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Sep 14, 2021 · Abundant research shows that healthy lifestyle factors protect people against serious health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and more. Even small steps toward a healthier lifestyle can make a big difference in our lives––here's practical advice for making healthy changes stick.
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Dec 6, 2023 · For a long, healthy life, the seven key lifestyle behaviors include getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, being physically active, maintaining a healthy body weight, not smoking, limiting alcohol, and managing mental health.
- Overview
- What is a “healthy lifestyle”?
- How is it beneficial?
- What is the easiest way to start one?
- Are there any drawbacks?
- Does this mean I have to give up my favorite “bad habit”?
- The bottom line
Starting a healthy lifestyle can involve eating nutritious foods, engaging in regular physical activity, and prioritizing your mental health.
When you’re not at your healthiest, you can probably tell. You may simply feel “off.” You may find that you feel tired, your digestive system isn’t functioning as well as it normally does, and you seem to catch colds. Mentally, you may find you can’t concentrate and feel anxious or depressed.
Ask 50 people to define what a “healthy lifestyle” is, and you’ll likely get 50 different answers. That’s because there’s no one way to be healthy. A healthy lifestyle simply means doing things that make you happy and feel good.
For one person, that may mean walking a mile five times a week, eating fast food once a week, and spending virtual or in-person time with loved ones every other day. For someone else, a healthy lifestyle may be training and running two marathons a year, following a keto diet, and never having a sip of alcohol.
1. Prevents disease
Healthy habits can reduce the risk of various diseases, including those that may run in your family. For example, in a recent study, adults who followed a standard American diet (rich in fruits and vegetables) for 8 weeks had a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. In another 2020 study, researchers found that every 66-gram increase in daily fruit and vegetable intake was associated with a 25 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Swapping out some refined grains for whole grains also reduces the risk of disease. In an observational study of almost 200,000 adults, those who ate the most whole grains had a 29 percent lower rate of type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least. And a review of 45 studies concluded that eating 90 grams (or three 30-gram servings) of whole grains daily reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 22 percent, coronary heart disease by 19 percent, and cancer by 15 percent. In terms of exercise, as little as 11 minutes a day may add years to your life. In a 2020 study, researchers tracked more than 44,000 adults. Those who got 11 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day had a lower risk of death compared to those who only exercised at that intensity for 2 minutes. This comparison held true even if people sat for 8.5 hours every day.
2. Saves money
It’s always smart to see your primary care physician for an annual physical exam. This is especially true seeing how some health conditions, such as high blood pressure, are “silent.” This means they don’t have any symptoms, so unless you are checked, you usually don’t know you have the condition. However, the healthier you are, the less likely you will have to see a doctor. This could save money by reducing co-pays, the need for prescriptions, and other treatments.
3. Lengthens lifespan
Basic healthy habits are connected with living a longer life. If, at age 50, you’ve never smoked, maintain a healthy weight, are regularly active, follow a healthy diet, and keep alcohol to a moderate consumption, you could live up to 14 years longer. Making even a few of these changes could lengthen your lifespan.
Your journey toward a healthier lifestyle starts with small changes that you feel confident you can achieve. Consider making “SMART” goals. SMART stands for:
•specific
•measurable
•attainable
•relevant
•time-bound (met by a deadline and done in a certain amount of time)
There really aren’t any downsides to a healthy lifestyle since each person gets to define what “healthy” looks and feels like for themselves.
This means you don’t have to do anything that doesn’t make you happy. After all, as we already covered, unhappiness can affect your health.
Living a healthy lifestyle does not mean you have to give up the things that may be considered “bad habits.” It’s perfectly possible to balance healthy living with eating cookies, taking a day off from your workout, or having wine with dinner.
In fact, enjoying a treat once in a while can help you better stick to healthy eating habits. An all-or-nothing mindset where you can only eat “good” foods and never eat “bad” ones often backfires. Having the flexibility to eat your mom’s extra-cheesy lasagna — and savor every bite — is part of being healthy.
Rest days are also important for physical and mental health. Doing too much exercise can increase the risk of injuries or cause you to burn out and give up exercise altogether.
Furthermore, moderate drinking (one standard-size drink per day for women and two for men) is linked with various health benefits. A “standard drink” is:
•12 fluid ounces of beer
•5 fl oz of wine
A healthy lifestyle can not only help you feel better, but it can also reduce the risk of some diseases, lengthen your lifespan, save you money, and benefit the environment.
Your version of a healthy lifestyle is whatever you define it to be. There’s nothing you must or must not do in order to be healthy. Identify what makes you feel good and what brings you the greatest happiness. Then, start small when you make changes. You’re more likely to see success this way, and small successes will snowball into bigger benefits.
Lastly, if you want help with making any lifestyle changes, talk to your doctor. If they can’t directly help you, they may recommend other professionals, like registered dietitians or therapists.
Brittany Risher is a writer, editor, and digital strategist specializing in health and lifestyle content. She’s written for publications including Elemental, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, and Yoga Journal.
Live Well. NHS advice about healthy living, including eating a balanced diet, healthy weight, exercise, quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol. 5 steps to mental wellbeing. Calculate your body mass index (BMI) Healthy weight. Information for adults and children about healthy weight, including advice to help you lose weight.
Mar 25, 2020 · As it turns out, healthy habits make a big difference. According to this analysis, people who met criteria for all five habits enjoyed significantly, impressively longer lives than those who had none: 14 years for women and 12 years for men (if they had these habits at age 50).
- Monique Tello, MD, MPH
- (877) 649-9457
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May 6, 2010 · To ensure a healthy lifestyle, WHO recommends eating lots of fruits and vegetables, reducing fat, sugar and salt intake and exercising. Based on height and weight, people can check their body mass index (BMI) to see if they are overweight.
The information below outlines four stages you may go through when changing your health habits or behavior. You will also find tips to help you improve your eating, physical activity habits, and overall health. The four stages of changing a health behavior are. contemplation. preparation.
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