make sure you’re balancing things out.

Regular, light exercise

Doctors advise raising your heart rate for half an hour three times a week. That’s not an unrealistic goal at all. You can achieve this simply by walking to and from work now and then. Do some light yoga once a week, and take the bike out at the weekend. That’s a simple exercise routine you can realistically stick to. No-one’s asking you to run a marathon! Regular exercise keeps your heart healthy, and boosts your energy.


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Drink green tea

There’s an island colony in Japan that has the highest density of over-100-year-olds. A journalist once asked them why they think they live so long. Their answer was simple: green tea! Green tea is packed full of antioxidants that help ward off cancers and other chronic illnesses. It also boosts your immune system, and helps stimulate the brain.

Avoid smoking and too much alcohol

Smoking and alcohol are two of the leading causes of cancer and other debilitating conditions. Smoking, in particular, has no redeeming health qualities. Meanwhile, it will slowly destroy your heart and lungs over the years. As for alcohol, it is fine in moderation, but try to limit yourself to one glass of wine per day.

That’s all for now, folks! Stay young and active with these simple tricks. Have you got any advice of your own?