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According to the CDC, the average life expectancy is 77 years old. However, if you are devoted to leading a healthy lifestyle, you may live a much longer and more fulfilling life. Dr. Jagdish Khubchandani, MBBS, Ph.D., lists five things we need to avoid doing if we want to live longer and better lives since bad habits might shorten our lifetime by years.
1 — Spending a lot of time sitting or sleeping
According to Dr. Khubchandani, “Since the epidemic, people have become more sedentary. We are spending more time sitting down, according to the most recent American Time Use Surveys. People are eating their lunch at their desks, working from offices, watching TV, and engaging in leisure activities on social media. Recent studies have revealed that prolonged periods of excessive sitting are linked to greater mortality rates, probably as a result of decreased physical activity, hormonal changes, and the relationship between sitting and other hazardous habits (e.g. snacking). Heart disease and cancer, the two main causes of mortality, are made more likely by these practices.”
2 – Consuming excessive amounts of unhealthy foods
Dr. Khubchandani explains that “Food is a kind of like medicine, but we also often use it as a stress reliever, a social tool, or a celebration. Snacking and overeating starchy, salty meals does daily damage to the body that can lead to long-term issues including obesity and unstable blood sugar levels. People may get diabetes, heart disease, renal failure, and cancer as a consequence. Sweetened drinks, chips, cakes, cookies, and a number of breakfast foods are typical everyday examples of this.”
3 – Isolation and Stress
Dr. Khubchandani warns that stress and solitude are silent killers. “People who are always under stress, who are lonely or bored all the time, and who are pessimistic may ultimately acquire coronary artery disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and a host of other physical health issues. Every day, one should have a life plan, a timetable, integrate stress-reduction tactics into daily activities, set aside time for socializing and seeing family and friends, and engage in physical activity.”
4 — Use of ATOD (Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs)
Dr. Khubchandani states that “In the United States, hundreds of new smokers begin their habit each week, and more than a tenth of people smoke regularly. Additionally, more than half of American adults reported using alcoholic beverages in the previous week. Drug users are an ever-growing population, and each week, many of them pass away from overdoses. The long-term potential of addiction and health concerns is widely known, despite the fact that some individuals may feel they are not at danger or are only socially experimenting. Smoking is still the number one avoidable cause of illness, disability, and death in the US today. A few conditions that are linked to alcohol usage are heart disease, stroke, and accidents. Every time someone smokes cigarettes or other substances, their heart, lungs, and brain are damaged. The result of the repeated injuries is heart attacks, strokes, and cancer.”
5 — Get Back to Basics: Eat Healthily, Sleep, and Exercise
According to Dr. Khubchandani “Our habits may either save us or destroy us. We have known for millennia about the advantages of sleep, exercise, fruits, and vegetables. For both the number and quality of each of these behaviors, the CDC provides guidelines. Getting them in the recommended levels everyday is a certain way to have a healthy, free of disabilities, and high-quality life. There are a few basic guidelines: people should receive 7-8 hours of sleep every night; 150 minutes of activity per week; and 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.”
