This week’s topic is preventative health. While there are many working parts in preventing chronic conditions and diseases, some of the big ones are regular visits to your doctor and dentist, preventative screenings recommended by your doctor, being physically active most days of the week, following a healthy eating pattern, and avoiding unhealthy behaviors like smoking.
This link from the Center for Disease Control has more detailed information on preventative health in America. I’ve highlighted a few pieces from that link that I found interesting or thought were important enough to share again.
Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, are responsible for 7 of every 10 deaths among Americans each year and account for 75% of the nation’s health spending.
Although there is no cure for chronic diseases, there are preventions… Working with your doctor and obtaining appropriate screenings can help individuals detect risks of chronic conditions, but even before that, there are steps you can take to put your best foot forward toward a long and health life.
Eating healthy, exercising regularly, avoiding tobacco, and other carcinogens are just a few examples of ways people can stay healthy.
Preventing disease is key to improving America’s health and keeping rising health costs under control. When we invest in prevention, children grow up in communities, homes, and families that nurture their healthy development. Adults are productive and healthy, both inside and outside the workplace. Businesses benefit because a healthier workforce reduces long-term health care costs and increases stability and productivity. Furthermore, communities that offer a healthy, productive, stable workforce can be a more attractive place for families to live, and for businesses to locate.
Preventing disease before it starts is critical to helping people live longer, healthier lives and keeping health care costs down. Preventive services can also help those with early stages of disease keep from getting sicker.
Now, since this is a blog dedicated to healthy eating and living, I’ve got to dive a little deeper into point number three.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 pinpointed three different eating patterns (EP) that are known to have preventative health benefits. These are the Mediterranean-Style EP, the Healthy U.S.-Style EP, and a Vegetarian-Style EP. All three of these EP’s have a similar theme: a heavy reliance on plant-based foods. Plant-based foods are void of saturated fats (with a few exceptions) and are abundant in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Each vitamin and mineral performs a function that your body needs.
In addition, these eating patterns encourage a reduction in added sugar intake, fatty and processed meats, and other highly processed or “convenience” foods. These types of foods are considered calorie-dense because they provide few nutrients in comparison to their high calorie content. Consuming these types of foods would be counterproductive to preventative health care.
And lastly, you saw in one of my previous blog posts the dangers of sitting and the importance of moving all day. If you didn’t read it, you should! This has become such a problem that a company actually developed a tracker that provides feedback on sedentary behavior rather than activity. In short, most adults need 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week, children need 60 minutes a day, we all need to reduce our screen-time, and we should all strive to get up and move every 30 minutes (during waking hours, of course).
So to sum up, eat healthy, be active, don’t smoke, talk to your doctor, and get those regular health screenings. The future you will thank you.