"Our longevity is modulated by our genes only by 20 to 30%," says Dr. Pascal Douek, nutritionist and sports doctor, author of the "Great book of the secrets of longevity" (Leduc's edition). . It is the environment and our lifestyles, that is our behaviors, that determine the remaining 70 to 80%. "

According to an American study of the Harvard Faculty published in April 2018, it suffices to adopt five simple rules - a priori known to all but not necessarily applied - to live 14 years more (only 12 years for men). Demonstration.

Do not smoke and limit alcohol

Cigarette smoke is a notorious pollutant that alone delivers more than 4,000 toxic substances. That's why even passive smoking is to be banned to make old bones.

As for the consumption of alcohol, it must be restricted to 15 grams per day (30 g for men). As with all other protective factors, it's never too late to act. Even at 60 or 70 years of age, there is still a benefit to giving up tobacco and alcohol, two major causes of preventable premature death.

Prefer intermittent fasting to diets to avoid overweight

As a carrier of diabetes and cardiovascular disease , "being overweight is associated with a 27% higher mortality risk than the average of the population," says Andrew Stokes, professor of public health at Boston University ( United States). To tip the scales on the right side and maximize its longevity, it is better to rule out conventional diets and bet on the sequential fast that allows the body to rest for 16 hours in a row. Once a week, remove one of the three meals. If you finish your dinner at 21h, do not drink anything until the next day 13 hours. This digestive rest period allows cells to regenerate and offer up to 20% longer life!

Being too skinny is not the solution either. According to Harvard researchers, the optimal body mass index (BMI) is between 18.5 and 24.

Eat fish, fruits and vegetables in good quantity

The Mediterranean type diet is a guarantee of longevity. No need to rush on Greek or Italian cookbooks. All you need to do is mix menus of fish, colorful fruits and vegetables, nuts and wholegrain cereals to reduce your risk of high blood pressure by 32%, so you can avoid the specter of heart attack and stroke. brain ( stroke ). This is inevitably to trim his contributions in salt, sugar and meat. "Not more than 500 g per week," advises Dr. Pascal Douek.

On the other hand, do not demonize good fats (rapeseed oil, flaxseed oil, chia seed ...) whose richness in omega 3 fatty acids dulls the risk of all-cause mortality by 23%. No stalemate on coffee, full of antioxidants (4 cups / day). In women, regular consumption reduces the risk of death by 7% (-40% of digestive diseases , - 22% of heart diseases and - 30% of stroke).

Practice regular physical activity

A sedentary lifestyle is the enemy of longevity. To ensure at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity, the minimum to boost one's life expectancy, one can opt for the jogging or the gym . But gardening or cleaning up music also gives good results. Other tips are possible. " Taking your bike to work reduces your risk of death by 41%," says Dr. Douek. And dancing also reverses the aging process. This decreases the risk of dementia by 76% ".

Otherwise adopt a dog. By walking the walk it rains or sells, your level of physical activity will be boosted by 20% without you noticing. You will earn ten years of extra life!