When new health studies come out, they’re usually focused on what is bad for our bodies.
Fortunately there are also plenty of researchers looking at the positives.
Here are just some of the exciting and weird things linked to living longer.
It also means you’re going to be around far longer than your pessimistic pals.
Researchers from theUniversity of Illinoisfound that optimism affects both your health and your lifespan.
A study in theAmerican Journal of Epidemiologyexamined the health of over 70,000 women.
When the researchers broke the groups down by disease, the optimistic women still lived longer.
So how can feeling a bit happier make you live longer?
Well, for one thing, it may affect how you take care of yourself.
“We did account for many things .
“Even accounting for those behaviors, they still have lower chances of death.”
This may be due to the fact that optimistic people typically don’t feel as stressed.
It’s the body’s stress response that can hinder your immune system.
Now say you’re not the most optimistic person.
You try, but sometimes you just can’t get there.
Are you doomed to a shorter, less satisfying life?
No, if you’re willing to change.
“Other studies have shown you’re free to increase your optimism.
Optimism is something you’re able to change.”
Hagan recommends writing down three things you are grateful for everyday to start to increase your level of optimism.
Having kids
Here’s a huge score for all the parents out there.
A study in theJournal of Epidemiology and Community Healthreported that having children will help you live longer.
The researchers believe that having adult children to care for you adds years to your life.
Being a parent may also keep you more social, which we know is associated with longer life.
So next time your kids are whining about getting another episode ofBubble Guppies, take a deep breath.
It’s those whiny little voices that are going to keep you happy and healthy for years to come.
Happiness has a huge effect on both our health and how our brains function.
The same areas in your brain involved in feeling happy also control inflammation and blood vessels.
Happy people have lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol.
Laughter
Laughter has some serious physical benefits.
A study from theUniversity of Marylandfound that laughter can put you at lower risk for heart disease.
When you laugh, your heart, lungs, and muscles receive more oxygen.
Laughing stimulates circulation in the body, while helping your muscles relax.
It also improves your immune system and decreases painful sensations.
You don’t have to be the happiest person to start incorporating laughter into your day.
Dr. Miller explained that laughter can actually be a learned behavior.
Perhaps regular, hearty laughter should be added to the list.”
Ready to laugh more?
Stream a funny movie or grab your girlfriends and hit up a comedy club tonight.
A study in theBritish Journal of Sports Medicineexamined the exercise habits of over 80,000 participants.
Once they divided the participants by sport of choice, there was a clear difference in health benefits.
Swimmers had a 28 percent lower risk, and aerobics fans had a 27 percent lower risk.
Interestingly, runners had no difference in mortality risk from the non-exercisers.
As a runner myself, I can attest that this is completely unfair.
However, it may be time for me to grab a racquet and try this out.
Next time you manage to snag a little you time, don’t feel guilty for just sitting around.
That book is good for your health!
A recent study fromYale Universitystudied the effects of reading on nearly 4,000 individuals and found some exciting results.
Japanese living
When you look at health and longevity, the U.S. is not exactly killing it.
The traditional Japanese diet consists of fresh vegetables and fish.
It is typically low in meat and saturated fat.
“But the traditional diet has changed,” Beard explained.
“Another part of it is lifestyle .
and that they have systems which identify and treat key issues like blood pressure.”
In Japan, it’s common for the older members of society to still be very active.
Living near nature
Getting away from it all and escaping to nature is good for the soul.
Turns out, it may even help you live longer.
Researchers looked at data from theNurses' Health Studyto determine if living near nature affects health and wellbeing.
“We know already that vegetation can help mitigate the effect of climate change.
Our study suggests the potential co-benefit for health.”
Sure, living in nature means less pollution, but it could also be good for your mood.
Researchers estimated that 30 percent of the benefits of nature are because of the mental health effects.
Living near nature makes it easier to workout and see friends.
“We were surprised at the magnitude of the mental health pathway,” James said.
Don’t think you have to go off the grid so that be happy and live longer.
Just add some greens to your life.
“We are not saying you better live near a park.”
Add a plant to your office or plant a tree in your backyard.
Look for easy ways to take advantage of those feel-good greens.
Red chili peppers
Spicy food lovers rejoice!
A study inPLOS ONElinked eating red chili peppers with a 13 percent lower risk of death.
So grab some ice water and eat up.
First, spicy foods may help us lose weight.
They may also help us eat less overall.
), helping us stay in touch with satiety signals andreallystop when we’re full not stuffed."
Higher education
It’s time to dust off that old diploma and display it proudly.
It’s going to help you live longer!
A study in the journalPLOS ONEfound that those who obtain higher education degrees live longer.
In fact, deciding against a college degree could be as dangerous to your health as smoking!
There are a variety of reasons why education leads to a healthier, longer life.
For one thing, education gives you more options and control over your life.
Having more education also usually equals a higher income, which means better access to healthcare.
Even finishing high school has a serious effect on health.
“That alone accounts for about 10 percent of all deaths in the U.S. each year.”
Facebook friends
Now I found this one shocking.
Did you know that going on Facebook can actually lengthen your life?
That is, if you do it right.
When you use Facebook to create and nurture positive relationships, you’ll get the healthy benefits.
However, just mindlessly scrolling is not what I’m talking about.
So does posting and looking at people’s pictures.
However, sending friend requests and reading text-only messages has no effect on health.
So go ahead and login without guilt.
Just verify you’re checking out the pictures and truly connecting with friends both online and in person.
British researchersstudied human bone from an excavation site in northeastern England.
They analyzed the length of the bones in relation to when these ancient humans died.
They found that the longer the bones, the older those people lived.
To all my fellow short people, there’s not much we can do about this one.
Just focus on everything else youcanchange.
Coffee
Starbucks addicts rejoice!
Researchers studied over 400,000 people between the ages of 50-71 over 13 years.
However, it was unclear exactly how much java the study participants were consuming after their first assessment.
The coffee drinkers were less likely to die of heart disease, neurological disease, or suicide.
However, this still shouldn’t be a green light to go crazy with the caffeine.
We don’t know if coffee actually protects you from these diseases.
Don’t worry if you need your daily cup of joe to get through the day.
However, drinking it purely for health benefits may or may not help.
Longer, happier lives
Ready to improve your quality and length of life?
Pick one or two findings from this list and start making changes today.
Start a gratitude journal or take a friend to a funny movie.
