Every day, it seems like there’s a new “thing” to avoid due to its newly discovered negative impacts on life. From GMOs to gluten to dairy to non-organic, society is constantly telling us what not to do to maintain a healthy life and, potentially, extend it. However, recent research has found 4 lifestyle changes that can improve your health and help extend your life by more than 10 years.

Eat 5 Servings of Fruits and Vegetables Daily.

One study found that middle aged adults adding just 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day can drastically reduce risk of health issues. The impact can be short-term, showing improvements in as little as 4 years, as well as beneficial for the long-term.

According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, the average serving size of fruits and vegetables is between 4 and 6 ounces. For raw or cooked foods, aim for around 1 cup. For legumes, try and get ½ a cup. Finally, try adding 3 cups of leafy greens (kale, spinach, etc.) for a full serving. Their experts recommend aiming for a 1-2-3 approach for incorporating your full servings into your day:

• 1 serving with breakfast
• 2 servings with lunch
• 3 servings with dinner and snacks

Tips for Reaching Your Fruits and Vegetables Goals

• Keep fresh, frozen, and canned foods on hand to easily add to your meals and snacks.
• Blend fresh or frozen fruit with a handful of spinach or kale to make a smoothie.
• Add berries, peaches, apples, or bananas to oatmeal, cereal, pancakes, waffles, yogurt, or muffins.
• Incorporate veggies like onions, spinach, or peppers into breakfast staples like omelets or potatoes.
• Add extra vegetables to sandwiches and wraps.
• Make a salad with at least 3 cups of leafy greens, adding extra chopped fruit and vegetables for more flavor and more servings!
• Try stir fry for dinner with lots of vegetables.
• Add extra vegetables like onions, peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers, or spinach to pasta sauces, casseroles, and soups.
• Use vegetables as a side dish, steaming, microwaving, or roasting them to accompany your entrée.
• Keep snackable fruits and vegetables easily accessible so you’re not tempted to eat unhealthily.
• Keep dry fruit in your bag (purse, backpack, computer back, etc.) as a quick snack option.
• Dip apples or carrots into a minimal amount of peanut almond butter.
• Incorporate fruit into desserts.
• Don’t be afraid to go over the daily recommended amounts!

Move for At Least 20 Minutes a Day.

Another daily addition that can help extend your life is movement. Whether it’s walking, jogging, playing a pickup game, weightlifting, or some other activity, adding just 20 minutes of movement a day can add years to your life expectancy. It doesn’t have to be 20 minutes straight, either! Here are some ways to incorporate more movement in your day:

• Start your morning with a light yoga session.
• Take a brief walk after lunch.
• Take a bike ride after work.
• Find a “commercial break” exercise routine to complete while watching your favorite shows. If you’re streaming and your show doesn’t have actual commercials, pause during breaks in the show to complete the workout.
• Start and maintain a garden.
• Make an effort to take the stairs.

Maintain a Healthy Weight.

The first two suggestions can help with this, but maintaining a healthy weight can greatly increase your life expectancy. While there are several calculations to try and determine what a “healthy” weight, it’s best to consult a healthcare professional to help determine what your goal number should be. A specialist like a nutritionist or dietitian or even your primary care physician can help you figure out what a true healthy weight is for you.

Don’t Smoke or Quit Smoking.

Smoking is one of the most detrimental activities to health. It’s the leading cause of avoidable death and illness worldwide. With over 5000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, it can harm nearly every organ in the body. While quitting can be difficult, the benefits of stopping smoking can occur almost instantly:

• In one day:
  • Heart rate and blood pressure stabilize at a normal level
  • Hands and feet warm up
  • Bloodstream becomes nearly nicotine free
  • Carbon monoxide levels drop
  • Oxygen is more easily transported throughout the body
• In one year:
  • Sense of taste and smell may improve
  • Coughing and wheezing start to subside
  • Immune, respiratory, and circulatory functions improve
  • Shortness of breath decreases
• In the first six years:
  • Risk of cardiac issues drop dramatically
• Within ten years:
  • Risk of cancers is cut in half
• Within fifteen years:
  • Risk of stroke reduces to that of a non-smoker

Support Quality of Life with EyePromise®

By implementing these tips, you could be living between 12 and 14 years longer, and that’s great news! However, you’ll want to support your long-term vision so you can continue to live life to its fullest in those later years. EyePromise eye vitamins can help you protect and enhance your eye health, helping you maintain crisp, clear vision.

Even with the additional servings of fruits and vegetables, it’s difficult to get all the nutrients your eyes need to function at their best. Crafted with the highest quality, natural ingredients, EyePromise eye vitamins deliver the nutritional support your body needs to sustain healthy vision over time. By delivering exactly what the body is looking for in high enough amounts, you can see improvements in:

• Contrast
• Acuity
• Visual range
• Color vision
• Glare recovery
• Light sensitivity
• Visual processing speed and reaction time
• Memory
• Focus
• Attention
• Decision-making

It’s never too early (or late) to reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Start implementing these 4 simple changes little by little, and you, too, can improve your long-term health. Get started with your EyePromise eye vitamin regimen today to make sure your eyes are keeping up!