5 Healthy Habits that Lead to Healthier Lives

The basics of healthy living is an assumed understanding of people’s knowledge. Each individual comes from a different background where health is defined in a variety of ways.

Maybe health is a prayer in the morning or volunteering at the soup kitchen every week. The notion that one behavior can be universally a “healthier habit” could be argued, but there are some decisions in life that promote healthier living throughout the lifespan.

Healthy habits that can help you live longer

Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that when looking at clinically “healthy” people (a.k.a, lived the longest) they had these healthy habits in common:

Balanced diets

• 3-4 servings of vegetables a day
• 1-2 servings of fruit a day
• 20-35% of calories from fat a day
• Variety of foods
• At least 3 servings of whole grains
• Adequate protein per body weight (~.8-1.0 g/kg of body weight average)

At least 30 minutes a day of activity

• Moderate to vigorous activity
• Speed walking, biking, swimming

Normal BMI

• A healthy body mass index range is between 18.5 and 24.9.

No smoking

• There is no moderation of smoking. 

1-2 alcoholic drinks a day for men and 1 for women

• One drink= 12 oz of beer, 5 oz wine, 1.5 oz of hard liquor

Are YOU ready to take on healthy habits? 

These five healthy habits led to a 14 year longer life for women and 12 years longer for men. If only taking part in one of these habits, lifespan extended by two years for both sexes. This is an eye opener for those worried about their health or struggling to succeed at these habits. Making even smaller changes can have a major impact on your health.

If you need help and support making some of these changes in your life, contact us at AZ Dietitians to add years on to your life.

Adapted from health.harvard.edu.