Do you want to live to be 100 or beyond? Think it’s impossible?

There are over 70,000 centenarians living in the U.S. today and their numbers are expected to grow to over 800,000 by the year 2050.

What are the longevity secrets of these super centenarians and how can they help you reach your goals of a long and fulfilling lifetime?

1. Eat Well

Super centenarians eat simply and many eat a colorful plate that includes lots of fruits and vegetables. Green leafy vegetables, red tomatoes rich in lycopene, dark colored fruits such as blueberries, plenty of fiber and oily fish will go a long way toward giving you a well rounded diet. If you can’t get fresh vegetables and fruits, eat them frozen since they are usually preserved at the moment of their peak freshness, which is when they are the most nutrious.

Needless to say, it’s better to leave off foods high in fats, salt, and calories and only eat a little red meat per week.

2. Exercise

Centenarians are generally active now or were very active in their younger years. Experts believe any kind of exercise, no matter how simple, is better than not doing anything and you’re never too old to get started.

Climb Stairs- running up and down a flight of stairs five times a day is actually good for most people, contrary to popular thought.

Walking- walk briskly for 30 minutes three times per week.

Lift Weights- Experts believe bone and muscle loss can be stopped, and in some cases, reversed by lifting weights. Recently, a group of women in their 50’s and 60’s were able to score as well as women in their 30’s on a strength test after a weight lifting program.

3. Social

Keep a strong social network of friends. Make friends by becoming indispensable to others. That can mean doing a lot of favors and being considerate. Naturally, most people will reciprocate but building up social credit is not the biggest pay-off. You have a deep need to feel needed. That gives you
purpose and rounds out the rough areas of your life. It will also make you happy.

4. Curiosity

Stay interested in your world and increase your surroundings, instead of cocooning inside yourself. That may mean reading, surfing on The Internet, or just going out any chance you get. I know of one lady who will be 101 on her next birthday and she is a member of the Red Hat Club. She’s a doer and gets on the bus with the others anytime they go out. In fact, she has very little patience with seniors up to twenty years her junior who spend most of their time complaining and watching television.

5.Play

Give yourself time to pursue hobbies and pastimes that give you pleasure. Many adults neglect this area of their lives because they think play is only for children. If you like to play the piano, for example, learn a new piece and make sure is is a little difficult. If you want to paint, take art lessons and learn how. Working in your yard may be something you like to do or you may enjoy golf or playing chess or bridge. If you don’t have a hobby, find one so you won’t be dependent on others to entertain you as you get older.

6. Sleep

Most Americans do not get enough sleep, or they can’t sleep well. Doctors still think 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night is a good rest period and should be consistent with a schedule you stick to, even on weekends. Refrain from eating and drinking up to two hours before bedtime. Do not exercise within three hours before retiring. A work-out stimulates you and does not help you settle down for a good restful sleep. Also, check your mattress, if you’re having trouble sleeping. Surprisingly it could be causing some sleeping problems.

7. Goals

Don’t give up on your goal to become a centenarian. Even people with chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure are living to 100. Good genes certainly help and people in bad health can’t expect miracles, but more and more people are controlling their chronic conditions very well. That’s because doctors are learning more about how to monitor these conditions and people are taking more of a pro-active approach toward their own health.

It’s never too late to start building your life and health around the secrets of super centenarians who have lived to be 100. As geriatric expert, Dr. Thomas Perls states, " the older you get, the healthier you’ve been." Start now and make one small step toward a successful old age.

Popularity: unranked [?]

• Discover The Acai Berry, Is It A Miracle Berry? Useful Things to Bear in Mind .!. nina simone - high priestess of soul mp3 download The astonishing little acai berry from the rainforests of Brazil has been advertised as a cure and a miracle for a variety of conditions. It has been touted as one of the greatest nutritional discoveries ever and a miracle cure......
• Tips On Skin Care If you need to find out how to get rid of breakouts, or how to stop them, or simply if you just want to know how you can maintain a clear and healthy complexion, then there are some useful skin care tips can easily learn to help you bring bring......
• New York Times' Wellness Blog Gives Tons of Resources  The New York Times has a new blog on wellness for those of us over 50.There are tons of resources gathered by expert blogger and wellness authority Tara-Parker-Pope which provide practical advice without the confusing medical jargon.For example, today's feature covers the tragic Ted Kennedy brain tumor diagnosis, getting the......
• Can We Get a Good Night's Sleep?  How does aging really affect sleeping?Are there ways to improve a poor night's sleep in order to get relief for much needed rest?Is there an explanation for the frequent napping elderly people experience?Actually, it is more difficult to get a good night's sleep as we age, but research is revealing there are......
• Getting The Best Online Health Insurance Quote When you’re looking for the best health insurance, there are always places on the Internet that will give you what they say is the best Online Health Insurance Quote that you’ll be able to find anywhere, but that’s a tall order and one that you can really only verify with......

• 3 Ways to Avoid Middle Age Weight Gain For years, many people have labored under the impression that middle aged weight gain is inescapable. Middle aged spread as it is commonly called is usually accepted as just hormonal, especially for women, and many people don't take the steps that can actually prevent it. While there are some......
• My 401(k) Investments Are Up And What I'm Doing About It I kept hearing the markets were doing well the past few weeks so I took a deep breath, crossed my fingers and logged into my 401(k) plan.  What a surprise!  My account is up over 13% so far for the year!  If this were a movie you'd see the sun......
• Debunking Common Health Insurance Myths Health insurance can be a complicated thing, so it's no wonder there are a lot of common myths about it that people subscribe to. It's not easy to do the research, open your mind, and explore options you previously hadn't considered. That's why it's important to dispel some common health......
• More Tips for Getting More Fruits and Vegetables Most people are not getting enough fruits and vegetables, despite the fact that there is such a large variety to choose from. Here are some great tips for how you can get pack more healthy fruits and vegetables into your life for a number of added health benefits that will......
• How To Get Over Being Dumped And Dealing With A Break Up “I feel like dying because my boyfriend dumped me!” It isn't the end of the world and it isn't even close. Even though it hurts, it isn't going to kill you. This is something that you can and will get over. It will take some work, some help, some readjusting......