Regardless of what the current diet and lifestyle fads are, the fact of the matter is that lifestyle matters when it comes to long-term health. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be the difference between encouraging or preventing the development of chronic disease.
The Common Chronic Diseases
Realistically speaking, chronic diseases take the lead for causes of death worldwide. These include:
- heart disease
- stroke
- diabetes
- cancer
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
Approximately 80% of these conditions are driven by diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors.
Chronic Disease Prevention
Consume a Healthy Diet
You might be wondering to yourself, “What is considered a healthy diet? Am I only allowed to eat tofu and salads, now?”
Well, no. Not necessarily. Your diet should definitely revolve around moderation in order for it to be sustainable in the long run.
However, with that being said, there is evidence out there that suggests that eating a hearty and fully plant-based diet can help reduce— and even reverse— heart disease. This would essentially mean the elimination of all animal products including eggs, dairy, and meat— and involve a pivot toward eating whole grains legumes, vegetables, and fruits.
If that’s a little too much for you (which is frankly understandable), there is also evidence out there that suggests that following the Mediterranean diet— a diet rich in whole grains, fish, olive oil, vegetables, and nuts— can reduce the risk of developing most chronic diseases all across the board.
Physical Activity
Experts recommend that adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week.
This doesn’t mean you have to stress out about hitting the treadmill for 150 minutes a week, however. Walking, gardening, hiking, participating in fitness classes— these all count, too.