Live Longer: Eat Right, Exercise and Know Your Numbers

May 3, 2010— -- With the demands of work, family, and other activities, it's often difficult for people to find the time to exercise and eat right.

Don't make excuses. Dr. Mehmet Oz, physician, talk show host and author, writes in this month's issue of AARP The Magazine that poor diet and lack of exercise can be more harmful than a disease.

As people age, it's more important than ever -- and never too late -- to start following a better lifestyle.

In an appearance today on "Good Morning America," Oz shared six easy steps that you can follow to be more healthy and live longer.

Adults of any age may follow these steps:

Eating fewer calories actually increases the body's efficiency. That's because eating a little less each day will improve cells' effectiveness, enhancing the body's ability to repair itself and thereby increasing longevity, Oz said.

Oz also advised that people eat regular meals throughout the day. Eating that way stabilizes the levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates the appetite.

People pay a lot of attention to the numbers on their scale, but Oz said there many other critical numbers to which people should pay increased attention.

Oz said people should also know their blood pressure, levels of cholesterol (HDL and LDL) and of TSH, the hormone secreted by the thyroid, waist size, and vitamin D blood level.

Here are the optimum levels of the numbers you should know:

Vitamin D blood level: More than 50 ng/l