Welcome to my first post!
In this section I will talk about what exactly we behavioral scientists mean by healthy living. As a person who has been involved in the health field for many years (as an athlete and exercise science student years ago, a yoga practitioner and teacher, and now as an academic in nutrition and health promotion), the concepts of health and wellness are quite familiar to me. However, I do realize that most people outside of the health field may be confused about what are those factors that make the greatest impact on their physical health and how to start making changes to their everyday routines that can significantly contribute to a healthy body.
So, let's start talking about the factors that make the greatest impact on physical health. Remember your grandma and/or mom when she said you should eat well and exercise?...well, she was right! after many years of sophisticated research, scientists keep arriving at the conclusion that the formula of diet and exercise is the key to solve many of our present health problems. A recent study conducted by researchers at the university of Harvard found that people that followed a health lifestyle- defined as never smoking, a healthy body mass index, at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day, moderate alcohol intake, and a high quality diet- had a lower risk of premature death from all causes and a lower risk from deaths associated to cancer and cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, stroke, etc). To learn more about this study go to https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/healthy-lifestyle-5-keys-to-a-longer-life-2018070514186
Now, let's talk briefly about each of these factors.
Non-smoking is self-explanatory; a healthy lifestyle means no smoking. Smoking has been associated with an increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer compared to non-smokers. In addition, women are at a highest risk to die from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than men. Take a look at the infographics below by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
What is the body mass index (BMI)? It is the ratio of your body mass in kilograms to your height in meters. In simple terms, it is an estimation of the percentage of fat in your body. As mentioned above, a healthy lifestyle is associated with a BMI that is between 18.5 and 24.9, see the graph below. At the end of your laboratory appointment we provided you with your BMI. You can also calculate your BMI using the following link https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
Now, let's talk about exercise/physical activity, my personal favorite!...exercise and physical activity are actually different terms. Exercise is a planned, structured, and systematic activity such as going to the gym everyday at 6am or training for a 5K. Fortunately for many of us, we do not need to engage in exercise per se to obtain numerous health benefits. The research is clear, 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity everyday and you can decrease your risk of chronic disease, maintain a healthy BMI, make your immune system stronger, improve your mood and sleep, increase your energy, and simply enjoy yourself. You can perform simple activities such as walking the dog, going on a hike or walk in the park with your baby/kids, dancing in your living room, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or even biking to work instead of driving. Read this helpful article to learn how to incorporate walking into your routine https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/walking/fit-in-walking-morning-noon-or-night and look at the helpful tips below provided by the American Heart Association:
What is considered a moderate amount of alcohol intake? moderate alcohol consumption is defined as up to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men. Nonetheless, there are some people that must avoid drinking completely such as those taking medication that interact with alcohol, those suffering from a chronic condition that may be aggravated by alcohol, and women that are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Do you want to know more? visit the following websites:
https://www.alcohol.org/alcoholism/moderate-vs-too-much/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/drinks-to-consume-in-moderation/alcohol-full-story/
Lastly, let's discuss our last factor...diet quality. According to the latest nutrition research, in order to achieve optimal health it is not sufficient to keep track of calories. In other words, quality matters as much as quantity. Thus, it is recommended that people try to incorporate a variety of nutritious foods into their daily meals such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids. Think about creating a rainbow the next time you plan a meal, this way you will ensure that you obtain a variety of nutrients from different delicious sources. Take a look at the infographics below:
Hopefully you have been reading this far and the information presented was useful to get you interested in finding multiple ways to seek a healthier lifestyle. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us. We'll see you in our next post!
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