Protecting Yourself From Medical Costs and Disability

Improve Your Odds for a Long and Healthy Life

By Joanne Barker

You know the story: Somebody's 99-year-old aunt never exercised, smoked her whole life, and lived on a diet of red meat and ice cream. So why bother with healthy living, right?

"For every one person who lives a long life of unhealthy choices, there are countless others who die prematurely because of them," says Robert Schreiber, MD, physician-in-chief at Hebrew SeniorLife, an elder health care provider and affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Betting that you will be one of these people is playing a game of Russian roulette, Schreiber says.

The seeds for illness in many of Schreiber's patients in their 70s and 80s were sown in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, he says. "Probably 50% of cases of the most serious conditions -- heart disease, diabetes, stroke, many forms of cancer -- are related directly to lifestyle and behavior," Schreiber tells WebMD.

No one is guaranteed a life free of disease or injury. As we age, many of us will face at least one of these common health problems. But certain lifestyle steps can help forestall illness and sometimes prevent it altogether. They can also improve your quality of life and recovery if disease or injury does strike. Read on to learn what you can do to improve your odds.


Better Health through Diet

"Food provides essential vitamins and minerals that play a number of different and overlapping roles," says Jen Sacheck, PhD, an assistant professor at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston. Some vitamins support metabolism, some boost immunity, some are good for bones, some help synthesize protein -- and many do several of these things and more. "The key is: You have to have all of them for optimal health," Sacheck says.

Besides providing nutrients and fuel, food plays a decisive role in your weight. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the risk for many cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis, to name a few. For people who are overweight, even a small amount of weight loss reduces the risk of many associated diseases.

If you do develop a medical condition, a nutritious diet is an important component of managing many diseases, including diabetes and heart disease.

Healthy Diet Basics

A healthy diet gives you enough fuel to get through the day without loading you up with excess calories. Start with foods from plants. The USDA's 2010 guidelines encourage Americans to eat more vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains, as well as more seafood and fat-free and low-fat dairy products.

In addition to focusing on beneficial foods, limit foods that may increase risk of health problems, like sweets. "Chocolate has some nutritional value, but is also high in sugar and fat," Sacheck tells WebMD. If you really love chocolate, enjoy it in small amounts, keeping the calories in mind.

Watch out for empty calories. For example, soft drinks have no nutritional value and are loaded with empty calories. You can find red flags for calorie emptiness in the list of ingredients on the label. If you see added sugar, saturated or trans fats, or refined grains, proceed with caution.

Getting Started: 4 First Steps to a Healthy Diet

Begin with these strategies to eat less and healthier:

1.Plan meals ahead of time to ward off unhealthy temptations.

2.Replace unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones. For example, an omelet made with egg whites and vegetables is healthier than one heaped with cheese and sausage.

3.Serve yourself smaller portions.

4.Slow down when you eat.

Healthy Living Through Exercise

"There is a huge amount of evidence that exercise helps lower the risk for serious diseases," Sacheck says. Exercise lowers the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, many cancers, weight gain, depression, and cognitive decline. Some benefits – such as increased muscle strength and improved depression or blood pressure – may start earlier. Others -- such as reducing the risk for some cancers, heart disease, and diabetes -- build with years of sustained exercise.

Exercise can also promote weight loss, as long as you don't use it to justify eating more food. To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you use. But don't let the numbers on the scale make or break your exercise goals. Being overweight and active is much healthier than being overweight and inactive.

Exercise Basics

Exercise works best when it becomes part of your life. Ideally, by exercising regularly, you will feel as if something is missing in your day when you take time off.

How much people should exercise varies, but a good goal is 150 minutes (two and a half hours) of moderate exercise each week. Any physical activity that raises your heart rate or makes you sweat counts. This includes brisk walking, recreational sports, and heavy housework or yard work.

Getting Started: 4 First Steps to Regular Exercise

Try these steps to make exercise part of your daily life:

1.Some activity is better than none. When you have a choice between walking or driving, choose walking.

2.Find activities that you like and keep you coming back.

3.Start slowly. Overly ambitious plans tend to end in burnout.

4.Increase workout length or intensity in increments when you feel ready.

Quit Smoking for Better Health

Smokers, here's some good news: No matter how old you are when you quit, you improve your chances for a healthy life almost immediately.

A smoker's heart rate drops within 20 minutes after the last cigarette.

Carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop to normal 12 hours after quitting.

Within two weeks to three months after quitting, a smoker's heart attack risk begins to drop and lung function begins to improve.

One year of not smoking cuts the risk of coronary heart disease in half.

If you are a smoker who has developed a health problem, giving it up can still make a difference. If you face surgery, chemotherapy, or other treatments, quitting smoking helps improve your body's ability to respond to therapy and heal. It may also lower the risk of a cancer returning or a second cancer developing.

Getting Started: 5 Tips to Quit Smoking

To help you quit and prepare for quitting, try these strategies:
Make a list of reasons you want to quit.

Set a quit date.

Prepare yourself for challenges by mapping out ways you will cope.

Let friends and family know about your plans to quit.

Clear your surroundings of cigarettes and anything that makes you want to smoke.

Healthy Living: The Big Picture

Working toward a healthier life is not always easy, and some days may be harder than others. If you have trouble staying on track, Schrieber suggests this: "Ask yourself what kind of legacy you want to leave behind," he says. "Your purpose in life is up to you. When you have one, healthy choices make more sense."