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Better Choices for a Healthier
Lifestyle
Have you put off breaking your bad
health habits because you thought it would be too hard? Then
get ready for some good news.
"Every day, new research notes that Americans can take
control of their own health by making simple and realistic
lifestyle changes," says Lawrence Stifler, Ph.D.,
president of Health Management Resources in Boston, Mass. He
says that changing a few unhealthy behaviors can actually
improve the quality of people’s lives. Changing a few
hours a week could add eight to ten quality years to a
person's life.
You can predict how healthy you'll be down the road by
looking at your risk factors for disease. Having one risk
factor doesn't doom you to poor health. Your odds rise
dramatically when several risks are combined, however. Here
are two examples: (1) people with high cholesterol are four
times more likely to develop heart disease than people with
no risk factors; (2) smokers with high cholesterol and high
blood pressure are 13 times more likely to develop heart
disease than people with no risk factors.
Your disease risk is determined by:
Medical factors: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high
blood sugar, earlier or on-going major medical problem, a
family history of health problems, obesity.
Lifestyle behaviors: smoking; a high-fat, high cholesterol
diet low in fiber, fruit and vegetables; heavy alcohol use;
drug use; lack of adequate exercise.
Your environment: secondhand smoke, not using seat belts,
lengthy exposure to sun and radon, environmental toxins (PCB,
pesticides, herbicides and chemicals), heavy metals (lead,
mercury, arsenic).
Changing lifestyle
habits
No matter how many years you've
practiced bad habits and no matter your age, it's
possible to make a fresh start and improve your health.
Here are important steps you can take to incorporate simple
changes into your daily routine:
Get out and walk
Exercise is probably the single most
important thing you can do for your health. Regular physical
activity -- 30 minutes most days of the week -- can help
reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure,
obesity, stress and weak bones. If you don't like walking
or running, consider bicycling, swimming or
aerobics.
Quit smoking
Even if you can't kick the habit
completely, you still can lower your health risk by reducing
the number of cigarettes you smoke.
Eat your veggies
Eating five servings of vegetables
and fruit every day helps remove some fat in your diet and
may lower your risk for heart disease, cancer, high blood
pressure and diabetes.
Use seat belts
Wearing a seat belt may reduce your
risk of dying in a car accident by almost 60
percent.
Wear sunscreen
Wearing sunscreen and a hat helps
protect your skin from the sun. Too much sun is a primary
cause of skin cancer.
Avoid secondhand smoke
The government reports secondhand
smoke accounts for 25,000 to 50,000 deaths in this country
every year. Eliminate it from the two places where you spend
the most time: your home and workplace.
Reduce the fat in your
diet
An important part of healthy eating
is choosing foods low in saturated fat.
Eat fish twice a week
People, who regularly eat baked,
grilled or broiled fish, often have lower levels of heart
disease. Check with local authorities on the safety of eating
fish caught in your area. There may be restrictions if the
fish are from lakes and streams that are polluted.
Be radon aware
It's important to test your
house for radon if it is known to pose a threat in your
area.
Be a role model
Your children and other family
members are likely to develop lifestyle habits based on what
they see you do.
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