8 Secrets to a Long, Healthy Life: Jacques Houot and the Fountain of Youth

In fact, every day, the French native tackles a new adventure. An enthusiastic man, who often skis without a shirt on, Houot is bold, funny, energetic, and spirited.

He is also 82 years old.

"I'm 41 in each leg," he jokes.

Houot's remarkable lifestyle — and boundless positivity — is the focus of the short film, The Frenchy.

Despite his clear skin and twinkling eyes, the 82-year-old Houot has had his fair share of challenges and health scares. These include a heart attack, a bout with cancer, quitting a severe smoking habit, and more. Research suggests that positivity is an important element in maintaining good health and in recovering from challenges.

"A positive attitude is really important," Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet. Murrell witnessed how his own mother grappled with breast cancer. She was able to live for ten more years after the diagnosis, which Murrell attributes partially to her positive outlook.

Jacques Houot lives with a similar perspective.

As he laughs at the camera, his smile infectious, it's hard to deny he has tapped into the "fountain of youth."

Secrets to a Longer Life
So what are the secrets to a long, healthy life? "I'm a lucky boy," jokes Houot, but it's not all about luck and good genes.

Houot seems to have mastered the secrets to live a long, healthy, active life. Check out these tips below, inspired by his example.

1. Physical activity. This first one should not surprise you. You may not win hundreds of medals like Houot, but anyone can work 30 minutes of exercise into their daily routine. Can't find a block of thirty minutes? Break it up into 3, ten-minute segments of time. Ten minutes is enough time for a quick walk or some other form of exercise.
2. Keep your brain active.  Read books, do crossword puzzles, or take a class. Protecting your brain is as important as protecting your heart.
3. Humor. Laughter is the best medicine, after all. One study tracked people in Norway and found that a "sense of humor is a health-protecting cognitive coping resource."   Spend time watching a funny movie, enjoy good jokes, or simply remember to smile more. It will lift your spirits and protect your health!
4. Don't smoke. Houot credits his doctor, who advised him to stop smoking, for saving his life. The research on smoking is clear, Dr. Andrea Tufano-Sugarman of NYU Lagone Health tells SurvivorNet. "We know that there is a causal relationship between smoking and both incidents of cancer, and the chance of dying from cancer. There are very few things in science that have a cause and effect relationship, but this is one of them, which is very powerful."
5. Maintain a healthy weight. Being obese or even overweight puts pressure on your heart and other organs, as well as your joints. Maintaining an appropriate weight can also increase your chances of surviving some forms of cancer. Dr. Stephen Freedland of Cedars Sinai Medical Center previously told SurvivorNet, "Some of the best data we have is that obesity increases the risk of not just getting prostate cancer, but actually dying from prostate cancer. Obese men are 35 percent more likely to die from prostate cancer."
6. Eat a plant-based diet.  Many studies show the benefits of a vegetarian or a vegan diet, in which most of your calories come from plant-based foods. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Robert Wright, chair of the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at Mount Sinai, said preventing cancer generally comes down to “eating more vegetables and less meats, particularly red meats." His focus on red meats is important — according to one study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, "Red and processed meat intakes were associated with modest increases in total mortality, cancer mortality, and cardiovascular disease mortality." Can't cut out meat completely? Instead, try lowering your overall intake. Eat meat only twice a week, for example, instead of every day.
7. Socialize. Spending time with family and friends is vital to emotional and mental health. Many studies point to the danger of isolation, a problem many older Americans face. One study titled “Social Relationships and Mortality Risk” found that "people who are isolated face a 50% greater risk of premature death than those who have stronger social connections.” The authors also noted that “the quality and quantity of individuals’ social relationships” also contributed to their mental health. Make sure you spend time with your friends. Join a community center, take a class, join a book club, volunteer at a local organization in general, get out and socialize.
8. Sleep well. Seven to eight hours of sleep are necessary for your body to function properly. Make sure you’re getting quality sleep — problems like sleep apnea plague many people, and its effects can be more serious than waking up feeling groggy. In describing a recent study that connected sleep apnea with cancer risk, Dr. Eric Zhou of Harvard University told SurvivorNet, “the use of proven therapies like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for sleep apnea could potentially reduce a patient's cancer risk.”

Stream The Frenchy, and many other stories of positive thinking, on SurvivorNetTV.

 

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