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With so many people telling you so many different things, it's hard to even know what a healthy life style actually is. Some say we should be vegetarian; others say we should eat only meat. Still others say we should avoid carbs or fat or protein. Ack! What is a healthy life style anyway?
To start, check out this well-being quiz to get a sense for where you stand regarding some things that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Next, let's look to the research to find some answers. What does the research suggest we do to start creating a healthier lifestyle?
1. Eat more fruits and veggies
The research is clear—eat fruits and veggies to get healthier. Eating more fruits and veggies can protect against cancer, autoimmunity, and even mental health issues. The recommendation is to eat at least 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables per day. So strive to get all those veggies and fruits in your diet to ensure you get all the nutrients you need.
Eat red plants
These foods are high in lycopene. Lycopene-rich foods have been linked to lower prostate cancer risk. You could eat:
- Tomatoes
- Red bell peppers
- Persimmons
- Grapefruit
- Watermelon
Eat orange plants
Increased consumption of foods with carotenes (which are in orange plants) have been linked to lower risk of breast cancer. You could eat:
- Carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Cantaloupe
- Peaches
- Orange peppers
Eat yellow/green plants
Plants with yellow in them (that includes green plants) are higher in lutein. Lutein is a free radical scavenger that may also help the body with inflammation. You could eat:
- Yellow summer squash
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Honey dew melon
- Zucchini
- Yellow apples
2. Take probiotics
Probiotics such as L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, and L. casei have been linked to lower cancer risk, better gut health, and reduced autoimmunity risk. Probiotics are likely even more beneficial when they're fresh. You can make probiotics by lacto fermenting vegetables, fruits, or dairy products. Including some sort of probiotics can contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
3. Eat less food
Eating fewer calories may be one of the best things we can do for our health. Doing periodic fasts has been linked to numerous health outcomes. Even short fasts, like Intermittent fasting, can be beneficial and contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
4. Exercise
Exercise is good for both your physical health and your mental health. That makes it essential for a healthy life style. Exercise increases parasympathetic activity (it boosts feelings of calmness while lowering anxiety) when done regularly. And, it helps us lower our weight, which can prevent any number of health issues.
5. Improve your emotional health
Living a healthy life style is not just about our physical health, it's also about our mental health. It's about changing our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in ways that make us feel better. Managing negative emotions also has ripple effects that help us decrease stress and improve our physical health. So it's all connected. Here are a few science-based ways to create a healthier mind:
- Build positive thinking skills.
- Visualize what happiness feels like.
- Explore what gives your life meaning.
- Work on manifesting your dreams.
6. Avoid toxins
When I say toxins, I'm referring to xenoestrogens. Xenoestrogens include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), pesticides, mycotoxins, bisphenol A (BPA; a plastics additive), and lots of other things. These can cause significant damage to our health. Be careful to buy "healthy products"—products that don't expose you to these harmful, unhealthy substances.
In sum, a healthy lifestyle includes ensuring our health from multiple angles. These were some of the ways science says we can do it.
Created with content from The Berkeley Well-Being Institute.
References
Steinmetz, K.A. and J.D. Potter, Vegetables, fruit, and cancer. I. Epidemiology. Cancer Causes & Control, 1991. 2(5): p. 325-357.
Parvez, S., et al., Probiotics and their fermented food products are beneficial for health. Journal of applied microbiology, 2006. 100(6): p. 1171-1185.
Hursting, S.D., et al., Calorie restriction, aging, and cancer prevention: mechanisms of action and applicability to humans. Annual review of medicine, 2003. 54(1): p. 131-152.
Fucic, A., et al., Environmental exposure to xenoestrogens and oestrogen related cancers: reproductive system, breast, lung, kidney, pancreas, and brain. Environmental Health, 2012. 11(1): p. 1-9.
