Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Help You Live Longer and Healthier, Study Shows

By the time most of us leave work every day, nobody feels like running to the store and making a meal from scratch. Don’t even mention stopping along the way to sweat out some calories at the gym first.

Sadly, relaxing usually means sitting in front of the TV – not unrolling  a yoga mat.

And that’s exactly why it’s important to take note of compelling research that, if taken to heart, can positively affect our health and wellness.

Consider the latest study that comes from scientists at UC San Francisco and the Preventive Medicine Research Institute. A small pilot study shows – for the first time – that changing what you eat, how much you exercise and controlling your stress can actually lengthen your telomeres. That’s pretty significant when you understand that telomeres are the parts of our chromosomes that affect aging.

“Our genes, and our telomeres, are not necessarily our fate,” said Dr. Dean Ornish, lead author and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in a news release. “So often people think ‘Oh, I have bad genes, there’s nothing I can do about it.’ But these findings indicate that telomeres may lengthen to the degree that people change how they live. Research indicates that longer telomeres are associated with fewer illnesses and longer life.”

Telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, affect how quickly cells age, according to the news release. And when they shorten, the cells age and die faster.

Most importantly, shorter telomeres are associated with several diseases including: obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer, stroke, cardiovascular disease and vascular dementia.

“Telomere shortening increases the risk of a wide variety of chronic diseases,” said Dr. Peter R. Carroll, co-author. “We believe that increases in telomere length may help to prevent these conditions and perhaps even lengthen lifespan.”

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