That's Fit

Living in this day and age, people have information at their fingertips to help them live longer and healthier. But apart from all the nutritional factoids, aged individuals can tell you what the Holy Grail of Longevity is.

When a recent survey was conducted, 100 senior citizens aged 100 to 104 piped up on what the secret to their success was. Almost a fourth of them echoed the same thing: faith and spirituality do more for a long life than medical care coupled with good genes.

It's hard to argue with their mentality of "living a good, clean life." But there must be something about the peace of mind that one can get from a lifelong commitment to faith. So can you guess what these same people considered their greatest achievement in life? Beating out their careers, it was raising a family, they said.

Apart from your regular diet and exercise routine, how does faith play a role in your overall health?

If The Notebook was as close as you've ever gotten to senile dementia, a condition known as the loss of intellectual functions, then just visit your local nursing home to see some of the gripping effects it can have on its residents and their families.

No one wants to lose the ability to remember familiar faces and recount enjoyable moments in life. So, if there were some steps you could take to ward off this terrible condition, wouldn't you at least try? At the 10th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders in Spain, studies that were presented pointed to a common theme: the earlier you start eating right and getting exercise, the better chance you have at blitzing the symptoms of dementia.

The conference highlighted a 20-year study in Finland, where middle-agers who had implemented good exercise and diet habits in the mid-80s were now found to have better memories and minds than those who hadn't consumed a diet of fish and polyunsaturated fats (coupled with activity) like themselves. This shows that a lean diet and exercise have more benefits than just a sharp-looking body. The good, healthy decisions you think through today can also keep your mind sharp in the future.