Simple things we can do to live longer

For most of us, living a long life seems like a good deal. But costly.

Sure, we could all move to the valley of Longlaodun in Southwest China, where we know the folks tend to live to be 110. I don't know about you, but I can't live without my MTV.

We could try pumping ourselves with human growth hormone and other such things widely touted by the anti-agers. Despite all of their grandiose claims, the science just isn't there to assure me that I won't be growing a tumor out of the side of my head down the line.

Besides, I usually try to avoid anything that smells like a pact with the devil. So what is left?

There are some surprisingly simple things we can do. They aren't costly, but they will require effort and commitment. But what you gain is some nice "sweat equity."

Here are four:

1. Get an attitude adjustment. Research consistently shows that optimists live longer. In one 23-year-long study, those with positive perceptions of aging lived on average 7.5 years longer than the group who didn't. Optimism was even more effective in increasing longevity than lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Folks who have a strong "will to live" are especially competitive in the longevity derby.

2. Eat less ... but eat more often. The science is pretty conclusive on this one: One of the clearest ways we have of extending our life span is to cut calories about 30 percent. Okinawans, who are so long-lived that they have a whole health program based on them, consume on average almost 40 percent fewer calories than we do in the U.S.!

Calorie restricted diets produce fewer free radicals (or "oxidants") which can damage healthy cells.

Problem is few people can sustain such a spartan diet and anything less than 1200 calories a day has potential health problems. That is why it is also good advice to eat often: small portions five times a day. This avoids unstable blood sugar levels and the ravenous weight-producing eating that results.

3. Antioxidize. Those free radicals, when left unchecked, can foreshorten your life. The way to fight them is to marshall an army of antioxidants. We get them from eating a healthy diet loaded with green and orange vegetables, and by taking a daily multivitamin with both C, E and beta carotene. A UCLA study showed how wholesome antioxidants can be: men who daily took over 500 milligrams of vitamin C and drank eight ounces of orange juice added five years to their lives; women cut their risk of stroke and heart attack by 25 percent.

4. Relax! We all know how important it is to chill. Our spouses tend to like us better, we get invited to more parties ... and we live longer to boot. A study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience showed that older folks who committed to daily meditation tended to live twelve years longer. Actually, any kind of relaxation discipline -- yoga, tai chi, listening to music -- when practiced consistently, results in some amazing longevity benefits: 87 percent fewer heart attacks in "seniors" (according to one study) than is normal for their age group, 55 percent fewer cancerous tumors and 87 percent fewer nervous disorders.

And then, you could just do what your mother told you to do. Don't smoke. Use sunscreen liberally when outdoors. Exercise. Eat a healthy and well-balanced diet. Never drive your car fast with your eyes closed. And have sex regularly.

OK, maybe your mother didn't say all of that. But I am sure she would want you to do whatever it takes to live a long and healthy life.

Dr. Michael O.L. Seabaugh is a Cape Girardeau native who is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years experience helping individuals and couples with their emotional and relationship issues. He has a private practice in Santa Barbara and Santa Monica, Calif. Contact him at mseabaugh@semissourian.com.