The secret to a long life

According to a new book by one of the world’s top cancer specialists, these small changes could dramatically increase your longevity. Here we reveal some of Dr David Agus’s surprising tips . . .Strip off and go nakedTake a good look at yourself naked in front of a mirror — front and back. This will help you  spot trouble on the horizon in the form of body oddities you didn’t have before and signs of skin cancer. And once in a while, take a visual inventory of every square inch of yourself, including your hair, nails and the inside of your mouth.No airport scannersDo we know what these machines do to us? Where’s the long-term data to show us they are harmless? Until science can prove their safety, I’ll request a pat-down massage at airports. So should you.Bin your high heelsInflammation has been linked to some of our most troubling degenerative diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer, auto-immune diseases, diabetes and accelerated ageing.Uncomfortable shoes cause unnecessary inflammation in your feet that can have an impact on your whole system. There’s no  easier way to reduce your overall inflammation than to simply wear comfortable shoes daily.Wake up with a coffeeDrinking coffee or tea in moderation has long been shown to confer positive benefits on our health. Though researchers have tried to link caffeine consumption with illnesses such as heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis and cancer, study after study has proven otherwise.Eat at the same timeOne of the best ways of reducing stress on your body is to maintain a regular routine 365 days a year. If your body were deprived of its expected lunch at noon, apart from feeling hunger, it would experience a surge in the stress  hormone cortisol, which tells it to hold onto fat and conserve energy. So, if you don’t eat when your body anticipates food, it will sabotage your efforts to lose or maintain an ideal weight.Have a flu shotImmunising yourself against flu isn’t just about beating the disease. Just one to two weeks of an inflammatory storm, which is  what will take place if  you contract flu, can increase your lifetime risk for obesity, heart attack, stroke and cancer.People still falsely think the vaccine has side effects, that it doesn’t work, can cause the flu or  even contains toxins or poisons. All this is rubbish!Stand upThere is a profound link between more time sitting and   a greater incidence of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and early death. Way back in the Fifties, a comparison of London’s double-decker bus drivers and conductors in the Fifties found that the ticket takers, who climbed stairs all day, had a much lower incidence of heart attacks than the drivers.However, if you think you’re doing your body good with an hour-long workout before or after a long day at your desk, think again. Even two hours of exercise a day will not compensate for spending 22 hours sitting on your derriere or lying in bed.Stop slouchingApart from neck and back problems, poor posture can also cause headaches, arthritis, poor circulation, muscle aches and pains, difficulty breathing, indigestion, constipation, joint stiffness, fatigue, neurological problems and poor physical function in general. All roads to perfect posture start with a sturdy core. Try exercises such as pilates designed for this.Take aspirin dailyMany high-quality research studies have confirmed that the use of aspirin not only substantially reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, but it can even ward off a medley of ailments through its anti-inflammatory powers.A daily low-dose aspirin (75 milligrams) has even been shown to reduce the risk of developing common malignant cancers in the lungs, colon and prostate by a 46 per cent. But make sure that you discuss it with your doctor first as there are side effects such as stomach bleeding.Frozen fruit & vegWe may be able to access pretty much any type of food all year long, but it comes at a cost: nutrition. By the time most of it reaches your supermarket, it doesn’t contain nearly the same amount of nutrients as when the crop was picked.Unless you can buy truly fresh local produce that’s in season, opt for frozen fruits and vegetables. They tend to be picked at their peak.Avoid vitaminsMany studies on groups of more than a thousand people in the past few decades have shown that taking vitamin supplements is correlated with an increased risk of serious diseases such as cancer, and it produces little benefit to health.The body likes to create free radicals to attack ‘bad’ cells, including cancerous ones. If you block this by taking copious amounts of vitamins, especially those touted as antioxidants, you block your body’s natural ability to  control itself.Have children If you have children you’ll be more likely to live longer than your childless counterparts. That’s because raising a child compels us to remain active and mentally challenged.Sip a glass of wineModerate alcohol intake, especially red wine, can reduce the risk for heart disease. Aim for no more than one drink a day if you’re a woman and two if you’re a man.Give us a smileSmiling will boost your mood. It will trigger the release of pain-killing, brain-happy endorphins and seratonin, which reduce harmful stress levels.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az