Five healthy practices lead to extra years of good health

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Is it worthwhile to cultivate healthy habits? According to a recent study, healthy practices may help people add years to their lives and avoid major illnesses like diabetes and cancer. After all, if you're going to earn an extra decade on this planet, you might as well make the most of it!

What was the focus of this study?

Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health examined data from more than 73,000 women who were followed for 34 years in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and more than 38,000 males who were followed for 28 years in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS).

These researchers discovered that five low-risk lifestyle habits are crucial for a longer life expectancy in a prior study utilizing the same data. People lived longer if they had more of these practices. The following were the habits:
A healthy diet, which was calculated and rated based on reports of eating healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids regularly while avoiding less healthy or unhealthy foods like red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, trans fat, and excessive sodium.
A healthy level of physical activity, defined as at least 30 minutes of moderate to strenuous activity each day, such as brisk walking
A healthy body weight, defined as a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9
Never smoking, because there is no such thing as a safe level of smoking.
Low-risk alcohol intake, defined as 5 to 15 grams per day for women and 5 to 30 grams per day for men One drink typically includes 14 grams of pure alcohol. 12 ounces of ordinary beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits are equivalent.

Even if participants just possessed one of these habits, they lived two years longer than those who did not. Women lived an extra 14 years and men lived an extra 12 years if they routinely practiced all five by the age of 50. That's more than a decade of additional life!

Are those extra years beneficial to your health?

Researchers sought to determine if those extra years were also healthy in this new study. In follow-up questionnaires, participants were asked if they had developed medical problems such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (heart disease and strokes), or cancer. A study of medical data confirmed the answers.

According to the study, practicing at least four of the five healthy habits provided significant protection against developing any of these illnesses: on average, about a decade more of life free of these disorders.

What is the significance of this? Illness, hospitalizations, and even nursing home care are all linked to these chronic conditions.

Steps to a healthier, longer life

If you're entering middle age, there are steps you can take to live a longer, healthier life with a decreased risk of becoming incapacitated or ending up in a nursing home:

The majority of the time, eat largely vegetation. Fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, and entire grains are all examples. As much as possible, avoid quick or fried foods, sweets and sugary beverages, and red and processed meats (such as cold cuts).
Move your body as much as possible every day. Walking for 30 minutes a day (15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the evening, perhaps?) would provide the benefits discovered by these studies. However, even 10 minutes of movement per week has been demonstrated to be beneficial.
Make every effort to reach a healthy weight. Remember that even a small amount of weight loss, such as a few pounds, is linked to meaningful, favorable health outcomes, such as a reduced risk of diabetes in persons who are at risk.
Don't smoke — or vape! Though this study focused on those who had never smoked, we know that quitting smoking at any age has major health advantages. It's never too late to give up smoking and live a healthier lifestyle.
If you do drink alcohol, remember to stick to the suggested limits: one drink per day for women, two drinks per day for men.

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