How To Slow Down the Aging Process

Floss at least once a day. People with clean teeth don’t just look younger, they live up to 46% longer than those who don’t, because healthy gums help prevent strokes and heart disease.

Have some dark chocolate. It contains magnesium and flavonol, which improve the supply of oxygen to the brain.

Enjoy a glass or two of red wine every day. The resveratrol found in red and purple grape skins contains impressive anti-aging properties, according to a Harvard study.

Do some crossword puzzles; play Sodoku; join a bridge group; learn to speak Italian. Research shows that doing anything to exercise your brain keeps it sharp and prevents Alzheimer’s.

Get moving. You don’t need to kill yourself with push-ups and jogging. Studies show that doing anything active—gardening, dancing, running around the mall—keeps your muscles in shape, your heart rate elevated, and your neurons firing.

Eat less refined sugar. It hardens the fibers and elastin in cells, making skin as tough and dry as an alligator’s.

Get a life—or, at least, a hobby. People with interests outside of work report less depression, get fewer illnesses, and have a lower rate of Alzheimer’s. In a survey of 600 folks over age 80, 93% credit their hobbies with helping them live longer.