Adopting these healthy habits can not only help you to ward off diseases but can also keep your mind fresh and your body youthful.

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We live in a world of reactive healthcare. Many people wait until they experience symptoms before heading to the doctor, then get prescribed a pill to help alleviate them – or are sent for testing to see if there is something more serious going on, which is often too late to prevent damage. 

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But when it comes to your health, there are ways to be proactive. Simple changes like cutting out overly processed foods, squeezing in a quick walk around the block, or getting a whole body Prenuvo MRI to see what’s going on inside your body, can help you to lead your healthiest life.  Here are seven habits that make a big difference.

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1. Make exercise a part of your routine

Exercise has been linked to everything from helping you to avoid a chronic disease diagnosis like diabetes and osteoporosis to preventing some forms of cancer and increasing one's lifespan. Staying active can lower your risk of developing dementia by 20% and it can reduce stress and boost your mood. If this isn’t motivation to get up and get moving, we don't know what is! The Centers for Disease Control, American Heart Association, and National Institute of Health recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity. 

Don’t have time to head to the gym every night? Go for a walk. One study found people who walked for 20 minutes at least five days a week took 43% less sick days than those who only walked one day per week. The group who walked more also were sick for shorter periods of time and had less severe symptoms. Even a shorter walk can help. Another study found that 11 minutes of brisk walking per day can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. 

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2. Practice good sleep hygiene

When it comes to sleep, 7 to 9 hours per night is touted as the holy grail. But how often do we find ourselves watching  just one more episode of a favorite TV show, staying out late with friends or cramming an extra productive task into the evening, which all can equate to a poor night's sleep? 

Sleep is important for nearly every aspect of our mental and physical health. A lack of sleep is linked to a greater risk of everything from heart disease to type-2 diabetes and impaired immune function. It’s also a crucial aspect of brain health, relieving symptoms of stress and anxiety and boosting the brain’s cognitive abilities.

To log enough Zzz’s, aim for a consistent bedtime and wake time, stop drinking caffeine at least six hours before bedtime, and avoid heavy meals right before you snooze. Dimming the lights and avoiding blue light as the sun sets, sleeping in a cool and dark room and exercising throughout the day can also help with sleep. Napping earlier in the day and for no more than one hour at a time and managing stress can also play a role in good sleep, as can gratitude. In one study, people who journaled about people or things they were grateful for before bed experienced an improvement in sleep. 

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3. Limit ultra-processed foods

It’s best to eat whole foods whenever we can but in today’s busy world, it’s not always possible. And the definition of processed food may be different than you think. The U.S. The Department of Agriculture defines it as any food that has been altered from its original state. So baby carrots that have been chopped up, washed and pre-packaged at the grocery store are processed food, as are frozen blueberries. Additional examples include apple juice, flour, baked potatoes and canned corn. But it’s the ultra-processed foods – aka "snacks, drinks, ready meals and many other products created mostly or entirely from substances extracted from foods or derived from food constituents with little if any intact food” that you want to watch out for. Examples of these foods include apple pie, corn chips, carrot cake, cookies and French fries.

In recent years, experts have warned that ultra-processed foods, which make up half the diet of U.S. adults, may be linked to weight gain, high blood pressure, cancer and increased mortality rates. Thus, making healthy swaps to avoid as many of these very processed foods as you can can go a long way in keeping you at your healthiest. So instead of saying yes to a side of onion rings, have some mashed potatoes instead – or better yet, a salad! Reach for some trail mix in lieu of a granola bar and squirt some lemon into a glass of water versus grabbing a soda. 

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4. Chip away at your stress

Stress, anxiety, depression are all things that can lead to an array of additional health issues, such as digestive issues, increased risk of chronic disease, insomnia and high blood pressure. In addition to mindfulness practices like yoga, getting a good night’s sleep, and meditating, taking things off your plate can help you to feel more Zen. Studies have shown that walking outdoors in nature, mindfully conducting tasks like washing dishes, laughing, and even birdwatching can also help. Carve out some time for yourself, find something you love to do, and find some creative ways to unwind whenever you can. Everyone has a different method of stress reduction that they prefer so find one that is for you, whether it’s exercising or lighting a candle and sipping a warm cup of tea.

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5. Get social

Wake up, shower, breakfast, work, drive home, make dinner, hit the couch for some television binging, rinse and repeat. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Most of us have jam-packed days which leave us little time for socializing. And after a long week on the job, spending Saturday or Sunday doing some serious Netflix and chilling may sound more appealing than getting out and being social. But loneliness, which experts are now calling an epidemic - with 1 in 3 Americans feeling lonely every week – is not great for our health. It’s linked to everything from obesity to anxiety, high blood pressure, depression and memory loss. 

Life may be busy but finding ways to work in some social interaction can go a long way for your health. Schedule a phone call with a friend or family member to check in. Ask a coworker to join you for lunch. Invite a friend to take a workout class with you or to run an errand the next time you have to go to the mall. Get active and go for walks with your neighbor. Even a quick text or phone call can work wonders. One study found that talking on the phone for 10 minutes is enough to make you feel less lonely. 

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6. Learn something new

Many of us have jobs that require us doing the same old thing every day. And when we come home, we get settled into our longstanding routines. But experts suggest that taking a moment to learn something new may help to boost our cognition – especially our thinking and memory skills. Have you always wanted to learn Spanish? Download an app that teaches it or sign up for a class. Do you have a camera you’ve never learned how to use? Take a YouTube photography course and challenge yourself to get outside and snap some photos. Curious about pickleball? Sign up for a class and invite your friends to learn how to play alongside you. Studies show that participating in activities that challenge the brain, like when learning a new skill, can help to slow rates of age-related cognitive changes. Trying something new may also lead to a potential new hobby. And research suggests that having a hobby can boost your wellbeing and nurture your mental health. 

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7. Take a look inside your body

It’s easy to get busy and push off your annual appointments but keeping up with recommended screenings and physicals can help you to stay on top of your health and catch anything earlier when it pops up. Make sure you’re going in to see your doctor for an annual physical and following their recommendations for when to get recommended tests like a colonoscopy or mammogram. 

And to really be proactive about your health, book a Prenuvo scan for a deeper dive into your entire body to see how your muscles, tissues, and organs are functioning. Unlike X-rays and CT scans, Prenuvo’s whole body MRI is radiation-free and performed without contrast or dyes. A one-hour scan can check for hundreds of conditions, including everything from degenerative disc disease to fatty liver disease, some auto-immune conditions like multiple sclerosis, undetected tumors, cancers as early as stage 1, and brain aneurysms. It’s a great way to get an overall baseline of your health. A Prenuvo scan can find conditions even before symptoms appear, which can enable you to get the best treatment possible, give you helpful health information that can inspire some healthy changes, and provide peace of mind for those with a history of disease in their families. 

Find out more about how to book a Prenuvo scan.

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