Adhering to four healthy lifestyle factors can help you prevent chronic diseases, according to research by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, and published in "Archives of Internal Medicine" in 2009. A healthy lifestyle includes consuming a nutritious diet, sustaining a healthy weight, performing physical activity and never smoking. By following all four healthy lifestyle factors, you can reduce your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer by 78 percent.
Nutritious Diet
A nutritious diet includes adhering to a high intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and low consumption of meats. A balanced diet with a variety of healthy foods provides you with an ample amount of nutrients and a low amount of calories. Lean protein, healthy fats and fiber can help you control your weight and blood pressure, and lower your blood cholesterol and unhealthy fats. Eating coldwater, fatty fish, such as salmon or herring, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids twice per week, might lower your risk from coronary artery disease. A nutritious diet also includes avoiding or minimizing consumption of nutrient-poor foods that are high in calories and contain refined carbohydrates and added sugars, sodium, cholesterol, and saturated and trans fats. Read labels on food products to determine nutritional content.
Healthy Weight
A healthy lifestyle involves sustaining a healthy weight or a body mass index below 30. Body mass index, or BMI, is measured using height and weight, with online calculators available, such as this one: nhlbisupport.com/bmi. Obesity is defined by having a BMI of 30 or above. As your BMI goes up, your risk of obesity, diabetes cardiovascular disease, arthritis and cancer goes up. If you are overweight or obese, reducing you weight by 5 to 10 percent can lower your risk of these chronic diseases.
Physical Activity
Sustaining a healthy weight involves using up at least as many calories through physical activity as you consume from foods. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recommends that you perform at least 3.5 hours per week or more of physical activity. Consult your doctor to determine the amount of calories you need to consume in your diet and the amount of aerobic exercise you need to expend this amount of calories. If you are seeking to lose weight, you will need to expend more calories through exercise than you eat from your diet. A healthy workout involves at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at each session. This can include swimming, walking, running or biking.
Never Smoking
Tobacco smoke is a risk factor for heart disease and cancer. Never smoking is a lifestyle factor that can reduce your risk of chronic diseases. Research by scientists at the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institute in Sweden and published in "Lancet" in 2011 found that exposure to secondhand smoke causes about 1 percent of worldwide mortality, including deaths from ischemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, asthma and lung cancer.
References
- PubMed: Healthy Living Is the Best Revenge -- Findings from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam Study
- American Heart Association: Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations
- MayoClinic.com: Nutrition Facts -- An Interactive Guide to Food Labels
- MedlinePlus: Obesity
- "Lancet"; "Worldwide Burden of Disease from Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke: A Retrospective Analysis of Data from 192 Countries"; M. Oberg et al.; Jan. 8, 2011
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