Healthy living
Anti-ageings
The game of life
Do you have a healthy lifestyle that will see you fighting fit for decades to come? Play our light hearted age game to find out
Start the game using your age and subtract or add years depending on how you answer the questions. At the end you’ll have an estimate of your real age, and a good idea of how to change your life so you can be younger in body and looks.
Are you married?
Yes. Subtract two years
No. Add two years
A study published in the Health Psychology Journal revealed that couples who were enjoying a long and happy marriage were likely to live up to two years longer, while separating, divorcing or even remarrying actually reduces your life expectancy.
How often do you kiss your partner?
Every day. Subtract a year
Every now and again. Subtract a year
Never. Add a year
Regular meeting of lips not only cements the building blocks of your relationship, it also helps to combat disease and prevent stroke. Regular exchanging of saliva helps to stimulate your body's internal defence mechanisms against bacteria, keeping your immune system strong. But it's the psychological benefits of kissing that have the most physiological impact: a survey of 3,000 people undertaken by the Berman Centre for Women's Health in Chicago found that couples who kiss 'regularly and spontaneously' are better equipped to cope with stress. Stress is a cause of raised blood pressure, which in turn is the single most important risk factor for stroke.
How often do you have a lie-in?
Every day. Add two years
Not often. Subtract two years
All that extra shut-eye could shut your eyes more permanently if you don't change your habits. According to a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, people who sleep more than eight hours each night had a significantly higher death rate than normal. But don't think that skimping on sleep is good either: people who slept for fewer than four hours also had higher death rates. Opt for a healthy six or seven hours, shown to be the optimum amount of time.
Would you describe yourself as conscientious?
Yes, I always consider others. Subtract a year
No, I look after number one. Add year
Being a caring individual will give you more than just a warm glow inside, it’ll keep you alive for longer. According to psychologist Dr Howard Friedman, of the University of California, people who show little conscientiousness die earlier than those who consider others. This benefit may not be a direct result of people giving all their pennies to charity, but because altruistic types are predisposed to creating a living and working environment that reduces stress and promotes health.
Do you drink beer or wine?
Yes, often. Add a year
Yes, occasionally. Subtract a year
No, never. Add a year
The occasional tipple gives you heart-healthy benefits not to be ignored. And it’s not just red wine that’ll lower your risk of heart disease and blood clots; even a glass of beer raises levels of your good (HDL) cholesterol, keeping your ticker working more smoothly for longer.
But before you head to the off licence, remember that excessive drinking will counteract any benefits to your heart by attacking your liver. For example, if you drink two and a half pints of beer every day for 10 years, you’re virtually guaranteed to develop liver disease. And a recent investigation undertaken by Channel 4 programme Dispatches revealed that half of us already have alcohol-related liver problems. They tested a group of randomly selected people and found that 50 per cent had liver damage, 10 times the level that experts had predicted. Thankfully, the liver is capable of a come-back – start today by cutting down on your drinking and within a year it will have repaired itself.
Do you spend a lot of time outdoors?
Yes, often. Add a year
Not really. Subtract a year
While being outside and active is good for your heart and overall fitness, sun exposure not only ages your skin, it also puts you at increased risk of skin cancer. "Here in the UK, people think they're safe but it's that attitude that's led to us seeing more patients with skin cancer," says Nurse Specialist Kate Sowerbutts of The Mole Clinic in London. "The sun can be fierce here and just as damaging even when it doesn't feel as hot. Put at least a tablespoon of high factor sunscreen on each of your exposed limbs to keep your skin supple and young-looking and always have a changing mole looked at by an expert."
And to further protect your skin, add citrus zest to your cooking: tests undertaken at the University of Arizona, USA, show that people who regularly ingest zest (the outer layer of citrus fruits) reduce their risk of skin cancer by 30 per cent.
Do you own a dog or a cat?
Yes. Subtract two years
No. Add a year
Stroking a soft, furry animal helps keep your blood pressure low by inducing your body to release feel-good chemicals that reduce stress. And keeping your blood pressure below 120/80 mmHg can give you up to three more years to live, says the American Medical Association. Walking a dog regularly will also add years to your life as regular exercise keeps your heart, lungs and muscles working efficiently.
Do you eat spinach?
Yes, regularly. Subtract a year
No, never. Add a year
Before the likes of Dr Atkins and Gillian McKeith, there was Popeye – and he really knew his stuff, because spinach one of the most powerful anti-agers. The magnesium it contains keeps your lungs strong and healthy, according to research from Nottingham University. Researchers have also ascertained that the green stuff contains 13 different flavonoid compounds, each of which works to protect against cancer. And if that weren’t enough, it also contains folic acid which has been found to reduce your risk of a stroke by a third.
Do you snack between meals?
Yes. Subtract a year
No. Add a year
Eating smaller meals more often keeps your cholesterol level down. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, people who ate six small meals each day rather than one or two large ones were found to have 5% lower cholesterol levels. “Eating this way also makes food easier to digest,” says Carina Norris, author of You Are What You Eat: the meal-planner that will change your life (Virgin Books, £12.99). “Your digestive system can break down the food more efficiently if you graze rather than gorge. This way you get the maximum nutrients from your meals, which is better for your overall health.”
Do you eat Indian takeaway?
Yes, occasionally. Subtract a year
No, never. Add two years
The spices and herbs used in Indian curries, along with large helpings of cancer-combating garlic and onions, make it a genuinely life-enhancing cuisine. “Turmeric, in particular, helps reduce inflammation caused by bacteria in your colon – and this inflammation is associated with colon cancer, a disease that kills 16,000 Brits each year,” says Norris. If spicy food leaves you cold, treat yourself to sausages and mustard instead – the garish yellow English variety is packed full of turmeric too.
Do you floss regularly?
Yes, nightly. Subtract a year
No, never. Add a year
"Flossing helps remove plaque and so can prevent gum disease," says Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation.
"Gum disease is caused by bacteria and that same bacteria can travel into your bloodstream, putting your overall health at risk. Gum disease has been linked to heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes." Rinse with a mouthwash too and you’ll remove even more harmful bacteria.
Useful articles
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
