What if there was a medication that would cut your risk of getting chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes by 80% without side-effects? People would line up around the block to get such a thing, even if it was expensive. Now imagine that there were life changes that could get you the same results for FREE- all without drugs. Well a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found four health habits that, when combined, cut people’s risk of serious diseases by up to nearly three-fourths.
The study followed the health and lifestyles of 23,513 adults ages 35 to 65. They focused on a handful of key health factors:
- Never smoked
- Exercised at least 3.5 hours per week
- Maintained a Body Mass Index (BMI) under 30
- Followed a diet high in fruits and vegetables
The study found that people who combined all four of these habits had a78% lower risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and heart attack.
Now, go back and look at that 4 factor list. These are all things that you can take steps to change or improve! Even if you aren’t perfect, you will improve your health considerably by focusing primarily on these things:
- SMOKING: If you have never smoked- keep it up! If you are a smoker, take steps to quit. Check out some resources for quitting here, here, and here.
- EXERCISING: If you have never exercised, find something you enjoy and work your way up gradually to at least 3.5 hours per week. Make sure to check with your health professional before beginning and progress in a manner that is safe for you. You can break this up by doing 30 minutes a day. Walking is one of the easiest ways to get started. Here is a link to the American Heart Association’s www.startwalkingnow.org/ for some tips and ways to keep motivated.
- DIET: add fruits and veggies to each meal. Search the web for interesting recipes, try new things, aim to add at least some green and multicolored veggies each time you eat. Ask your doctor for recommendations. Here are some ideas for quick and healthy veggie recipes. Search the web for more- there are oodles of options out there.
- BMI: by exercising and making dietary changes, this may improve by itself. BMI is calculated by using your height and weight. There is an online calculator here.
Start making changes now and they will help add up to a long, healthy life.