Only 10% of what determines if you make it to 100 years old is correlated with your genes, that other 90% is lifestyle. Only 1 in 5,000 people make it to this age. After some studying and research about populations of centenarians, here are some lifestyle habits they have in common.

Since we are given stewardship of about 90% of our health then the more of these habits that you can apply to your life then then the greater likelihood we have to living as long as our luck and genes can take us.

• Plant based diet.
• Stop eating when you are 80% full.
• Have a purpose after your ‘working career’ is over. Is your life totally consumed by your work? What do you plan to do when the job is done? Have a reason to wake up in the morning. You need a purpose beyond your career.
• Another thought is not to retire. “Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease skyrockets after retirement,” says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
• Have a core group of friends through childhood to old age. Many centenarians kept the same friends from their chilhoold all the way up to they died.
• Weekly hike for a few hours.
• A common denominator between centenarian populations is that none of them exercise. Instead there life is set up so that move naturally doing everyday routines. These include walking to the store and carrying groceries, using stairs daily, and gardening.
• When they do some sort of exercise it is something they enjoy.
• Floss everyday. There is a correlation between the amount of bacteria in your mouth and the rate of thickening of your arteries.
• Consume whole foods, not supplements.
• Drink red wine.
• Belong or participate in a spiritual community.
• Drink green tea.
• Be outgoing. People who are social and outgoing are more likely to live longer due to lower amounts of stress hormones.
• Don’t smoke.
• Have babies later on in life.
• Sleep 7-8 hours a night. This is imperative to the healing process and longevity of cells.
• Laugh more! Those with a sunny disposition manage stress better
• Do some sort of mental activity everyday. Reading, taking classes, meeting new people, travel, new hobbies, getting better at your current hobbies, learn a new language, writing, and musical instruments.
• Take in omege 3 fatty acids. Preferably from fish.

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