The key to living longer could be to eat a healthy, balanced diet - including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day - as well as regular exercise. But you could boost your life expectancy by avoiding red or processed meats, it's been claimed.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a well-rounded diet is crucial to prolonging your lifespan.

You could also boost your lifespan by doing regular exercise. Its the miracle cure weve all been waiting for, according to the NHS.

Making some small diet or lifestyle changes could help to increase your life expectancy and avoid an early death.

One of the easiest ways to lower your chances of an early death, and bowel cancer, is to avoid red or processed meats, it's been revealed.

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People that regularly eat the meats are more likely to develop bowel cancer, said dietitian Juliette Kellow and nutritionist Dr Sarah Brewer.

Everyone should avoid processed meats altogether, while limiting themselves to just 500g of red meat each week, they said.

Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers to be diagnosed in the UK.

Most cases arise from polyp growths in the bowel, and around 40,000 new cases are diagnosed every year in the UK.

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The digestive tract is designed to extract all the goodness from our diet, they said in their book, Eat Better Live Longer - Understand What Your Body Needs To Stay Healthy.

Each part of the gut is functionally different and responds better to certain foods.

Fibre-rich foods and probiotics promote gut health, while refined foods are linked to disease.

Limit red meat to no more than 500g a week and avoid processed meat altogether. Both are linked to a higher risk of bowel cancer. Processed meat has also been shown to increase the risk of stomach cancer.

Meanwhile, you could also lower your risk of bowel cancer by eating more nuts, added the nutritionists.

Everyone should aim to eat a single serving of nuts every day - about the equivalent to around 28g.

They contain minerals, phytochemical and essential fats that keep the heart healthy and protect against bowel cancer.

Its hugely important to speak to a doctor if youre worried about the signs or symptoms of bowel cancer.

Regular exercise is a crucial aspect to improving overall health, and helping you to live longer.

People that do regular exercise are up to 50 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes and some cancers, said the NHS.

It may even slash the chances of coronary heart disease and stroke by up to 35 percent.

All UK adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.

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How to live longer - the dinner 'you should avoid' to protect against an early death - Express