It shows you why they matter and how to begin making positive changes.
What surprises some people is that the relationship is a U-shaped curve.
This means that too littleandtoo much sleep can affect your health.
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More than half of all teens don’t get enough sleep.
Adults do better but have more insomnia and poor sleep quality.
A good night’s sleep is important to recharge both the body and mind.
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It helps the body repair cells and get rid of wastes.
It also is important in making memories, and sleep deprivation leads to forgetfulness.
Sleep apnea affects millions of people, but it’s believed that many cases are being missed.
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Sleep apnea can present with a number ofsurprising signs and symptoms, such as teeth grinding and depression.
If you have any concerns, talk to your healthcare provider about asleep study.
There are treatments, likeCPAP, that lower risk and improve quality of life.
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Some of these conditions have proven links to food and nutrition, as is the case withred meatandcolorectalcancer.
Taking steps toward a lifelong change in diet will help more than jumping on the latest fad diet does.
You may have heard author Michael Pollan’s signature phrase: “Eat food.
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Of those plants, choose a rainbow of colors to double-check you get all the nutrients you need.
One place to begin is with the well-regarded Mediterranean diet.
It’s rich in many of the healthiest foods and naturally limits less healthy choices.
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The more you follow the Mediterranean diet, the lower your risk of a host of diseases.
A 2018 review looked at over 12 million people and the risk of over a dozen chronic diseases.
It doesn’t recommend highly processed foods, refined grains, or added sugar.
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It also lowers the amount of bone loss as you age, and with it the risk ofosteoporosis.
Best of all, physical activity is a low-cost way to boost your health and even save you money.
The good news is that just being somewhat overweight does not reduce your longevity.
A BMI of 35 to 40 was linked to a 93% increase.
BMI is a dated, flawed measure.
It does not take into account factors such asbody composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age.
There isn’t any real magic when it comes to keeping a healthy weight.
Eating a nutritious diet and exercising dailyare the true secrets for most people.
If you’re struggling, talk with your healthcare provider.
The list of diseases and cancers linked to smoking is long.
Perhaps it’s too expensive, or indoor smoking bans limit your social outings.
Or maybe the midlife concerns will help you!
Smoking speeds upwrinklingof the skin.
There’s also a link between smoking anderectile dysfunctionin men.
Quitting, or avoiding tobacco in the first place, will save lives but protect its quality too.
Red wine is rich in flavonoids, particularly the nutrientresveratrol.
Yet a link between alcohol and breast cancer suggests that even this amount should be used with caution.
Group 1 is the highest-risk group, which also includes asbestos, radiation, and tobacco.
Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer.The more alcohol you drink, the higher your cancer risk.
Managing Mental Health
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Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
It affects how we think, feel, act, and relate to others.
Managing mental health includes factors such as managing stress and maintaining social connections.
One way to increase happiness is to manage stress.
These factors may seem like a part of the common-sense advice, but there’s a reason for that.
They’re all backed by data, and new medical research continues to point in the same healthy direction.
American College of Cardiology.Getting good sleep could add years to your life.
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Sleep apnea.
2018;1(7):e184587.
doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.4587
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tobacco-related mortality.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About health effects of smoking.
World Health Organization.No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol and cancer.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol use and your health.
National Institute of Mental Health.Caring for your mental health.
Diener E, Chan MY.Happy people live longer: Subjective well-being contributes to health and longevity.
Social Science Research online grid; 2013.
2022;5(3):e223236.
Harvard Health Publishing.Lifestyle changes to lower heart disease risk.
American Cancer Society.Diet and physical activity: What’s the cancer connection?
National Institute on Aging.A good night’s sleep.
