Cook often, be happy and live longer

Photo: Contributed

Every day, we are constantly pushed and pulled by influences in our lives and those influences change how our lives go and how long they last.

The quality of life you have is about all aspects of how you live.

If you “super-size” your meals too often, it will shorten your life. If you eat lots of fresh veggies and whole grains, you will live longer. They tell us we need more exercise so don’t go to the drive-through, at least get out of your car and walk in.

Of course, the worst thing of all to shorten your life is stress. Studies show the only way you can undo the damage stress causes is to unwind. (I can just imagine those lab rats in the studies with their feet up, eating mini tubs of Haagen-Dazs.)

I married a chef, so eating well is relatively easy at our house. I enjoy working out and being outside in the garden, so I stay flexible and mobile. But I get stressed when I don’t manage my time well enough to cook more often, as I enjoy it. (Having a chef for a partner means he can cook faster, so one has to be organized to keep up and get dinner made.)

This week I am proud to say that although we ate a bit later, I have managed to cook not once but twice this week. I have not done some of the other work on my list, but I accomplished something much bigger. And I am more rejuvenated for it.

I have a huge bookshelf full of cookbooks and that will be my starting point for my new initiative of cooking more often. I am even planning to have people over, so that I can expand my field of guinea pigs, er I mean guests. (It’s a win-win situation really. If the meals go well, I get praise from a bigger circle of friends. If I fail miserably, I can just move along to the next names on the list for the subsequent attempt.)

I hope you’ll agree, there is nothing like time around the dining room table to bring people down to earth and make them smile. Good food and good vibes are the best tonics for a long and happy life.

That age-old concept of balancing the priorities in one’s life is one that never stops being important. If you want to see where you’re at in your life span, check out a cool site that has some extensive research behind it (link: https://apps.bluezones.com/en/vitality )

Blue Zones Vitality Compass test may look like just a publicity stunt but it is based in statistics and algorithms that come from the research done in areas where people live the longest.

I can’t really say “take it with a grain of salt” as salt is something that can shorten your life if you over-consume, but, well, you know what I mean.

Considering less stress and more exercise in your life is good, but nobody is saying you have to swear off the occasional tub of Haagen-Dazs.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.