5 Lesser-Known Methods To Help You Live Longer

Everyone knows that you’ll live longer if you exercise, eat well, and don’t smoke. In addition to the most obvious longevity advice, Dr. Steve Jepson with the Utah Dermatologic & Medical Procedures Clinic shares five lesser-known methods for extending your years.

1. Don’t Sleep In

Wake Up
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Get the right amount of sleep each night. Studies have shown that those who get 6-7 hours of sleep each night live longer. People who sleep more than 8 hours on average or those who sleep less than 4 hours nightly have been shown to have a significantly higher death rate.

2. Eat Beans

Incorporate beans into your diet on a regular basis. As an example, I always add them to any salad that I make; and I try to include them in at least one meal daily. Beans are low in fat, high in protein, packed with fiber, and full of antioxidants. Regular consumption of beans has been shown to lower cholesterol and decrease cancer risk. The darker the bean, the higher the level of disease preventing anti-oxidants. And unlike many vegetables, the canning process doesn’t diminish a bean’s nutritional value.

3. Use Olive Oil

Olive Oil is the most health-promoting oil that can be used in your daily diet. It has been shown to lower bad cholesterol, increase good cholesterol, reduce heart disease, reduce inflammation, reduce cancer risk, and improve blood sugar control. Be sure to choose extra virgin olive oil as it has the highest levels of disease reducing nutrients. Also, be careful about how you store your olive oil. Light exposure breaks down its important nutrients. So always store your olive oil in a cool dark place, and try to buy olive oil that is packaged in a metal container.

Olive Oil
Steve Buissinne

If you are buying olive oil in a glass or plastic containers, make sure that these containers are darkly tinted, and choose a container from the back of the grocer’s shelf (where it has been exposed to less light). Consider using olive oil instead of butter on bread or sautéed vegetables and as a substitute for salad dressings or creamy pasta sauces

4. Cleanse & Detoxify

Cleansing is very popular now and with good reason. We are subjected to many environmental toxins on a daily basis. And, as we age, our body becomes less efficient at clearing its own toxins. These various external and internal toxins can lead to disease and ill-health. The right kind of cleansing program can restore your body’s vital nutrients, recharge its toxin-clearing capacity, and strengthen your immune system. A quality cleansing program involves a combination of appropriately-timed calorie reduction and cleansing-specific dietary supplements. We offer a well-designed, easy-to-follow, 9-day cleansing protocol through our office. More information about cleansing can be obtained by calling our office at (801) 281-0022 or by visiting our website at UDMPC.com .

 

5. Balance Your Hormones

Hormone imbalance is a common cause of poor health and premature aging. Some of our body’s most important hormone levels decrease as we age. We also come into contact with many artificial hormones in our environment on a daily basis which can further aggravate this internal hormonal imbalance. Important hormones that need to be properly maintained include testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, thyroid, and estrogen. Ensuring proper hormone balance ensures that your body maintains normal function and helps ensure a longer quality of life. As part of our clinic’s focus on Anti-Aging Medicine, we specialize in Hormone Balancing. I recommend that your hormone levels be tested (I use a combination of saliva and blood tests), and that abnormal hormone levels be remedied with prescription bioidentical hormones from a high-quality compounding pharmacy. More information about bioidentical hormone balancing can be found on our website www.UDMPC.com or by calling (801) 281-0022.


Dr. Steven Jepson, M.D.
Utah Dermatologic & Medical Procedures Clinic
Non-Surgical Cosmetic & Anti-Aging Medicine

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