It’s no secret that lifestyle habits make a huge impact on our health. But now the research is telling us exactly how much. 5 simple game-changing lifestyle habits can lengthen your life expectancy up to 14 years, according to a new study.* Just these five simple things led to 82% less likelihood of death from cardiovascular disease and 65% from cancer. This, in addition to mounting scientific evidence, shows the most common deadly diseases – such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer – are largely preventable, and adopting these five habits can add over a decade to your life.
WANT TO LIVE LONGER? DO THESE FIVE THINGS
- Don’t Smoke. Surprisingly, smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in the US, according to the ALA. And millions of teenagers are vaping their way to future cigarette use.
- Eat Plants. It’s simple, really. Quit the sugar and processed food. Wild fish and organic meats in moderation. Little dairy. Mostly plants. Eat a variety of colorful, seasonal organic whole foods.
- Get Moving. Not everyone’s into being a gym rat. But most of us enjoy something that gets our heart pumping: biking, skiing/snowshoeing, hiking, walking, skateboarding, tennis, golf, climbing, dancing, yoga, jump roping? What’s your thing? Find it, do it. For 30+ minutes a day.
- Stop Buying Bigger Pants. When they start to get snug, check yourself. Aging doesn’t mean unnecessary weight gain. Maintaining our ideal body structure comes naturally when we’re moving and eating right. (18.5-24.9 BMI)
- Don’t Drink Too Much. Keep it classy with a glass of wine at dinner. Leave your beer pounding days behind you if you want more days ahead of you. (½ -1 drink/day for women, 1-2 drinks/day for men)
We are sicker and have shorter lives than our counterparts in other developed countries, despite massive drug development and disease management in the US. Until prevention through lifestyle change is the priority we will continue to scramble to manage symptoms of avoidable diseases and remain among the sickest people in the world.
So, listen to your mom, best friend, nagging spouse, your kids, your chiropractor! Because it’s true. You really need to do these 5 things.
Integrated Wellness is a lifestyle medicine clinic with services to support evidence-based lifestyle interventions including nutrition, physical activity, and stress-management. We focus on the prevention and treatment of disease and illness through lifestyle interventions because we know this is the way to optimal health and wellness.
* “The Impact of Healthy Lifestyle Factors on Life Expectancies in the US Population,” is the first study to thoroughly investigate the connection between lifestyle factors and longevity.