1.Build up a powerful immune system—through a health-promoting and invigorating lifestyle.
2.Reduce the production of free radicals—through a preventive lifestyle.
3.Render the free radicals harmless—through a protective lifestyle.
You decide, through your lifestyle, which path you want to take toward better health.
1. BUILD UP A POWERFUL IMMUNE SYSTEM
YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM comprises your lymph glands, spleen, and bone marrow, plus a large number of white blood cells of various kinds that patrol the body on the hunt for intruders. They defend the body against external invasion by finding and destroying harmful bacteria and viruses. They also deal with and kill off the body’s cells that have been damaged by free radicals, and that risk transforming into cancer cells.
A particular type of white blood cells known as “natural killers” or “NK cells” are the immune system’s special forces. As soon as they discover an intruder, they try to make cell-to-cell contact and release a toxin that forces its way into the alien cell and destroys it. That’s how fantastic our body is.
We also have a large and developed immune system in the mucous membranes of the intestines, which works in partnership with the bacteria there. Foreign objects enter our body all the time as we eat and drink, and the gut’s immune system can distinguish between what is harmful and what is good for our health. Good food and low levels of stress are 2 good ways to create a strong immune system in the gut.
Choosing a healthy lifestyle enables us to build up strong immune defences. The number of immune cells can be increased, along with their activity levels. This ensures that we are well-equipped to resist infections and the development of cancer.
2. REDUCE THE PRODUCTION OF FREE RADICALS
A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE means living in a way that significantly reduces the production of free radicals and thus also reduces the damage to our immune system, blood vessels, and organs. This in turn reduces inflammation and consequently also the risk of contracting a range of different diseases (see Figure 2). This book describes how a healthy lifestyle can seriously reduce the number of free radicals.
Figure 2. A healthy lifestyle protects against the most common diseases.
Smoking—by far the most significant cause of free radicals and inflammation
SMOKING IS ONE of the worst choices you can make if you want to enjoy a long and healthy life. Smoking significantly increases the occurrence of free radicals, which directly damage our blood vessels, immune system, and organs. In short, smoking leads to increased inflammation in the body.
The smoke also contains carcinogenic substances, which result in a greater incidence of lung disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and a whole host of other diseases. Smoking thus speeds up our ageing process, with research showing that smokers lose 8–12 years of their life on average.
Imagine being a smoker who stops smoking and instead starts living a healthier life. Since the body is able to gradually recover, you could find yourself going from -8 years of life expectancy to maybe +8 years, potentially giving you an increased lifespan of 16 years—and a healthier life at that! Perhaps knowing this can provide the motivation to take that positive leap and stop smoking.
3. RENDER THE FREE RADICALS HARMLESS
THE BODY HAS developed protection against attack from free radicals, in the form of antioxidants. Since the production of antioxidants in our body begins to tail off around the age of twenty-five, these need to be added via our food. More about that in a later chapter.
Improve your health—start today!
IF YOU HAVE, or have had, an unhealthy lifestyle, forget what has gone before. The important thing is what you do now, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life. The rejuvenating and healing process kicks in as soon as your lifestyle changes for the better, and the effects are quick to take hold. This is true whenever you choose to begin—in other words, it’s never too late. It doesn’t matter what you start with, the important thing is that you do something that has a positive impact on your health.
The result will be a healthier and longer life.
RESEARCH SHOWS
A MAJOR STUDY conducted in 11 European countries over the course of 12 years reported dramatic results: a reduction in cancer mortality of 60 per cent over the period of the study, among people who switched to a healthier lifestyle.
The researchers also drew the conclusion that those who lived a healthier life worked out to be 14 years younger in biological terms over the whole length of the study.
THE GOAL OF THIS BOOK
IN THIS BOOK, I want to show the role lifestyle has to play in strengthening the immune system and slowing and preventing inflammation in the body. Follow this advice and you will feel healthier and younger. It might also lead you to avoid a number of diseases and slow the biological ageing process.
Sweden is one of the healthiest countries in the world, and in all of the Nordic countries there is increasing awareness of the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. However, the themes in this book are wholly universal and can be applied by anyone seeking to make a change in their life.
I hope to be able to show you how your lifestyle can strengthen your own inherent powers. The healthier your habits, the more years of good health you can hope to enjoy. Let us begin with one of the most critical tips—the importance of movement.
TIP 1
The importance of exercise
WE ARE DESIGNED to move about, so keeping the body active has a wide range of positive effects. In fact, some form of physical activity can cut the risk of around 30–40 diseases such as several types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. And yet some people still think they have no time for exercise.
If you don’t set aside time for exercise today, you’ll need to set aside even more time later in life—for being ill.
Exercise not only extends life, but also gives us more energy, so we feel several years younger. People who begin to exercise or take moderate physical activity age more slowly than those who are inactive. A 60-year-old can have the body of a 40-year-old, but on the other hand, a 40-year-old can also have the body of a 60-year-old.
No matter how old you are, or what physical condition you are in, exercise will always make the body younger.
But remember that this effect only occurs as long as you continue to exercise. Exercise is a perishable item;
