HealthTip: The Strength of Optimism

This post is dedicated to a man who defied medical logic; My wonderful grandfather lived  for 86 years. He had diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, and showed no significant symptoms of disease until the last ~6 months of his life. The reason for this? Did he have a healthy diet low in excess sugar and fat; high in fiber, fruits and vegetables? No. Did he exercise everyday? No.
What was his secret?
Optimism!
Studies suggest that positive feelings reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. In a review of 200 studies, the Harvard School of Public Health found that "optimism, life satisfaction and happiness are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease regardless of factors such as age, socioeconomic status, smoking status or body weight."
Opa was the happiest man I knew. He was always smiling, laughing, loving his family, and saw everything as a positive learning experience.
The most optimistic participants in the Harvard study had a ~50% reduced risk of experiencing an initial cardiovascular event compared to less optimistic participants. This doesn't necessarily mean that healthy lifestyle doesn't matter, because those who exercised, ate a balanced diet, and got enough sleep showed benefit through normalized blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight.

So, what do you take away from this? Although diet, exercise, and lifestyle are important, an optimistic view on life and family support may do more for our bodies than we initially thought. My Opa is proof of this theory! So why not try to take a positive view on life, enjoy each experience, limit stress over small "hiccups," and love your family; I don't think it would hurt!!

Information Source:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_124222.html