F EATURE
The Joy of Health
A few simple — and often painless — lifestyle changes can make you healthier. They also just might make you happier in the process.
BY GENE RE B ECK
We’ve all heard it a lot — from our friends, from our doctors, frommagazines, websites, and on and on. Exercise more, eat better, live longer.
They’re not wrong, of course. But these sources sometimes make lifestyle changes seem grim: Do this and don’t do that, or bad things will happen! What they don’t always tell you is that improving and maintaining your health can be enjoyable. Let’s be clear: Making positive lifestyle decisions really can reduce health risks. Research from the University of Denver has found that 75% of chronic diseases — including obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure — can be triggered by lifestyle choices. The good news is that changing unhealthy habits doesn’t have to be a lot of work. Most of us find it easiest to start small. There’s nothing wrong with that. Even relatively minor changes can make a major difference. With all of that in mind, here are some tips to help you make positive changes. You might notice they’re interconnected. The better you eat, the more energy you have for walks, getting together with friends, and pursuing hobbies. And the more you do, the better you sleep at night. Getting enough sleep also helps boost health and vitality — in a word, joy.
4
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs