5 Steps Could Add 22 Years to Your Life

1. Next time you're asked, "Soup or salad?" order the salad. +2 years


Italian researchers found that eating as little as 1 cup of raw vegetables daily can add two years to your life. Why raw? Cooking can deplete up to 30 percent of the antioxidants in vegetables.


2. Learn the Law of Lard: The fat you carry today could kill you tomorrow. +3 years
University of Alabama researchers discovered that maintaining a body mass index of 25 to 35 can shorten your life by up to three years. (Excess body fat raises your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and colon cancer.) If you're allergic to exercise, sweat with your significant other. A Duke University study shows that sedentary men are 50 percent more likely to work out three times a week if their partners participate.


3. Crack open a fresh can of nuts and extend your expiration date. +3 years


Loma Linda University researchers discovered that those who munched nuts five days a week, earned an extra 2.9 years on the planet.The blend contains all five key nuts, including walnutts.

4. Never forget that your buddies have your back—even when it's hunched over from osteoporosis. +7 years


In a study of seventysomethings, Australian researchers found that those with the largest network of friends had the longest lease on life. For the average guy, this could add up to seven additional years of existence. Yes, some buddies may encourage risky behavior from time to time, but friendship ultimately provides more protection than peril. So try to learn a few new faces at work, trade lifting tips at the gym, or simply say "hey" to that neighbor you've never met.


5. Repeat after us: "There is life after retirement." +7 ½ years


Or at least that's what you'd better believe if you want to live that long. In a Yale University study of older adults, people with a positive outlook on the aging process lived more than seven years longer than those who felt doomed to deteriorating mental and physical health.