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Nearly every day, you hear reports about a newfound way to stay young—whether it's a miracle skin cream or the latest diet craze. But you shouldn't always believe what you read. "There's just not much evidence that any of that stuff will extend your lifespan or make you healthier,"
Reality: Want to rescue your skin after too many years of fun in the sun? Aside from a dermatology visit to ensure your skin is healthy, skin care products can help, too. But you don't need to buy Dior over a pharmacy brand. To see results, what it comes down to are the ingredients in the product, not the price tag. Two must-haves: "Sunscreen, as well as retinol, are ingredients definitely known to help prevent or improve skin changes associated with prolonged sun exposure,". Also, if you're going to be outside for a long time, don't rely on just lotion with sunscreen; sunblock is your most effective ally at protecting your skin.
Reality: Marriage offers many benefits, like day-to-day companionship and support in your toughest times, but a huge gain in longevity isn't one of them—well, at least not for women. "It seems there's a lot out there that says men live longer if they're married," The Longevity Project, a study that spans over 80 years, showed that while marriage may be great for men's health, it doesn't help women quite as much. Men in long-term marriages were likely to reach age 70, living much longer than men who were single, remarried or divorced. Married women, on the other hand, lived only slightly longer than divorced women.
Reality: While being optimistic has been linked to living longer, happiness isn't the key to extending your golden years. A decade-long study published in The Lancet found that among 700,000 women in Britain, being unhappy or happy didn't make much difference in how long they lived. The researchers noted that while poor health is linked to being unhappy, it doesn't necessarily mean that unhappiness itself makes you unhealthy. But doesn't it feel better to be happy and healthy?
Reality: Constantly sky-high stress levels can affect everything from the size of your waistline to your risk of heart disease, which is why so many experts recommend stress-relieving techniques. But this doesn't necessarily mean working hard slashes your lifespan. In fact, being involved and committed to your job may actually boost longevity. Researchers from The Longevity Project found that hard-working, productive people tended to live longer than more easy-going people—especially if they were dedicated to things or people beyond themselves or felt useful and appreciated at work. So if you're working hard at something you truly love, keep at it!
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