34 Voluntary Choices and Habits
to Retard or Reverse Aging:

by Michael F. Roizen, M.D., University of Chicago

 

  1. Take aspirin every night (under supervision of an M.D.)
  2. Consume food with vitamin C 3x per day, and get more than 600 mg total.
  3. Consume 400 i.u. of Vitamin E each day (new studies suggest you shouldn't do this if you are taking drugs to lower cholesterol)
  4. Consume 400 ug of folic acid a day
  5. Identify your genetic risks and reduce them
  6. Drink green tea (men only)
  7. Eat 5 helpings or more of tomato paste per week.
  8. Get immunized
  9. Get 3500 cal of physical exercise per week, and no more than 6000 cal any week.
  10. Do stamina exercise at least 3 x per week for 20 min., but not more than 7 times per week for 120 min.
  11. Do strength and flexibility exercises 3x per week.
  12. Lower you blood pressure to 115/76 mm Hg.
  13. Eat less than or equal to what you use in caloric expenditure weekly so that you body mass index is less than 23. Calculate your BMI on the web!
  14. Lower the saturated fat in your diet.
  15. Take vitamin D (400 i.u.) and calcium (1000 mg) daily.
  16. Do not accept a job with a pollution risk.
  17. Do not live with a pollution risk.
  18. Use seat belts and take routing safety precautions.
  19. Get more than 6 but less than 9 hours of sleep each night.
  20. Eat breakfast.
  21. Do not eat high-fat, high-calorie, nutrient-poor food between meals.
  22. Take 1-3 alcoholic drinks (males) or 1 alcoholic drink (female) per day.
  23. Don't smoke or chew tobacco or be around people who do.
  24. Join one or more social groups.
  25. Choose and keep a stable spouse who is well educated].
  26. Learn to reduce your stress levels.
  27. Live below your income level.
  28. Support friends who undergo major life events.
  29. Laugh a lot.
  30. Become well educated.
  31. Patrol your own heath and need to see a doctor.
  32. Do not take iron supplements.
  33. Do not take more than 5000 i.u. of vitamin A in a supplement any day. Take a vitamin B multi-vitamin daily that is low in vitamin A and has no iron (or its equivalent in beta carotene).
  34. If you get a disease, do what is necessary to prevent that disease from causing chronic disability.

My own:

  1. Don't abuse drugs, including alcohol.
  2. Chose a life-long partner wisely.
  3. Try to find meaning in your life.
  4. Don't engaging in risky behaviors.
  5. Learn how to recognize, express, deal with your emotions, and get help if you have issues you can’t resolve.
  6. Develop and sustain real and supportive relationships.
  7. Balance work and leisure activities.
  8. Define your life priorities and let these guide your decisions in ways which reduce internal conflict..
  9. Learn to be in the moment, and spend less time in the past or in the future.
  10. Listen to music. Smell the roses.