You: The Owner's Manual

The Top Five List

Most people have only a vague sense of how their body works. Yet, if you gain a clear understanding of how your body functions, you’ll be able to maintain it and make it stronger. You’ll know how to avoid the things that harm your health and well-being and become an active participant in your body’s maintenance. Do these five things to increase your longevity and improve your quality of life:

1. “Control your blood pressure.”
2. “Avoid cigarettes.”
3. “Exercise 30 minutes a day.”
4. “Control stress.”
5. “Follow an easy-to-love, healthy diet.”

You can’t halt the aging process, but you can influence it. Although you can’t change your genetic heritage, you have some control over how long you will live and how healthy you will be. For example, by making the right kinds of lifestyle choices, a fit, nonsmoking 50-year-old can have the “RealAge” body of a 38-year-old. Conversely, if you smoke and are overweight, you may have the body of a 65-year-old. Age-related disease and the aging process depend on three factors:

1. “Your heart and blood vessels.”