According to Benjamin Franklin, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”. He was right — we’re all going to die someday — but there are many things we can do to add more years to our life.
Lifestyle choices and environmental factors play a big role in the date of our demise. Everyone knows that smoking can boost your chances of developing lung cancer, but did you know that eating processed meat products can also lead to an early death, and that grilling your food too long can chop years from your life as well? The following are serious signs that you may be inviting the Grim Reaper to visit sooner than you’re expecting.
1. Get a Grip!
Literally! Strangely enough, how hard you are able to grasp an object has been linked to our mortality. If you have a weak grip it can be an indication to your doctor of another serious underlying issue, such as a sign your heart isn’t as healthy as it needs to be to go the distance and avoid an early death.
2. Funky Fingernails?
As we age, the shape our nails are in provide a window to our underlying health. While vertical grooves in the nail bed are a natural part of aging, if your nails have begun sporting white spots, discoloration, deep horizontal ridges or are splitting or crumbling, it’s time to make an appointment with your physician to find out what’s behind it. It could mean you are suffering from nutritional deficiencies or something more sinister.
3. Larger Than Life
If you are obese, you significantly raise the risk of suffering from serious health issues from diabetes to cancer to heart and metabolic diseases. If you plan to live healthily through your 70s, 80s, and beyond, getting into good physical shape is key. Lose the weight and get your body mass index (BMI) into the recommended range. Carrying around extra poundage is a clear indicator you might not see your golden years.
4. School is Cool
If you’re wanting to live longer, that is. Surprisingly, studies have proven that how many years of schooling and how many degrees you have received can be a factor in how long you live. There are multiple theories on why this is true, but it’s possible staying in school can lead to a more affluent lifestyle, have access to more nutritious foods, are more educated about health issues, and have less stress. If you’ve been thinking about going back to school and finishing that degree, now is the best time.
5. Location, Location, Location!
Just as where your home is located impacts its worth, your geographic location can impact your health. Depending on where you live, and which country you live in, you may be exposed to more environmental risks suck as poor water quality, industrial pollution, and unhealthy air that leads to heart or lung disease. If you live in certain parts of the country there may be added risk factors such as frequent natural disasters or even the length of your commute can have an effect on your expiration date.
6. Don’t Hold Your Breath!
Changes in breathing patterns, specifically if someone frequently stops breathing periodically for stretches of time, especially if it occurs during sleep. This is called sleep apnea, and should be seen as a very serious warning, because according to WebMD, it can not only be a sign that something is off – it can be fatal. Pay attention to any breathing pattern changes, and seek medical attention if you notice any, or you could be holding your breath forever.
7. Bad Breath Blues
Speaking of breath, having bad breath is almost as bad as having no breath. While it is possible that you’re just a lover of garlic, onions and other pungent foods, bad breath can also be a sign that you have an underlying health issue. Chronic bad breath can not only indicate that you have a tooth or jaw infection, according to the Mayo Clinic, long-term foul breath can indicate you have an infection elsewhere in your body, and could even be a signal you have cancer. If you can’t blame your bad breath on spicy foods, stop popping the breath mints and get a medical checkup now.
8. Sitting is Quitting On Life
According to many health experts, sitting is the new smoking. Being an inactive couch potato isn’t good for your health unless you’re interested in taking a permanent dirt-nap. If you are sitting behind a desk all day and then plopping yourself in front of the television after work, you are asking for an early death.
Inactivity prevents good circulation, heart health, and can cause digestive issues, obesity, and exacerbate diseases such as diabetes. Instead of spending 16 hours a day on your butt, get up and move around. Work from a standing desk, take frequent breaks to get up and out (take the stairs), and instead of flopping on the sofa after work, take the dog for a long walk. Join a gym and find more ways to incorporate physical activity into your life.
Of course, there’s always a risk that you’ll catch a rare disease or meet your end in a bathtub accident, but instead on focusing on those improbable possibilities, it’s best to focus on doing what you can now to avoid a self-inflicted early demise.
~ Health Scams Exposed
