7 Secrets to Living Longer

Want to live to be 100? As you plan your New Year's resolutions,
consider these basic rules longevity experts recommend:

1.  **Keep learning.** Join a book club, take a class, or attend a
    lecture. Research shows the more you know, the longer you may live.

2.  **Nurture your network.** People with strong social ties weather
    life's challenges better and lead healthier lives.

3.  **Try for 5.** Five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, that
    is. It's like taking a daily youth pill.

4.  **Watch your weight.** You'll cut your risk of heart disease and
    diabetes, among other life-limiting diseases.

5.  **Watch your wallet.** Experts say your financial health affects
    your physical and psychological health. Plan to save more this year.

6.  **Be active.** Your body was designed to move, so engage in physical
    activity at every opportunity. It's good for your body and your
    mind.

7.  **Stay hopeful.** Fuel your will to live by reaching for new goals.
    Both searchers and centenarians say a sense of purpose can be
    powerful medicines.

# SALTY TRUTHS

Is salt good or bad for you? The answer may depend on how much you
consume. Your body needs sodium to help regulate body fluids and blood
pressure. To do those jobs, experts recommend no more than 2,400 mg
(Milligrams) a day \-- less than a teaspoon of table salt. But many
people get much more than that, and that's where problems begin.

> **PROBLEMS?** You may already know that sodium can boost blood
> pressure and lead to hypertension in salt-sensitive people. Evidence
> now shows that high sodium intake may also raise your risk of stroke
> and heart attack. Why? Too much sodium may cause or worsen hardening
> of the arteries.
>
> The good news is research has shown that lowering sodium intake can
> control high blood pressure in [many]{.underline} people; particularly
> those following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
> diet. Fact is, combining the DASH diet \-- which is low in fat and
> high in fruits and vegetables \-- with low sodium intake can be as
> effective as taking blood pressure medication.
>
> **WHAT TO DO:** Even if you're not at risk for high blood pressure,
> reducing your use of salt is a sound strategy for eating a healthier
> diet. That's because most of the salt you consume doesn't come from
> the saltshaker, but from processed foods and foods that tend to be
> high in fat, such as cold cuts and bakery items. Other salt sources:
> canned soups and sauces, chips and crackers, fast-food meals.
>
> So don't hide the saltshaker. Read labels instead, and try to keep
> your sodium intake to a minimum. A dash here and there is plenty.

# YEAR-END HEALTH QUIZ

See what you know \-- health wise. Take this simple quiz to find out.
(Answers are below).

1.  **The number of younger people with age-related hearing loss is**

    a.  rising

    b.  declining

    c.  the same year to year

2.  **Daily low doses of which drug could reduce the risk of some first
    heart attacks?**

    a.  acetaminophen

    b.  Valium

    c.  aspirin

3.  **What does HDL refer to?**

    a.  bad cholesterol

    b.  good cholesterol

    c.  hard density levels

4.  **The most common warning signs of diabetes include:**

    a.  sugar cravings

    b.  increased thirst and frequent urination

    c.  chronic headaches

5.  **A very heavy meal can raise your risk of heart attack immediately?
    True or False**

6.  **Electric muscle stimulators trim fat. True or False**

7.  **You can have a concussion without losing consciousness. True or
    False**

8.  **The FDA does not test herbal supplements. True or False**

> *For Extra Credit \-- Two Extra Hard Questions*

9.  **Another name for grinding teeth is**

    a.  bruxism

    b.  dentification

    c.  molarism

10. **BPH, or benign prostate hyperplasia, is a type of cancer. True or
    False**

> **Year-End Health Quiz (Continued)**
>
> **The Answers:** Score 10 points for each correct answer.

1.  **A (rising):** One government study found that it's 36 percent more
    common among men age 45-65 than it was in 1970.

2.  **C (aspirin):** That's according to the U.S. Task Force for
    Preventative Services.

3.  **B (good cholesterol):** High-density lipoprotein, or HDL
    cholesterol, is good because it tends to sweep cholesterol out of
    your arteries.

4.  **B (increased thirst and frequent urination):** Other symptoms
    include fatigue, constant hunger and blurred vision.

5.  **True:** An unusually heavy meal may quadruple the risk of heart
    attack within two hours after eating.

6.  **False:** Study after study says no, and the FDA calls the
    stimulators "vanity-type quackery."

7.  **True:** Direct blows to the head, violent shaking or a whiplash
    injury can cause a concussion.

8.  **True:** From a safety standpoint, that's why it's important to
    tell your doctor if you take any supplements.

> Extra Credit Answers:

9.  **A (bruxism):** About one in three people experiences bruxism, a
    sign of stress and nervous tension.

10. **False:** It's enlargement of the prostrate gland. "Benign" means
    it's not caused by cancer or infection.

## SCORECARD

> **80 -- 100:** Excellent
>
> **40 -- 70:** Average
>
> **0 -- 30:** Strive to become more health savvy in 2004.