5 Easy Steps to the Healthy Lifestyle

Here’s a really compact way to define the healthy lifestyle, taken from Circulation, the Journal of the American Heart Association.  The study found that middle aged and older men who met the following guidelines had a significantly lower risk of developing heart disease than those who had few healthy habits.  The 5 healthy lifestyle behaviors were:

• Not smoking
• Maintaining a BMI of less than 25
• Exercising at least 30 minutes a day
• Drinking alcohol in moderation (defined as 1/2 to 2 drinks a day)
• Eating healthfully, including a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, cereal fiber, lean meats, nuts, and legumes, with a minimum of saturated and transfats, over a period of at least 5 years.

The payoff?  An 87% lower risk of heart disease!

Add comment July 25th, 2006