No matter how bad your lifestyle choices are, it’s never too late to  start healthy living, and you could gain a decade in the process –  because there’s still a lot to live after 60, and with a few small but  important changes, you can still make the best of it.

When we reach a certain age, it’s understandable to assume that our  health will go in one direction, and it’s almost certainly not a  positive one. The road to old age seems littered with misery and  humiliation: heart disease, joint problems, cognitive problems. We seem  to be inevitably slipping into “descent”.

But a growing body of research now shows that this is not necessarily  the case. A major study by John Hopkins suggests that even in your  sunset years, switching to a healthier diet can add a decade to your  life.

A recent study from Johns Hopkins University in the United States  tracked more than 6,000 people aged 44 to 84 for more than seven years.  Those who have made positive changes, such as quitting smoking,  following a Mediterranean diet, exercising regularly and maintaining a  healthy weight reduced their risk of death by a spectacular 80 percent  over this period.

In a new study, scientists at the University of Bergen in Norway have  shown that by avoiding an “average” diet – one high in processed foods,  especially red and processed meat – and instead having an “optimal”  diet high in grains and legumes and nuts can add almost 10 years to your  life at the age of 60. Even switching at age 80 can extend life  expectancy by three years, the researchers found.

Even if you’ve always followed an unhealthy diet for most of your  life low in vegetables, it may not be too late to make a change.

Listen to find out more.