Top 3 Longevity Secrets for 2012

 Running out of ideas for a New Year’s resolution? Here are afew leading-edge health habits that can radically alter your health. Some aredrawn from the oldest wisdom, but new research and technology has them trendingnow. Try turning them into a longevity habit for you!
  
1. Twitter and Texting Can Help You Lose Weight 
What? The same social media that is causing news-makingtraffic problems can make you healthy?
Yes, when used wisely, these new forms of communication canhelp you lose weight and curb bad habits. The key to getting benefits fromthese forms of communication is accountability. You may have heard aboutSenator Claire McCaskill, who took her mission to lose weight public onTwitter. She tweeted her nearly 60,000 followers news about her progress withher plan that included eating healthy foods every three hours and doing lots ofcardio, using Twitter to keep her accountable. After five months, she lost aremarkable 50 pounds.
Also, a recent study reported that young problem drinkersbenefited from sending and receiving text messages that tracked their alcoholconsumption. Although a preliminary study, it was found that the heavy drinkeryoung adults who texted how much they drank during the week and received afeedback text managed to curb their drinking behavior more effectively thanthose heavy drinkers that sent and received no texts. 
Habit for you: The next time you want to break a habit thatisn’t serving your longevity plans, try going public! Make one resolution thisyear, and have your friends and family hold you accountable. Tweet yourprogress or keep a blog, and be receptive to their responses.

2. Is Vegan the New Diet?

After a quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 and stent surgeryin 2010, former president Bill Clinton decided it was time to make a majorchange to his diet: he went vegan, the strictest form of vegetarianism.
Clintondrew national attention to his plant-based diet, reporting that he lost 24pounds for his daughter, Chelsea’s, wedding. While it is definitely notnecessary to go full-fledged vegan—cutting out meat, eggs, and dairy—thetakeaway is that eating plenty of vegetables can help you live longer, and inmuch better health.
Science shows that vegetarians have a lowered risk of heartdisease and cancer; not only that, but they tend to live longer and are lesslikely to be overweight. So does this mean you replace meat with potato chips?Not quite!
If you decide to eat in a more vegetarian direction, it is importantto emphasize balance in your diet: eat whole foods from the earth, likevegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans. It is very importantto make sure your meatless diet includes enough protein, iron, and zinc, whichis where beans and legumes come in. It is wise to work with a nutritionist ordietician to make sure all of your vitamin and mineral bases are covered.
Habit for you: Want a more moderate approach? Eat vegetarianduring the week and save the meat for the weekends.
Bonus tip: You can also make sure you are getting all yourminerals and vitamins—and absorbing them into your body—by trying a liquidwhole food drink.

3. New Healthcare Plan: Meditation and Mind-Body Exercises

A study published at the beginning of May 2011 in the Archivesof Internal Medicine found that mainstream health care providers are morefrequently referring patients to mind-body therapies, such as yoga, meditation,deep-breathing exercises, and tai chi. Once considered on the fringes of modernWestern medicine, these techniques are rising in popularity as more scienceconfirms their benefits on health. Just a few of the findings show that mind-bodyexercises can help:

• Decrease psychological stress, which helps prevent avariety of diseases, such as heart disease, compromised immune system, andpremature cognitive aging
• Minimize pain
• Improve coping strategies, which contributes to happiness
• Improve overall quality of life

Habit for you: To harness the preventative power ofmind-body exercises, join a tai chi or yoga class with a conscientious teacherwho works at your level. Or start right now with this breathing exercise: Sitin a chair or cross-legged on the floor with your head, neck, and trunkstraight. Focus your mind on the breath entering your nostrils and filling yourbody. Practice deep, slow, rhythmic breathing, and try to keep your inhalationand exhalation the same length of time. If your mind wanders, bring yourattention gently back to the breath. You are on your way to a meditationpractice!
You can find more ways to live a long and healthy life in Secretsof Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to Be 100, which is now available onKindle. In addition, The Natural Health Dictionary makes a great companion toyour quest for longevity. It is a comprehensive guide that answers all yourquestions about natural remedies, healing herbs, longevity foods, vitamins, andsupplements.