Everyone has a opinion about what the best lifestyle habits are, from social media influencers and great aunt Bess. You can make long-term health decisions, regardless of whether you are a big fan of apple cider vinegar and/or if you don’t believe in the latest health trends. Lifestyle medicine specialist Malden Gluck, MD, PhD, says that healthy lifestyle habits can reduce or reverse high cholesterol and high blood sugar. You can reverse heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol. He will help you to choose the right lifestyle to avoid chronic diseases.
How your lifestyle can impact your health
Dr. Golubic states that chronic diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. They include all the usual suspects.
- Cancer.
- Cardiovascular disease.
- Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD)
- Diabetes.
- Stroke
You can avoid many chronic conditions by changing your daily lifestyle. He estimates that about 80% of chronic diseases can be attributed to lifestyle factors like diet and exercise.
How to avoid lifestyle diseases
Dr. Golubic suggests these five areas to help prevent chronic diseases:
1. Diet
He advises that you eat whole, unrefined, and minimally processed plants. Plant-based food can help reduce diabetes and heart disease. Evidence shows that the Mediterranean diet may reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. This diet is high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grain fish, olive oil, and nuts. There is also evidence that eating a plant-based diet can reverse chronic, diet-related conditions such as advanced cardiac disease. This diet does away with meat, dairy, eggs, and adds whole foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and beans. This diet is Dr. Golubic’s favorite and most compassionate. “I suggest you experiment. He says that you don’t need to be vegan tomorrow. Avoid refined and processed foods. Begin by making one new plant-based dish per week.
2. Physical activity
All your body’s systems benefit from moving. Experts recommend that you do 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week. Dr. Golubic suggests starting small if this seems overwhelming. “Most people can walk. Start with a 10-minute walk. He suggests that you do this at least two to three times per day. Then, walk faster, do a minute of intense walking, or climb a flight stairs. Walking is an option, but any other activity is possible. Move more, sit less.
3. Sleep
Each night, aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep. If you can’t stop burning the midnight oil, consider:
- Be consistent with your bedtime and waketime, even on weekends.
- Daily physical activity is important. (Sensitivity to a theme?
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
- Turn off your digital devices at least 90 minutes before you go to bed.
- Your sleep area should be dark, comfortable, and cool.
4. Stress relief
Chronic stress is not good for your immune system. Meditation, mindfulness and gratitude can help you relieve stress and improve your mental and physical health. Dr. Golubic states that while we tend to use food as a way to cope with stress and worries, there are better ways to do so.
Mindfulness: Being present and more aware of what you feel, sense and experience is Mindfulness. It is a great way of relaxing and coping with stress.
Dr. Golubic offers two methods to master mindfulness
- Schedule Daily practice: Find a quiet place. Pay attention to your body’s movements when you breathe. Notice how your stomach expands or contracts, and how the air moves in and out of each nostril. The key is to simply observe. Don’t try to alter the frequency or depth of your inhalation. He suggests that you let your body do the normal thing more than 20,000 times per days. Begin with five minutes a day, and then work your way up to 20 minutes.
- Be present in the moment. Take the time to pay attention to what’s happening around you. When brushing your teeth, treat it as if it were your first. Dr. Golubic suggests that using your nondominant hand can help you pay more attention. You can practice mindfulness while washing dishes, taking out garbage or watching the lights turn green. Mindfulness can be any activity that requires you to pay attention.
Meditation: For those who are new to this practice, 4×4 breathing (or box breathing) is a great place. Here’s how it works.
- Relax in a quiet, comfortable place and sit straight.
- Slowly exhale, paying attention to how much air you are releasing.
- As you breathe in through your nose, count four times in your head. Pay attention to how the air is entering your lungs.
- For a count of 4 (or less) to get a count that you can hold comfortably, hold your breath.
- For a fourth count, exhale.
- For a count of 4, hold your breath.
- Continue.
This can be done for five minutes each time, increasing to 20 minutes per day. Gratitude It is also a great way to reduce stress. Studies showed that a few weeks after being fired, healthcare workers who practiced acts of gratitude (e.g. remembering three positive things or writing grateful letters) had positive effects on their health. Dr. Golubic states that we are more likely to focus on negative things and less on the positive aspects of our lives. “We will feel happier when we, even in the midst a busy day, recognize and remind ourself of all the blessings in life.”
- Social connectedness
Being connected to others, or being loved by them, is a way to stay emotionally and physically healthy. Virtual connections can make a difference even if physical distance is the norm. Dr. Golubic states that technology has a tremendous impact on our ability to avoid isolation. “Almost everyone has a cell telephone, so it’s easy to communicate with others and express your feelings about them. Even emails from work that say “I hope you are OK” or “stay well” can make a difference.
Is it really so difficult to change your lifestyle for a healthier one?
It can be difficult to control our habits for a variety of reasons, including:
- Inaccessible healthy options: A quick walk down the street will reveal the simple truth: there are many unhealthy and cheap fast-food options. This can make it difficult to make healthy choices. “Spain has fruterias, which are shops that only sell fruits and vegetables. They are open from morning to late at night. Imagine if these stores were more common than fast food restaurants,” Dr. Golubic said.
- Subliminal messages too many: “Subliminal messages could sabotage healthy lifestyle habits,” he said. Think about ads that show beautiful people eating unhealthy food. You might see young people doing yoga poses, instead of older people who have two to four chronic conditions.
- Instant gratification culture: It can take weeks or months to establish a routine, and even longer to reap the benefits. Dr. Golubic concluded that patience is key to implementing positive lifestyle changes.
How to sustain healthy lifestyle habits for the long-term
Dr. Golubic recommends these steps to make healthy habits last:
- Take small steps “Do evolution rather than revolutionary,” he said. “Choose achievable goals. Begin by listening to meditation tracks for five minutes each day. Then, increase the number of days and minutes you listen to as you make progress.
- Have realistic expectations Don’t be too harsh on yourself. Accept the expression “Progress not perfection”
- Get educated: Discover the science behind opinions. Ask for advice from professional medical associations such as the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society.
- See the big picture. People who think about what is important to them and how it fits into a bigger whole are more likely to achieve better results. Dr. Golubic states that food choices can be a spectacular example. A pound of beef requires a lot more energy, greenhouse gas production, land and water use than a pound worth of beans. Our food choices have a direct impact on our health and the well-being all life on this planet.
