Choosing a healthy lifestyle enables us to build up strong immune defences. The number of immune cells can be increased, along with their activity levels. This ensures that we are well-equipped to resist infections and the development of cancer.
2. REDUCE THE PRODUCTION OF FREE RADICALS
A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE means living in a way that significantly reduces the production of free radicals and thus also reduces the damage to our immune system, blood vessels, and organs. This in turn reduces inflammation and consequently also the risk of contracting a range of different diseases (see Figure 2). This book describes how a healthy lifestyle can seriously reduce the number of free radicals.
Figure 2. A healthy lifestyle protects against the most common diseases.
Smoking—by far the most significant cause of free radicals and inflammation
SMOKING IS ONE of the worst choices you can make if you want to enjoy a long and healthy life. Smoking significantly increases the occurrence of free radicals, which directly damage our blood vessels, immune system, and organs. In short, smoking leads to increased inflammation in the body.
The smoke also contains carcinogenic substances, which result in a greater incidence of lung disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and a whole host of other diseases. Smoking thus speeds up our ageing process, with research showing that smokers lose 8–12 years of their life on average.
Imagine being a smoker who stops smoking and instead starts living a healthier life. Since the body is able to gradually recover, you could find yourself going from -8 years of life expectancy to maybe +8 years, potentially giving you an increased lifespan of 16 years—and a healthier life at that! Perhaps knowing this can provide the motivation to take that positive leap and stop smoking.
3. RENDER THE FREE RADICALS HARMLESS
THE BODY HAS developed protection against attack from free radicals, in the form of antioxidants. Since the production of antioxidants in our body begins to tail off around the age of twenty-five, these need to be added via our food. More about that in a later chapter.
Improve your health—start today!
IF YOU HAVE, or have had, an unhealthy lifestyle, forget what has gone before. The important thing is what you do now, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life. The rejuvenating and healing process kicks in as soon as your lifestyle changes for the better, and the effects are quick to take hold. This is true whenever you choose to begin—in other words, it’s never too late. It doesn’t matter what you start with, the important thing is that you do something that has a positive impact on your health.
The result will be a healthier and longer life.
RESEARCH SHOWS
A MAJOR STUDY conducted in 11 European countries over the course of 12 years reported dramatic results: a reduction in cancer mortality of 60 per cent over the period of the study, among people who switched to a healthier lifestyle.
The researchers also drew the conclusion that those who lived a healthier life worked out to be 14 years younger in biological terms over the whole length of the study.
THE GOAL OF THIS BOOK
IN THIS BOOK, I want to show the role lifestyle has to play in strengthening the immune system and slowing and preventing inflammation in the body. Follow this advice and you will feel healthier and younger. It might also lead you to avoid a number of diseases and slow the biological ageing process.
Sweden is one of the healthiest countries in the world, and in all of the Nordic countries there is increasing awareness of the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. However, the themes in this book are wholly universal and can be applied by anyone seeking to make a change in their life.
I hope to be able to show you how your lifestyle can strengthen your own inherent powers. The healthier your habits, the more years of good health you can hope to enjoy. Let us begin with one of the most critical tips—the importance of movement.
TIP 1
The importance of exercise
WE ARE DESIGNED to move about, so keeping the body active has a wide range of positive effects. In fact, some form of physical activity can cut the risk of around 30–40 diseases such as several types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. And yet some people still think they have no time for exercise.
If you don’t set aside time for exercise today, you’ll need to set aside even more time later in life—for being ill.
Exercise not only extends life, but also gives us more energy, so we feel several years younger. People who begin to exercise or take moderate physical activity age more slowly than those who are inactive. A 60-year-old can have the body of a 40-year-old, but on the other hand, a 40-year-old can also have the body of a 60-year-old.
No matter how old you are, or what physical condition you are in, exercise will always make the body younger.
But remember that this effect only occurs as long as you continue to exercise. Exercise is a perishable item; it can’t be stored in the body, but has to be repeated on a regular basis.
How can physical activity make the body younger?
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AFFECTS the whole body, including the heart and blood vessels, the immune system, muscles, bones, and mental well-being. To build up your body, you also need to eat well. What happens is that cells are repaired, new blood vessels form for increased blood flow, heart and lung capacity rises, and stress hormone levels fall, which lead to less inflammation and a stronger immune system. Swedish doctors have for years been prescribing exercise to minimize the use of prescription drugs.
Positive effects of physical exercise include:
EXTENDED LIFE EXPECTANCY
GENERALLY SPEAKING, PHYSICAL activity leads to a longer life. Several studies have shown that regular physical activity can extend life by as much as 8 years. Research has also shown a more than 50 per cent reduction in mortality among fit and active people, compared with sedentary people.
STRESS REDUCTION
REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY reduces the symptoms of stress, which makes you feel more relaxed, healthier, and better able to deal with stress. This in turn reduces inflammation in the body and stems the ageing process.
DELAY IN DEMENTIA
RESEARCH HAS SHOWN that exercise causes a significant delay in the development of dementia. Physical activity improves long-term memory and slows ageing in the blood vessels.
RISK REDUCTION FOR DIABETES
PHYSICAL EXERCISE STRONGLY counteracts the risk factors behind diabetes-related illness and premature death.
PROTECTION AGAINST CANCER
PHYSICAL