Your genes do not mean everything. With the right diet and other simple everyday habits, you can have ten extra healthy years, according to researcher and doctor Bertil Marklund.

Bertil Marklund is a doctor and researcher at the University of Gothenburg and has written the book 10 tips – feel better and live ten years longer (Volante publishing house), where he shares current and important research findings on how you can do to extend your life by ten years extra and also keep you healthy and strong. 

Research findings from recent years show that all people carry an internal inflammation in the body and that it determines how you feel and how long you live. The extent of it is the real threat to our health.

– But it is never too late to change your lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if you have been a couch potato or have cancer or rheumatism. From day one, you can reduce inflammation and steer towards better health, says Bertil Marklund.

Here are Bertil Marklund’s tips on 10 habits that can give you ten healthy extra years:

1. Eat according to the rainbow method

Choose fruits and vegetables that are packed with antioxidants and strengthen the immune system. If you follow the rainbow method, you will get fruits and vegetables with different colors and thus different important antioxidants. 

For example, choose three colors a day – a red apple, an orange orange and a bowl of blueberries. Change colors the next day.

2. Think positive

Optimists not only have more fun, they live on average seven years longer than pessimists. Happiness researchers all over the world agree that it is possible to practice becoming happier with as much as 40 percent. 

Happy people are healthier and have better immune systems than pessimists. They are also not affected to the same extent by cardiovascular disease, alcoholism and other lifestyle diseases. 

Do not forget to appreciate everyday happiness, that you enjoy your work or have a nice evening with friends. By focusing on the positive, you immediately get a happiness increase of 15 percent.

3. Rest out

Negative stress is almost as dangerous as smoking and can shorten your life by seven to eight years compared to ten years of smoking. Constant stress increases trigger substances that trigger harmful inflammations in the body. 

If you can learn to handle everyday stress, you have a lot to gain. Find the balance with yoga, meditation and mindfulness. Take small micro breaks of three to five minutes at work. 

4. Refuel with sun and vitamin D.

Vitamin D is a miracle molecule that strengthens the immune system and protects us against a wide range of diseases. The sun is a superior source of vitamin D, and to be sure of getting the important dose of vitamin D, you should be outdoors for 15-20 minutes in the middle of the day. During the darker winter months, the sun is not enough, so then a supplement of vitamin D is recommended.

5. Move

Walk, dance, run – move and feel free to vary sitting still with standing and working. When we move, the cells are repaired, the stress hormones are reduced and the inflammation in the body is reduced. Research shows that everyday exercise is the most important. The biggest difference is a half-hour walk every day if you have not moved before. 

Those who take a few jogging trips a week will not only be healthier, stronger and happier, but also smarter according to the latest research findings. Regular exercise is pure super medicine for health, but it is important to get your heart rate up and sweat a couple of times a week.

6. Choose the right drink

Coffee and tea contain a lot of antioxidants that can stop diseases. Three to four cups of coffee a day has a health-promoting effect. Research shows that coffee and tea also stimulate the brain in such a way that it shifts dementia. By drinking water with meals, you create a healthy environment in the body. The recommended amount of fluid per day is one and a half liters.

7. Hold the weight

Being overweight can trigger many conditions that cause the body to age. Obesity and obesity are linked to increased inflammation, where not least an altered bacterial flora in the intestine contributes to toxins that cause inflammation and spread in the body. Among other things, you risk suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  

Spend time with people who make you happy. Photo: Istock

8. Nurture your relationships

You get positive energy that is good for your health and provides well-being when you are with friends, family and co-workers, and also with your four-legged friends. 

The good company also strengthens your immune system and gives a longer life. Remember to avoid energy thieves that make you tired and powerless. Protect yourself by keeping your distance from people who steal your energy and joy. 

Feel for those around you who make you happy and uplifted and those who make you tired.

9. Take care of oral health

Beware of bleeding gums. Staying free from gum disease prolongs life by six years. Go to the dentist and dental hygienist regularly. Avoid snacks, rinse your mouth after every meal and keep clean with a toothbrush, dental floss, gap brush or toothpick.

10. Sleep well

The body needs sleep to recover but also to repair itself and build up an energy supply in the central nervous system. Sleep is a prerequisite for the brain to function during the day and for a strong immune system. Focus on regular times and regular routines, cool in the bedroom and quiet and dark. 

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