Various scientific studies published in 2023 discovered that it is enough to follow a few simple healthy habits to combat diseases and lengthen our life
The guidelines fundamentally refer to issues of nutrition and physical exercise, but it is just as important to safeguard our mental health, and to do so it is essential to take care of our relationships.
At this point in the month of January, many of us are already saturated with the advice and recommendations we receive through social networks to improve our health habits for the new year. Everything adds up, but the most effective thing is to resort to science.
During 2023, several scientific investigations came to light that offer us a decalogue of good practices that are relatively easy to undertake. Following these guidelines will not only have a positive impact on our physical and mental well-being, but will also help us combat illnesses in the medium term and prolong our life.
Fast for 14 hours
In the last decade, nutritionists, endocrinologists and other doctors specializing in nutrition have argued ad nauseam about the convenience of practicing intermittent fasting: is it really beneficial? For everyone equally? In 2023 the largest community scientific study of its kind was carried out in the UK. It was carried out by researchers from King’s College London and almost 40,000 people participated.
The conclusions were that fasting for 14 hours regulates hunger and improves mood and sleep. The idea is to concentrate food intake in a ten-hour period: for example, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Have early breakfast and dinner
Related to the previous point, a large study led by a team from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) published in December of last year studied the associations between eating patterns and cardiovascular diseases in a sample of more than 100,000 people. The main conclusion drawn by the researchers is that eating breakfast and early dinner can reduce cardiovascular risk.
Specifically, scientists associated eating food after 9 p.m. with a 28% greater risk of stroke or cerebrovascular diseases. The study abounds in recommendations to narrow the time slot for food intake: what matters most is the time at which the daily eating window begins and ends (the sooner, the better) and the fasting period until the next one, and not so much the time at which we eat at noon.
Add a little milk to the coffee
Most people eat the same thing for breakfast every day: carbohydrates and foods rich in fiber. It is not the healthiest option, according to experts, but it is the most common. And in any case, better than the typical ‘British breakfast’, which usually includes unhealthy ingredients such as sausages, bacon or beans. Ideally, according to nutritionists, our morning menu includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains (unprocessed), proteins and healthy fats.
What is almost never missing in the morning is some caffeine. According to a study by the University of Copenhagen published last year, the best way to drink coffee is to add a little milk. The reason is that the combination of proteins and antioxidants in this drink doubles the anti-inflammatory properties in human immune cells, which researchers say helps reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
If you want to follow a diet, make it one of these
Continuing with the question of nutrition, a panel of experts last year analyzed and rated the 38 most popular meal plans in the world. According to this ranking, prepared annually by the magazine US News & World Report, the three best options are the Mediterranean diet, the DASH and the flexitarian diet.
We already knew that our country’s eating model is one of the best in the world, although last year we learned about some variations: vegetables, fruits, legumes and olive oil, daily and with every meal. Less known is the dietary plan known as DASH, devised by the American National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to prevent and treat hypertension. The keys are to reduce salt to a minimum and eat skimmed dairy products.
Take these dietary supplements
Not everyone, however, can follow any diet. Older people and those with certain medical conditions often follow restricted diets with significant nutritional gaps. Those who have high cholesterol should moderate their fat consumption; and diabetics should avoid glucose. For these people with nutrient deficiencies, it is necessary to resort to supplements.
Several reports published in recent months classify and order which of these supplements are the best for your brain. They are magnesium, creatine, omega-3, choline and vitamins B and D.
4,000 steps a day is enough
Another study published in 2023 dismantles one of the most established myths related to active living in popular culture: it is not necessary to take 10,000 steps a day to have adequate physical activity, 4,000 is enough. Or what is the same, walk between 3 or 4 kilometers a day.
To obtain health benefits, the number of steps is not as important as the way you walk. To optimize this exercise, it is advisable to follow a series of guidelines: take lateral steps, extend your arms, turn your head, carry weight, go up and down curbs or walk at a light pace. All of these movements contribute to improving heart function, bone and muscle health, and maintaining balance.
Make short and intense efforts in your daily life
But walking is not enough to combat the sedentary life typical of our times. A study that analyzed data from more than 25,000 people in the United Kingdom over seven years found that people who do not regularly play sports can also reduce their risk of cancer and heart attack by doing vigorous activities lasting less than two minutes at least. least three times a day.
In addition to brisk walking, the research refers to activities such as climbing stairs instead of using elevators or escalators or carrying weight with your arms (for example, replacing the cart with bags for small daily purchases).
Exercise your strength
Having a good quality of life when you reach adulthood goes beyond not suffering from diseases. It is necessary to maintain an active lifestyle in every way. There are people with good health who lead bad lives, because they feel unhappy or suffer from loneliness; and others with health problems who have a satisfactory life.
Experts recommend taking care of our health when we have it, because sometimes it is too late to do so when we lose it. Regarding physical activity, one of the recurring recommendations from doctors is to take care of our metabolism in a comprehensive way: cardiovascular exercises are necessary, but from the age of 40-45 it is essential to train strength to age well.
Move as much as you can, even in pain
There are people who eat well, maintain adequate physical activity and still have a poor quality of life. In many cases it is because they are affected by chronic pain. How do you deal with this situation?
Last year, The Vanguard interviewed some of the best specialists in the field of brain-body relationships. They all agree on a couple of basic recommendations: the first: “you have to move, even if it is in pain”; The second: it is essential to learn to correct our posture, not only to avoid pain, but also to regulate our emotions.
Cultivate your social life and take care of your friends
The nine previous tips have to do primarily with eating and exercise habits. But if scientific research in the years after the Covid-19 pandemic has shown anything, it is that mental health is as or more important than physical health. There is not one thing without the other.
One of the longest-running studies in the history of sociology, conducted by Harvard University, has reached a definitive conclusion: the secret to happiness lies in cultivating and maintaining good and many relationships. Or put another way: to live longer, spend more time with your friends. A study with almost 30,000 participants demonstrated this positive relationship between having many close friends and having greater life satisfaction. Although friendships change over time: when we are young, we have many; older, less, but better.
April Philips wrote for the VIVO channel The Vanguard a trilogy about friendship: 1, 2, and 3.
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