Once there was a man who was 106 years old and he was asked about his diet and if it was a key to his longevity.

"I don't know about that," he answered, "but I do know I love waffles and sausages and that's pretty well all I've eaten for the last 15 years."

Well, I guess so much for diet being a key to a long life. At least in this senior's life anyway.

It is true that Asian cultures do seem to have an over-all higher life expectancy then much of the world. Much of that is attributed to their low fat diet. They do seem to have the balance between fat, protein, and carbohydrates about right. It just seems to make sense that if a person is kind to his body over the years when it comes to diet, there will be a much better chance of living longer.

Proper diet means your body is getting the right minerals and nutrients to re-build cells, tissue, muscles and bone. So of course, having a healthy diet will certainly aid a person in living longer.

As a rule however, diet does not work that well on it's own. It really doesn't matter how healthy a person eats if they don't make physical demands on their bodies. It's those everyday physical demands that encourage our bodies to grow stronger and healthier. There seems to be a built in mechanism in each of us that will cause the body to shut down and quit re-building and improving if a lack of use is indicated. For instance, someone who is relegated to a wheel chair will develop stronger shoulders and arms, but his legs will shrink because of atrophy.

It wasn't that long ago when people would retire and stop doing anything in the way of physical activity. This was supposed to be the 'rest' years. Unfortunately, many people would grow ill and possibly die soon after retirement because their bodies would fail them. The main reason their bodies failed them was because they stopped being active. An inactive body does not develop stronger muscles and tendons. Fat builds up around the main arteries and the heart is forced to work harder to pump blood where it is needed.

Having regular blood tests are key to living longer as well. A doctor can tell from a simple drug test if your bad cholesterol is too high, or possibly if there is a disease in the early stages that can be easily cured.

Seniors should also have a complete examination once a year by a cardiologist to ensure that all is well with their cardiovascular system.

One thing we can all benefit from as we grow older is less stress.

Of course diet, doctors visits and check-ups, staying active, and striving for fitness are important to our longevity, but smiling more and worrying less are two sure ways of living a longer, happier life.

Learn more about this author, Ray Fauteux.
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