Getting healthy

A friend recently sent me a relatively simple “to do list” to become happier and healthier. Here it is:

Be friendly. Being friendly can increase ones life several years! It seems that friendliness increases the production of oxytocin. Oxytocin is that the cuddle hormone that calms our brain, lowers blood pressure, decreases binge eating, and jump starts our immune system. Touch is critical to our mental and physical health, so hug your family and friends. Go visit someone. There is a direct coorelation between touch and health. A baby can die if not cuddled.

Sit less, move more. We can increase our life expectancy by up to two years by being more active. Not all of us can walk 10,000 steps a day, but almost everyone can stand up and stretch and walk around the room, even if only five to ten steps at a time. My kids got me a fitbit for my birthday and it really helps me track my activity.

Brush! Floss! For the life of me I'll never understand why heath insurance doesn't cover our teeth! Study after study links dirty chompers to digestive, intestional, autoimmune, and heart diseases, strokes, diabetes. Good oral hygiene is so important that regular brushing and flossing can add up to 6 years to ones life.

Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating at least a cup of RAW fruit and veggies a day truly improves gut and intestional health! And yes, cooked veggies are good, but we still need at least 60 grams (about 1 cup) of fresh fruit and veggies a day. It's all about probiotics, fiber, antioxidants and other chemicals fruits and vegetables produce to protect them from bacteria, fungus, etc.

Be positive. Practice gratitude. People with a positive outlook can live more than seven years longer than those who are chronic complainers. Positive thinking increases the brain’s levels of feel good/ happiness hormones, especially those that improve memory, alleviate depression, and fight dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Lose weight. Reaching and maintaining ones' Target BMI can make a dramatic difference in how one feels and how long one lives. Our BMI compares weight to height by dividing weight measurement in kilograms by squared height measurement in meters. That's a fancy way of saying, watch your weight (but not by getting it out there where you can see it!), eat better, and get more exercise. Losing and maintaining one's ideal weight can add up 3 years to one's life .

Eat More Nuts. Nutritionists say eating a small daily portion (like 13 to 20 almonds or walnuts) can add up to 3 years to your life. Nuts are good not just because they decrease the risk of high blood pressure, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, irregular heart rhythms, and diabetes but because their protein and their fat content promotes feelings of satisfaction. When you need a quick pick-me-up or bed time snack eat a peanut butter and banana or sliced apple sandwich instead of something with sugar.

Eat smaller portions. Put away your dinner plates and use a salad plate instead! And no seconds.

According to the information my friend sent, doing all of the above could increase one's life span by 35 years but at 79 that's not even appealing. Especially if Donald Trump gets elected president!

Joyce Shutt is pastor emeritus of the Fairfield Mennonite Church.