Longevity: factors and practical tips for healthy ageing

A long and healthy life is a desirable goal for many people nowadays. To age healthily, you should start in good time to keep your body and mind fit with a conscious lifestyle. This article shows you what you can look out for when it comes tolongevity.

What you will learn here

What is longevity actually?

It is an undisputed fact that people today are living much longer than they used to. Reaching the age of 100 is no longer a rarity. When people reach this advanced age, they talk about longevity. It means that you have reached an extended lifespan compared to the average life expectancy.

However, old age also brings with it a number of side effects, such as a reduced quality of life due to health problems. The most common problems include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, musculoskeletal impairments and mental disorders. 

A healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of falling ill in old age and enjoying a long, healthy life. Incidentally, genes only have a small influence on your lifespan.

10 tips for healthy ageing and longevity

Certain lifestyles influence healthy ageing. Nutrition plays an important role in longevity, but physical and mental health are also important. 

The following 10 tips will help you to age fit and experience healthy longevity. You can slowly incorporate the individual points into your everyday life and make them part of your routine. This will allow your body to adapt step by step.

1. get enough sleep and get up early

Sufficient sleep is important for the regeneration of your body. A lack of sleep damages your health in the long term and shortens your life. How much sleep is optimal for you depends on your constitutional type. Use the Dosha test to find out which basic Ayurvedic type you are.

In addition to the duration of sleep itself, getting up early also promotes the rhythm of your body and longevity. Ayurveda recommends a fresh start to the day, with enough time for healing routines and care in the morning. This allows you to take control of your daily routine from the very beginning and consciously start the morning according to your needs.

2. healthy eating habits

Food is medicine, so the right diet with the right spices also helps you to live a long life. A nutrient-rich, Mediterranean diet is associated with longevity because it reduces the risk of age-related diseases. 

This means that plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit, wholegrain products, pulses and nuts should be part of your diet. Fish should also be included in your diet two to three times a week.

Make a conscious effort to avoid processed foods, unhealthy fats, sugar and meat. It's never too late to change your eating habits. However, the earlier you start, the more time you can save. Pay attention to routine meal times to better regulate your metabolism.

A healthy diet also includes drinking plenty of fluids, preferably warm water in the morning. This stimulates your metabolism and supports the elimination of toxins. For a better effect and more flavor, you can add lemon juice, coriander or caraway seeds to the boiled water.

Healthy eating habits for longevity also include avoiding distractions while eating. Concentrate on the intake of food to avoid overeating. This will help you avoid poor digestion and the associated negative impact on your health.

3. regular physical activity

By being physically active on a regular basis, you are making an important contribution to extending your lifespan in a healthy way. The recommended guideline for adults is at least two and a half to five hours of exercise per week. This mainly refers to moderate activities such as cycling, brisk walking or swimming.

You can prevent joint pain in old age with additional, targeted strength training. Try to integrate exercise into your everyday life, for example by taking the stairs instead of the elevator. For short distances, use a bicycle or walk instead of driving.

4. self-massage and skin care

A gentle self-massage with warm (herbal) oils combats stress, calms Vata and improves circulation. This benefits your immune system and has a positive long-term effect on longevity.
Ayurvedic anti-ageing products can also be used for further skin care. They can balance your doshas and ensure a more youthful complexion. This will also keep your skin young.

5. oil pulling and tongue scraping

Careful "pulling" of high-quality oil in the oral cavity supports the microbiome in the mouth. This reduces the risk of developing unwanted bacteria and problems with the gums. It is best to use oil pulling in your Ayurvedic morning routine before tongue scraping and brushing your teeth.

With the tongue scraper you remove bacteria and toxins from the oral cavity. It also improves the health of your mouth and strengthens your immune system at the same time.

6. yoga and meditation

Consciously take the time for yoga exercises or meditation in the morning. Yoga and Ayurveda bring body, mind and soul into harmony in order to achieve long-term and holistic well-being.

7. do not smoke

Giving up tobacco products significantly prolongs your life and allows you to age more healthily. Smoking puts a strain on the cardiovascular system and promotes cancer, making it one of the most significant risk factors for serious ailments in old age. It is worth giving up smoking at any age.

8. limit alcohol consumption

Similar to smoking, a high consumption of alcohol increases the risk of premature death. Both stimulants also reinforce each other's carcinogenic effects. The guideline is a maximum of 100 grams of alcohol per week, which is roughly equivalent to five glasses of wine. 

But the rule is: the less, the better. Perhaps a non-alcoholic wine is a good alternative for a cozy evening at home.

9. maintain social contacts

If you maintain your social contacts regularly, you increase your chances of living a longer, happier life. Whether it's a club, good friends or your family - a stable social environment reduces the risk of depression, which in turn reduces the risk of death.

Looking after grandchildren or doing activities with friends keeps you mentally and physically fit. In addition, a social network is there to support you in difficult phases of life.

10. avoid stress

Finally, it is particularly important to avoid prolonged stress, which is associated with an accelerated ageing process. Constant tension also often leads to unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, alcoholism or emotional eating. These factors increase the risk of illness and premature death.

Regular relaxation and good stress management are therefore all the more important in stressful phases. This can be supported by progressive muscle relaxation, sport, meditation or yoga, for example.

The right longevity diet for a healthy life

The following foods are a healthy and nutritious addition to your daily diet. They provide your body with important vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy and fit.

• Pulses (e.g. beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas) 
• Fruit and vegetables
• Nuts
• Cereals and whole grain products 
• Fish
• Spices such as garlic, ginger and chili
• Ayurvedic herbs (e.g. ashwagandha, gotukola, guduchi)
• healthy oils (e.g. linseed oil, olive oil) or ghee
• Green tea and warm water with lemon or ginger
• Dark chocolate

Longevity in Ayurveda

Ayurveda has its own specialty that deals with the meaning of longevity: Rasayana. The term is made up of "rasa" for "essence, nutrient juice" and "yana" for "circulation, journey". Accordingly, Rasayana is considered an instrument for a long life. The Ayurvedic treatment has a holistic rejuvenating effect on your body and mind.

By vitalizing your body and mind, your body is protected from harmful influences. Your cells are nourished and strengthened to keep the circulation channels clear and promote blood flow. The treatment includes infusions, oil infusions and gentle cleansing.

Ayurvedic principles for longevity

In order for you to age healthily, a healthy lifestyle is just as important as healthy routines in everyday life. These will keep you physically and mentally fit. Harmonious decisions play just as important a role as the following principles:

• The three doshas determine your longevity at a cellular level. As the energy of movement, Vata controls all of your body's functions. Pitta takes over the tasks of metabolism and digestion. Kapha controls anabolism and coordinates the cooperation between different parts of the body. A good balance of the doshas ensures good health and a long life.

• Your "basic composition" on an anatomical, physiological and psychological level is described by Prakriti. This is your individual constitution. It affects your metabolism, immune system and personal likes and dislikes. Prakriti therefore also determines your ability to develop physically and mentally at every stage of your life.

• A healthy and conscious diet has a significant influence on your ageing process. Eating in harmony with nature - i.e. seasonal and regional - helps to improve digestion and coordinate imbalances in the body. You can also better prevent illnesses and ailments and delay the ageing process.

• Achar Rasayana can be translated as "young, agile mind" and describes the Ayurvedic strategy for regulating social behavior. This refers to living in healthy company by having the ability to adapt to different social contexts and behaviors. A positive mindset and resilience make an important contribution to quality of life and its duration.

What are the benefits of a longevity cure?

A hectic everyday life slows down cell division in your body. The result is a weak immune system, health problems and a premature ageing process. With a Longevity Balance cure, you strengthen your body and mind, renew your immune system and find your inner balance.

A longevity cure can ensure that ageing processes are slowed down by:

• regain vitality and mental strength
• Immune system and musculoskeletal system are strengthened
• inner stability and balance is built up
• digestive system and intestinal health are positively influenced
• A healthy sleep rhythm is promoted 
• Emotional and mental blockages are released
• Satisfaction with your own body increases
• Experience more connection to yourself and spirituality
• more ease and joie de vivre at work, in the family and in partnerships

The aim of Ayurveda is the holistic treatment of the human organism and the consideration of each person as an individual. This is why the respective therapies are also individually adapted to you and your needs on the basis of an anamnesis interview.

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