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One of the key things you can do to extend not only the
quantity of your years, but also the quality, is to make a few simple changes to your lifestyle. One of the most important changes is regulating your insulin and leptin levels through diet and exercise.

I’ve often stated that your diet accounts for about 80 percent of the benefits you’ll reap from a healthy lifestyle, but even if you’re eating the best diet in the world, you still need to exercise effectively to reach your highest level of health.

This means incorporating core-strengthening exercises, strength training, stretching, and high-intensity activities into your rotation. High-intensity interval training boosts human growth hormone (HGH) production, which is essential for optimal health, strength, vigor, and yes-longevity.

That said, intermittent movement is equally (if not more) critical for maximizing the quality of your life. Chronic, undisrupted sitting-even if you maintain an optimum fitness program-has been found to be an
independent risk factor for premature death. Intermittent movement is nothing more than the
interruption of sitting, which can be done simply by standing up every 15 minutes or so. Physical activity also produces biochemical changes that strengthen and renew your brain-particularly areas associated with memory and learning.

Dementia may not be commonly regarded as a “killer disease.” But the fact is that Alzheimer’s disease now claims an estimated half a million American lives each year,1 making it the third most lethal disease in the US, right after heart disease and cancer! Loss of cognitive function, regardless of severity, also certainly impacts your quality of life.