Your ultimate prescription for health and happiness
A combination of six simple lifestyle changes could help you feel better and live longer, says JANE SYMONS
DOCTORS have discovered a new generation of medicines that will prolong life and prevent – or in some cases, reverse – diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke and other killers.They will also reduce the risk of life-limiting conditions such as dementia, arthritis and depression.
There are no nasty side-effects, no shortages and they will even help protect against Covid-19.
This prescription for a healthier, happier and longer life is based on six simple “lifestyle medicines”.
Dr Shireen Kassam, consultant haematologist at King’s College Hospital in London, and an expert in lifestyle medicines, explains: “Around 80 per cent of the illnesses we deal with could be prevented by a lifestyle approach.”
The evidence is so strong that earlier this year the Pharmaceutical Journal – the bible of the medicines industry – ran a special series on lifestyle medicine.
However, research for Puressentiel, which makes essential oil products, found that seven out of 10 consumers had not heard of lifestyle medicines.
GP Rob Lawson, who founded the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, says the benefits will depend on your age, general health and the “prescription” you adopt – but gains are guaranteed.
There are six strands to lifestyle medicine: healthy diet, regular physical activity, getting enough good quality sleep, minimising stress, building community ties and supportive relationships, and reducing your exposure to toxins.
“It’s all commonsense stuff,” says Dr Kassam. “But we have become so removed from what is healthy, most of our focus is on sick care, not healthcare.”
Dr Lawson says the key is to make sustainable changes and turn them into habits. “It doesn’t take much to go from being completely inactive to being a bit more active, but in six to eight weeks you will notice real improvements.”
There will be knock-on benefits too – getting more exercise will reduce stress, improve sleep and aid weight loss, so the positives soon start to add up.
Here’s how you can start writing your own prescription for health and happiness.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
We all know we should eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, and one study estimated that eating five-a-day will add a year to your life – yet only 28 per cent of adults are hitting this target.
Eat just one more serving a day and go for different colours to ensure a variety of nutrients.
Dr Kassam and Dr Lawson both advise against ultraprocessed foods which contain colourings, artificial flavourings, preservatives and sweeteners.
Fibre is important too. In 2015 the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition said we should increase our intake to 30g a day – 50 per cent more than average consumption – to cut the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and bowel cancer. Wholegrain cereals are a good source of fibre, and switching to wholemeal pasta and brown rice is another way to increase intake.
WORK IT OUT
One study said 15 minutes of exercise a day could add three years to your life.Another study, in the British Medical Journal, estimated that walking for at least an hour a day will add 1.4 years to men’s lives and 1.2 years to women’s.
The official advice is we should all get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes of intense activity, every week.This should include at least two workouts that feature strengthening exercises to work the major muscle groups. “Anything is better than nothing,” says Dr Lawson.
Avoid sitting for more than an hour at a time as this activates metabolic changes which increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Researchers at the University of Leicester calculate that middle-aged adults who sit for more than nine hours a day double their risk of an early death.
Stand up for phone calls to burn 50 calories an hour more than if you were sitting.And do stretches when you boil the kettle – 20 minutes of stretching has been shown to lower blood sugar by 16 per cent and increase heart rate by 17 per cent.
SLEEP SOUND
Getting less than five hours of sleep a night doubles the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, according to one study, and others have shown it accelerates ageing. But don’t nap for too long. A study of 1.1 million adults found that those who slept for 8.5 hours or more were
15 per cent more likely to die within six years than those who got six or seven hours of shut-eye.Apart from letting the body rest and repair, sleep helps regulate glucose metabolism and blood pressure.
Insufficient sleep increases the risk of obesity, partly because it suppresses production of hormones which curb appetite.
Sleep plays a part in our mental health, too.A UK study found that eight out of 10 people with depression also had sleep problems – twice the number who had no mood issues.
Routine is the key to good sleep.Avoid screens and bright lights for an hour or so before bedtime. Unwind with gentle stretches and deep slow breaths. You can also find free sleep apps at NHS online.
FRIENDS FOR LIFE
Dozens of studies confirm that people who have strong bonds with family and friends have fewer health problems and live longer than those who don’t.
Firm friendships actually alter our body chemistry, reducing blood pressure and C-reactive protein – a marker for inflammation.
Don’t let the Covid-19 lockdown cut ties – use the phone, Skype and other videocalling apps. See if there is an online game you can share with a friend or family member.
STRESS LESS
Working in a stressful environment can take 33 years off your life, say researchers at Harvard University.
Closer to home, a Department of Health report estimated that having a positive outlook adds between four and 10 years.
Constantly raised levels of stress hormones such as cortisol fuel inflammation. Stress has also been shown to impair immunity and slow wound healing.
MRI scans show positive brain activity changes in people who have meditated regularly for two months.
Exercise is an effective way to unwind too – one UK study found that a 20-minute workout or brisk walk cuts the risk of anxiety and stress by 40 per cent.
TOXIC HABITS
People who smoke 20 or more cigarettes a day cut their lives short by an average of 13 years, and one in four smokers will die before they are 65, one study reported.
Data from China shows that more men than women have died from coronavirus because men are far more likely to smoke.
A study in the British Medical Journal showed that quitting before the age of 35 eliminates almost all the extra risk; stopping before 45 avoids most of it.
Drinking too much could cut five years off your life. Researchers who studied 600,000 people in 19 countries found that having 10 or more drinks a week will shorten your life by one to two years, and downing 18 or more cuts life expectancy by four or five years.
Keep count for a week or so to give you a clear idea of your intake.
Watch your measures, particularly during the Covid-19 lockdown – drinks poured at home are often more generous than those served in pubs and restaurants.
If you’re worried, speak to your GP or a helpline for advice.