Healthy Eating is One of the Keys to a Longer Life

Healthy eating and good nutrition have risen to the forefront of the people’s social media feeds and daily news cycles for good reason. Not only does healthy eating contribute to better health, clearer skin, weight loss, improved blood sugar, and better energy levels, but it may even contribute to a longer life.

Harvard researchers looked at study data from over 120,000 adults over a period of three decades. Based on the data, they found five habits that appear to contribute to a longer lifespan.

• Healthy eating- While healthy eating can mean different things to different people, healthy eating and good nutrition are generally thought include fruits and vegetables, lean meats and seafood, dairy, whole grains, and heart healthy fats. Added sugars should be limited.
• Daily exercise- Exercise and fitness are beneficial for our muscles, bones, heart, brains, and our overall sense of well being. Running, walking, yoga, and spinning can be good fitness options.
• Maintaining a healthy weight- Keeping a healthy weight (often measured using BMI <25) or if you are obese reducing our weight toward a healthy level has many benefits, including normalizing blood pressure and blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, and reducing the risk of several types of cancers.
• Drinking alcohol in moderation- While there are studies showing a benefit to alcohol, drinking more alcohol doesn’t mean more benefits. Drinking in moderation, if you drink at all, can benefit your health.
• Not smoking- Quitting smoking or not ever starting is key to a longer life. According to the CDC, cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death among adults in the United States. Cigarettes can damage nearly every organ in the body. For those who need assistance quitting cigarette smoking, consult your doctor or therapist.

According to the Harvard scientists, for study participants (at age 50) who did not adopt these five habits, life expectancy was 79 for women and 75 for men. For those who adopted all five habits, life expectancy rose to 93 for women and 89 for men. According to Dr. Frank Hu, senior author of the study and chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “It’s never too late to make positive lifestyle changes.”

While the study didn’t prove that these five habits will make you live longer, the research does build on similar findings from other research. If you need help making better lifestyle choices, including those listed above, consider speaking with a therapist or a psychiatrist, like Dr. Priti Kothari. Dr. Kothari, MD is a child and adult psychiatrist serving Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Parkland, Weston, and surrounding communities.

Dr. Priti Kothari

Child, Adolescent & Adult Psychiatry

Dr. Priti Kothari is a board certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist with fellowship training at John Hopkins Medical Center. Dr. Kothari completed her undergraduate studies at Princeton University with a major in Anthropology and a concentration in Women’s Studies. She then went on to perform research in Eating Disorders at Hunter College/CUNY with an affiliation to Cornell Medical Center. She completed Medical School at Ross University and did her Adult Psychiatry Training at University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt Hospitals. Subsequently, she completed Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.