Globally, chronic diseases are the primary cause of death and disability, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Millions of Americans suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease, lung disease, cancer, and diabetes. Many factors contribute to these diseases, including inactivity, tobacco consumption, excessive alcohol, and poor eating habits.
A healthy lifestyle and adjustments to daily routines are often needed to prevent and manage chronic diseases. Although altering a busy schedule might initially seem difficult, you will notice a dramatic improvement in your health over time. By implementing seven simple lifestyle modifications, anyone can improve their health and reduce the risk of chronic illnesses.
- Eliminate factors that impact your health:
Even though some diseases are due to aging and genetics, certain chronic diseases may also be influenced by our lifestyle or a life event. Therefore it is necessary to identify the possible reasons that can deteriorate our health in the long run. Consuming tobacco and smoking is one of them.
People are at high risk of suffering from heart diseases and even cancer if they smoke and use tobacco. Unfortunately, people are sometimes exposed to the disease through the fault of others. For example, mesothelioma patients suffer from the negligence of the estate or company. The main causes of this disease are exposure to asbestos which is usually not the patient’s fault.
Regardless of the reason, if a healthy lifestyle can prevent some chances of chronic disease, one should try quitting habits like smoking and excessive use of alcohol.
It can be challenging to quit these habits, so talk to your doctor for support. There are different ways to approach addiction, and your physician can help you in these ways:
- Assist in making a strategy
- Determine the best approach to quitting (cold turkey, tapered approach, medication-assisted).
- Establish a support system for you
- Trigger identification
- Determine the date when you will quit
Add nutrition to your diet and reduce sodium intake
Your health is directly affected by what you eat. You can’t function or perform optimally if you eat foods low in essential nutrients or chronically undereat. Various systems within your body, including your circulatory system and heart, can be affected by these situations. In addition, overeating can lead to obesity, which increases your risk for chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes.
Researchers have also found that eating too much or too little of certain nutrients increases your risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. According to a study using the CDC(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data), 45 percent of deaths related to these three illnesses occurred because of dietary factors in 2012. In an analysis of ten dietary factors, reducing sodium intake and processed meat consumption appeared to be critical factors. A higher intake of nuts, seeds, and omega-3 fatty acids was also considered important.
For a proper and balanced diet, you can follow these steps:
- Add less salt to your food
- Slowly reduce your consumption of high-sodium foods
- Keep your weekly processed meat intake to a minimum
- Increase your intake of nuts and seeds
- Take omega-3 supplements or eat more seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids
- Reduce sugar in drinks and foods
- Avoid sugary beverages such as soda, sweet tea, and energy drinks
- Serve an additional vegetable or fruit at every meal
Avoid late sittings and add physical activity to your routine
Regular exercise is beneficial for your health, but physical activity has benefits for your mental well-being too. All forms of physical activity boost your mood, relieve stress, improve your focus, and improve your sleep.
An ideal amount of moderately vigorous exercise for adults should be 150 minutes per week. The activities considered moderate exercise are walking fast, swimming, bicycling, gardening, or playing sports. Depending on your schedule, you may spread out your physical activity throughout the week. You can even benefit from short bouts of activity, such as 10 minutes of exercise now and then. To keep it interesting and fun, try to find activities you enjoy and love.
Another important element to change in your routine is to limit your sitting time. Even if you exercise regularly, sitting for prolonged periods increases your risk of long-term illnesses like blood pressure issues and obesity.
You can incorporate more physical activity into your daily routine by practicing the following:
- Walking or stretching for a few minutes every hour after sitting for long periods
- After one meal each day, go on a brisk walk
- After waking up, stretch gently for a few minutes
- Plan to exercise every day for 10 minutes
- Regular exercise with a friend or family member
Get quality sleep regularly:
The best way to avoid chronic diseases is to get enough regular sleep every night. Despite its importance, sleep often seems like a luxury. Adults often cut down on their sleep to accomplish all the other tasks they have to do in a day.
About one-third of American adults don’t sleep at least seven hours a night. You may experience reduced alertness, mood swings, short-term memory, and health problems due to chronic sleep deprivation.
You can improve your overall well-being and manage or reduce the impact of some chronic illnesses by getting more regular sleep. A person with type 2 diabetes may be able to maintain better blood sugar control if they get enough sleep. Talk to your doctor if you suspect a medical condition, chronic pain, or sleep disorder is interfering with your sleep quality.
Sleeping regularly and getting quality sleep can be achieved by taking the following steps:
- Sleeping at least seven hours a night by setting a specific bedtime
- Create a sleep routine that starts at least 30 minutes before your bedtime, so your body knows you will be sleeping soon afterward
- Before going to bed, avoid electronic devices for at least 30 minutes
- Use an e-reader or book that doesn’t emit blue light to wind down and relax instead of using a computer or phone
- Don’t drink caffeine late at night
Bottom line:
Chronic diseases affect many aspects of a person’s life. Among them, financial and mental are most prominent. Moreover, if the disease is not timely diagnosed, it can also risk the lives of patients. Therefore, a person with a healthy lifestyle should also regularly check their health for early diagnosis and treatment.
Implementing the points mentioned above will assist you in preventing chronic diseases and make you a healthier person so you can enjoy every aspect of life.