Facts

“Physical activity is the closest thing to the fountain of youth! », Says Harvard University gerontologist Anne Fabiny. In his document Living Better, Living Go along², available on the University’s website, she affirms, with supporting research, that physical activity decreases the risk of being affected by several diseases: diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, depression⁴. It maintains healthy bones, helps maintain vitality and independence into old age, and improves mood and mental functioning. Physical activity is so beneficial that it can counteract, to a certain extent, the negative effects of certain risk factors for cardiovascular disorders such as high blood cholesterol or hypertension.³.

Conversely, a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of disease, as research shows⁵ conducted among 50 nurses over six years: the more hours per day these people spent in front of the television, the more the incidence of type 000 diabetes increased.

Remember that there are all kinds of ways to be in motion:

• sport, chosen for its playful or competitive qualities;
• training, which can be done on devices (you have to be well guided), or through practices such as yoga, pilates, gymnastics, Tai Chi, etc .;
• dance;
• daily activity, such as walking, walking up and down stairs, gardening (especially benefactor), cleaning and shopping, playing with children, etc.

Regular physical activity, well suited to one’s age and physical condition, also considerably reduces problems which, without being serious, can greatly affect the quality of life: tendonitis, ankylosis, loss of range of motion, pain, etc. lack of strength or breath, injuries due to repetitive work, etc.

Basic objective

Be moderately active for at least 30 minutes a day.

Ideal recipe

Combine, within a week, various activities in order to cover, in addition to the calorie expenditure, the following three aspects:

• aerobic training (raising your heart rate for at least 10 minutes at a stretch);
• muscle toning (strength training);
• easing (stretching) for joint support.

Facts

According to Harvard University, proper nutrition can help ward off illnesses that strike as we age, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and even cataracts.².

On the subject of cancer prevention, Richard Béliveau, researcher at the University of Quebec in Montreal, recently aroused great interest with his work on ten anti-cancer foods. Their consumption would prevent the growth of microtumors generated spontaneously during life⁷.

Foods containing vitamins A, B6, B12, C and E, all antioxidants, are particularly beneficial, both for reducing the risk of chronic disease and for protecting and nourishing brain cells, thus helping to slow the decline of cognitive functions.⁸.

On the supplement side, multivitamins seem to be needed⁹. Some others may be indicated, such as omega-3s if you are not getting enough fatty fish. For everything else, it is better to consult a nutritionist or a doctor.

Basic objectives

• Consume 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
• Eat whole grain cereals every day.
• Limit the consumption of red meat and other sources of saturated fat.
• Limit sugary foods.
• Take a daily dose of multivitamins.
• Do not consume more calories than you expend through physical activity.

Ideal recipe

There are a few, among them:

• the Mediterranean diet, whose effects on longevity and disease prevention have been well demonstrated¹⁰;
• the Harvard University Food Pyramid, developed by Dr.^r Walter Willett¹¹;
• the anti-inflammatory diet of D^r Andrew Weil¹².

We gradually adopt one or the other formula – or the one recommended by your healthcare professional – to make it our long-term food guide.

Facts

Tobacco kills, it is well known. “Especially in the form of cigarettes, it is the only legal product that kills when consumed as intended by the manufacturer”, says one to the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Quebec¹⁷. It is also, according to the authors of the book Prevent¹³, the worst “serial killer” on earth.

Tobacco first makes you sick with its 4 toxic substances resulting from its combustion. It is the number one carcinogen. It is the worst poison of the heart and the arteries, including those which feed the brain, the enemy of the lungs and the first factor of aging and degeneration of the organism.⁷.

Basic objectives

No smoking.

Do not frequent smoky places on a regular basis.

Facts

Being overweight causes a number of health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, liver stones, and some cancers, in addition to making joint problems and pain worse.⁶. In developed countries, excess weight is behind smoking as the leading cause of preventable death.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) has become, in recent years, a practical tool for “rating” a person’s weight. This index is calculated by dividing the weight (kg) by the height squared (m²): A person weighing 68 kilos and measuring 1,7 meters, for example, therefore has a BMI of 23,4. You should know that the BMI lacks precision, because it does not take into account the presence or not of abdominal fat – more damaging. It is also a game-changer for stocky or very muscular people. Calculate your BMI here.

Basic objective

Healthy weight is a body mass index between 18,5 and 25.

Facts

Love is good for the health¹⁵. Like being involved in a community activity, or having a project that you want to achieve one day. “The mind and the emotions are to be taken into consideration as a priority for prevention. It is perhaps our whole way of living that needs to be improved, even changed, ”underline the authors of Prevent¹³.

Basic objectives

Regularly share enjoyable activities with family members, friends, colleagues.

Facts

There is no consensus in the scientific community about the precise impact of stress on aging, in part because it is difficult to define. No one reacts with the same intensity to hard knocks or pressure. However, there is evidence that high stress levels increase damage caused by free radicals, which in turn accelerates aging. It can also cause a weakened immune system, attack cognitive functions, increase vulnerability to certain serious diseases – cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, type 2 diabetes and cancer – and accelerate their progression.

Basic objective

Sleep is said to be the “natural mechanism of rejuvenation”. Every night, biological systems rest and repair themselves. One strategy to avoid premature aging is to get at least seven hours of sleep per night (but no more than nine!).

Ideal recipe

Adopting a detached attitude towards concerns, big and small, takes on more importance as we get older. A large part of stress is how we react to events. It is possible, although demanding, to change our anxious attitudes. It restores vitality …

Facts

When parents and grandparents have died rather young and when there are cases of cancer or other chronic illnesses in the immediate family, we cannot rely on the strength of our genes to bring us happily into the centenary. … People in this situation should be extra careful in their daily behavior. This is called primary prevention. In their case, medical screening is also essential.

Basic objective

Consult a doctor regularly, preferably always the same for better monitoring. Your doctor may note the onset of symptoms, such as high blood pressure, and advise you on what to do next.

The ideal recipe

Regularly undergo the tests necessary to detect the first signs of a serious illness. Among the tests that are often recommended after 40 years: cholesterol level, condition of the thyroid gland, condition of the prostate, diabetic assessment (by blood test), colonoscopy and bone densitometry (mineral content of the bones). Depending on the case, other screening measures may be offered by the doctor.