How to Meet Recommendations for Multiple Healthy Lifestyle Factors

Healthy lifestyle factors focus on exercise, proper meals and avoiding bad habits.

Doctors include five main areas for a healthier you: eating habits, smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise and overall weight or body mass index. Meeting the recommendations suggested for a healthy lifestyle requires you to change your bad habits and adopt healthy ones.

Instructions

1. Stop smoking. Smoking is a high-risk activity for several problems, including cancer, heart disease, heart attack and overall efficiency of how the body works. If you smoke, starting in a smoking cessation program and quitting will lower your risk of disease. A number of programs are available, including a patch, chewing nicotine gum and medication.

2. Avoid alcohol as much as possible. According to the Mayo Clinic's website, alcohol consumption in moderation has some health benefits such as lowered risk for heart attacks and ischemic strokes, but it also has several potential health problems. The website suggests no more than one drink for a woman per day and no more than two drinks for a man. Avoiding alcohol is best because it can cause liver disease and cancer if you overdo.

3. Eat a healthy diet. The foods you eat are a major factor in good health. A healthy diet means eating several servings of fruits and vegetables every day, sticking to whole grains foods such as whole wheat bread rather than white bread, and minimizing junk food. Opt for fish and chicken and regulate red meat to an occasional meal. Talk to your doctor about any suggested food options for your personal health needs.

4. Exercise for 30 minutes a day. Set aside a minimum of 30 minutes every day for some exercise. Exercise can include something as simple as going for a walk around the neighborhood or a morning jog to spending time at the gym and working with weights. If you do not enjoy gyms or walks, try classes such as yoga, Pilates or martial arts, or participate in a sport. Sports and classes allow social interactions and are not as boring as walking on a treadmill. Before starting any exercise regimen, talk to your doctor about your personal health.

   Some individuals, such as those with heart disease, may require medical monitoring at the start of exercise to minimize and prevent heart attacks.

5. Maintain a healthy weight. A healthy weight varies for each individual. For most, the body mass index, or BMI, is the appropriate determination for a healthy weight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is a normal weight range. Any BMI below 18.5 is underweight. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is overweight and anything above 30 is obese.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult a doctor for specifics for your health needs, especially if you have any conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, a family history of heart attacks or stroke or if you are pregnant.

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Healthy Weight; It's not a Diet, it's a Lifestyle
• MayoClinic; Nutrition and Healthy Eating; If You Drink, Keep it Moderate
• San Francisco Natural Medicine: 10 SimpleThings You Can Do to Get Healthy and Stay Healthy
• "American College of Preventive Medicine": Meeting Recommendations for Multiple Healthy Lifestyle Factors; N. Paul Pronk, et al.; August 2004
• "Clinical Geriatrics"; Changing and Maintaining Health Behaviors; Barbara Resnick; August 2009