Over the years, I’ve treated many people who seem to have the deck stacked against them, causing them to suffer from health problems people their own age usually don’t have to worry about.
However, the majority of patients I see with chronic health issues have developed them slowly over many years while doing little to prevent them. A preventive mindset can keep minor issues from becoming serious chronic health problems.
Paying attention to the following eight healthy practices can majorly affect your long-term health. Ignoring them can ruin it.
1. Hydration
Almost two-thirds of the adult human body is water. Dehydration occurs when we use more body fluids than we take in, and our bodies are unable to carry out normal functions.
“Dehydration can lead to many different problems, including decreased kidney function and kidney damage, skin problems, infections, increased severity of arthritis, decreased motivation, and even decreased overall living skills,” Kristen Harbin, a registered nurse in Lynchburg, Virginia, told The Epoch Times.
“It’s a common reason for hospitalizations and can be fatal in advanced stages.”
It’s essential to keep water handy at all times and even treat it like a prescription to ensure adequate consumption. “Many people don’t like the ‘taste’ of water, but you don’t necessarily have to like drinking water to intake the proper amounts,” Ms. Harbin said. She recommends using flavorings to make water more palatable if needed.
The proper amount of water intake varies depending on the source, but a simple formula works for many people: Divide your body weight in pounds in half to determine the number of ounces of water you should drink each day. For example, a healthy 200-pound person would need to consume about 100 ounces of water per day (or 12.5 cups).
2. Posture
Good posture is like a good foundation for your home: Everything builds on it. Clinically, we often have to work around the limitations imposed by bad posture. One issue we run into often is kyphosis, or the forward rounding or curvature of the upper back.
Many things can contribute to kyphosis, but muscular weakness and bad postural habits are common causes. It’s so prevalent that up to 40 percent of people older than 60 have some degree of kyphosis.
This condition can cause you to lean forward with your head in a hunching position. Head-forward postures can place a great deal of strain on your neck and back, causing stiff muscles and back pain, sometimes to the point of needing surgery.
Exercises designed to strengthen postural muscles can help prevent kyphosis, avoid pain, and maintain strong postural health.
3. Sleep
Good sleep is essential to good health, but millions of people don’t get enough of it. Technology is doing a great job ruining the sleep patterns of a surprising number of people, especially children.
Going without enough sleep doesn’t just make you tired; it also contributes to chronic health problems, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, obesity, colorectal cancer, and depression. It can also negatively affect scholastic pursuits and workplace performance.
Sleeping more can help close the door to chronic illnesses. Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep per night, but the recommended amount varies by age. Establishing a firm timeline for going to bed can help ensure you get adequate sleep.
Not using electronics in the late evening can help you avoid time traps and ensure you get to bed on time. In short, don’t skimp on sleep. It’s one of the best things you can do for your body.
4. Stress
Chronic stress is a killer—and in more ways than one. It can leave us anxious and unable to sleep. It can raise blood pressure, triggering strokes and heart attacks. It can undermine our base metabolism and overactivate the sympathetic nervous system.
Doctors often ask about stress during office visits, and at first blush, it may seem a bit of a fluff question. Stress is stone-cold serious, however, and can be quite complex by nature. Stress affects so many areas of the human body that it would take an entirely separate article to even hope to cover them.
There are many avenues for getting a handle on stress, including counseling, exercise and movement, breathing, outings, practicing gratitude, and workplace employee assistance programs, but the first step in determining how to address stress is to take time to identify the causes of your stress and then determine courses of action that can help you deal with it.
5. Diet
Obesity can be a touchy issue, but let’s be very clear: The human body suffers from being overweight, even to the point of death.
Beyond obesity, many people fail to understand the consequences of a bad diet, especially how it can worsen conditions and diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and dementia.
Healthy eating isn’t easy in a world filled with good-tasting but nutritionally deficient food. Several other factors play into dietary habits, including stress, genetics, and trauma. Although some people have the willpower and motivation to regain control of their eating habits and weight, most of us need a little help.
The best approaches often start by consulting professionals such as doctors, health coaches, nutritionists or dietitians, and personal trainers. These trained professionals can help provide the knowledge, skills, and motivation to implement a healthy diet and exercise regimen successfully.
6. Exercise
Sitting is the new smoking, and people are sitting a lot. The average adult spends about 7.7 waking hours per day being sedentary. In the rehab setting, we often have to rehabilitate patients who were sedentary even before hospitalization.
There is a physiological cascade related to chronic inactivity. Sedentary behavior leads to three problems: decreased cardiac, vascular, and muscle function. This behavior leads to decreased cardiorespiratory health, constant fatigue, decreased overall muscular strength, and chronic diseases.
The National Institutes of Health recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly. My recommendation is 30 minutes a day. It may seem hard at first, but regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your long-term health.
7. Oral Health
Most people fear cavities and the inevitable dentist visit. Beyond cavities, however, poor oral hygiene can lead to severe and lasting consequences. Poor oral health can lead to periodontal disease, ultimately leading to tooth loss and dentures. Worse, perhaps, is that the bacteria associated with these problems can migrate into other areas of the body and contribute to other diseases.
Poor oral hygiene can also trigger a range of problems.
“Research is increasingly linking poor oral hygiene to heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and low birth weight,” Shannon Keesee, a registered dental hygienist, told The Epoch Times. Good hygiene preserves not only your teeth but also your overall health.
Dentures can also be highly problematic from a clinical perspective. Retaining your original teeth is one of the best investments you can make in your long-term quality of life.
The best way to ensure good oral health is to schedule regular dental visits and follow dentists’ recommendations, especially when it comes to brushing.
8. Doctor Visits
Many people make doctor appointments only when something is wrong. Doctors can be skilled at fixing problems, but they can be just as good at helping us prevent them.
I’ve never worked with a doctor who hasn’t wished certain patients had come in earlier. Hundreds of patients have wished they’d been proactive about visiting their physicians before problems had progressed.
Skipping wellness visits to your doctor’s office is a bad idea. Ignoring problems can allow severe diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure to develop quietly and unchecked. Eventually, the damage can be irreversible, affecting your quality of life and functional independence.
Even severe high blood pressure can be asymptomatic. Unchecked diabetes can cause extensive damage to your organs, blood vessels, and nerves, and we all know what cancer can do.
So please don’t wait. Plan a visit with your doctor today and let them partner with you to ensure you are as healthy as possible.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.