Enhance Your Long-Term Health: 4 Life-Changing Habits!

Recently, I watched a local morning news channel in Washington, D.C.  One of the segments featured Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD. Ms. Kirkpatrick is the Wellness Nutrition Services Manager at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute in Cleveland, Ohio.

Long-term quality of health is important for everyone! In this news segment, she discussed four important long-term health habits to improve your overall health and weight-loss benefits.

Health experts have overwhelmingly supported the following positive four long-term health habits.  They are:

Get More Sleep! 

Trying to get at least 7-plus hours of sleep per night has been viewed as the optimal minimum of restful sleep that we need to function well.  A study by Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine discovered that “sleep plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions.” 

As a long-term health benefit, getting enough sleep is beneficial to a better functioning mind and decision-making.  Dr. Merrill Mitler, a sleep expert and neuroscientist at NIH, noted in an April 2013 article for the NIH News in Health that:

Sleep services all aspects of our body in one way or another: molecular, energy balance, as well as intellectual function, alertness, and mood…loss of sleep impairs your higher levels of reasoning, problem-solving and attention to detail.

In terms of the link between sleep and weight-loss, one of the points made in a February 2020 article from Healthline.com notes that:

“Short sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of weight gain and obesity in both children and adults.”

Intermittent Fasting:

An article from the April 20, 2020 report in Healthline.com (“Intermittent Fasting 101: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide”) provides an excellent overview of the benefits of intermittent fasting.   It is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating.  It doesn’t state what foods you should eat but when you should eat them.  It is an eating pattern, not a diet plan. The long-term health benefits of intermittent fasting can have positive physical and mental effects!

People have been eating intermittently throughout history.  Also, the article explains the overall health and wellness benefits of this eating pattern.  I have incorporated this technique into my eating pattern by not eating before 8:00 A.M. and trying not to eat after 7:00 P.M.  This period of intermittent daily fasting works well for me.  You may want to read this article and see what works for you.  Note: As always, if you have underlying health conditions, please consult with your primary care physician first.

“Eat the Rainbow”:

The article focuses on the long-term health benefits of adding a wide variety of richly-colored vegetables to our diet.  The American Heart Association gives five reasons to add more color to our diet. Likewise, in a July 28, 2020 article from EatingWell.com called “Why You Should Eat the Rainbow When it Comes to Fruits and Vegetables”, the author states:

“Fresh produce is also packed with antioxidants and phytochemicals. What’s fascinating is that nature seems to have a way of highlighting these beneficial nutrients by giving them bright colors that allow you to spot them at a glance.”

Mindful Eating:

Remember when we were young, and our parents told us to chew our food slowly and thoroughly before swallowing?  Well, that advice turns out to be very beneficial for our good health!  In the news interview, Ms. Kirkpatrick explained that distractions (i.e., looking at television/our phones/PCs, etc.) cause us to not properly chew and digest our food (she recommended 40 times).

By concentrating on enjoying our food and eating more slowly, we will tend to eat less and digest our food much better!

A June 19, 2019 article from Healthline.com (“Mindful Eating 101 – A Beginner’s Guide”) gives a good bullet-point summary of mindful eating:

Fundamentally, mindful eating involves:

-eating slowly and without distraction
-listening to physical hunger cues and eating only until you’re full
-distinguishing between true hunger and non-hunger triggers for eating
-engaging your senses by noticing colors, smells, sounds, textures, and flavors
-learning to cope with guilt and anxiety about food
-eating to maintain overall health and well-being
-noticing the effects food has on your feelings and figure
-appreciating your food

Look to using helpful, healthful habits for your long-term health benefit.  Doing so can reap a lifetime of abundant living!

For more information, read my other related blog posts:

Seeking Better Health: Top 6 Health and Wellness Websites

Mental Health Awareness: 5 Resources for a Healthier Mind

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