5 Scientifically Proven Healthy Habits to Live a Long Life[2022]

Healthfitnessverse

14 min readMay 10, 2022

Healthy habits

Today we are going to learn the basic health habits that help you to live a better life.

These habits may be normal, but they give amazing results.

Also, all topics are proven to be trusted sources.

Introduction

If you check the health card of Americans today, you will see that they are suffering from some diseases and mostly are common. Not all but very few peoples are completely disease free.

We live in this world, we walk among the people here, we take in polluted air, we eat burgers sold on the streets, we go for walks wherever we want and we do whatever we want, but how much do you pay attention to your own health?

Your body needs to develop good habits or healthy habits to live a healthy life.

But habits do not take place overnight. Habit formation is the process by which a behavior, through regular repetition, becomes habitual.

There are many habits that will help you to live a better life.

That is what we are going to review today about healthy habits to start.

Natural causes of death:

Cause of death:

1. Ischemic Heart Disease/ Coronary artery disease (myocardial ischemia or coronary heart disease or CHD)

2. Cancer

3. Stroke

4. Accidents/Injuries

5. Pneumonia and Influenza

6. Diabetes

7. Suicide

8. Kidney related diseases

9. Liver diseases

More than half of the deaths are caused due to heart disease and cancer

Survey of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collects data of 2020, on the number of deaths for the leading causes of death shown below in chart:

According to the most recent data from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), “the average American spent $9,596 on healthcare” in 2012, which was $7700 in 2007. This numbers are still increasing year by year.

Healthcare spending includes alternative treatments, diabetes costs and much more.

Why are these numbers so huge, and why is it still increasing?

Because of the carelessness of the people and lack of awareness, it increases the cost of hospitalization. Sometimes going beyond their means, out of the pocket. For this reason, they’re to buy insurance and pay its installments monthly, in the hopes that insurance will cover the hospital or expensive surgeries bill, in case of any emergency.

Actually, you can cut your hospital bill.

Yes!

It’s possible by healthy habits.

If you follow healthy habits, you do not have to spend too much money in the hospital.

That’s why I have to explain everything in- depth.

Start with Healthy eating habits.

1. Healthy Eating

Latest research shows that the foods we choose to eat or not to eat may increase the quality of our lives and life span.

Eating healthy foods protect you from major and noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart diseases and stroke.

Your blood pressure, cancer, diabetes and many other aliments (diseases) do not increase if you keep your weight under control or eat a proper diet of fats, proteins and calories by following healthy eating routine.

As per {1} studies,

compelling data from the Nurses, Health Study shows that women who followed a healthy lifestyle pattern that includes maintain healthy weight, exercise regularly and avoiding smoking, were 80% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease over a 14-year period compared to all other women in the study.

Similar study finds beneficial in men also.

Now let’s see what are the nutrients that are good and bad for your body.

We go through all, one by one

Carbohydrates [Low Carb. Meals]

Carbohydrates in your body break down into glucose. Glucose is the main energy source for cells and organs of our body.

Carbohydrates are in two types:

1. Simple Carbohydrates

2. Complex Carbohydrates

In which, complex carbohydrate takes longer to digest, and therefore it’s good for your body.

Why?

Because it takes too much time to break down, it maintains the blood pressure level steady rather than simple carbs.

Complex Carbohydrate foods

Complex fibers are good sources for our body. Fiber is a complex carbohydrate. It occurs naturally in whole grains, fruits and some vegetables. So, you have to eat whole grain and high fiber carbohydrates.

The list is as follows:

Whole wheat breads
Oatmeal
Brown Rice
Dry beans and peas
Lentils
Soybeans
Whole fresh fruits
Low-fat milk
Bran cereals
Kidney beans

Refined and Processed Carbohydrate Foods

Simply, you have to avoid eating too many carbohydrates, which are refined and processed.

Here’s the list to avoid:

White rice
White bread
Cinnamon toast
Sweets
Candies and jellies
Sugary soft drinks or processed fruit drinks
Cakes, cookies and dairy desserts
Sweetened milk and yogurt
Ice cream
White potatoes

High Protein [Polypeptide]

Protein is the main nutrient for your body.

Protein are compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, which are arranged as strands of amino acid.

Proteins are made up from a chemical, which is an amino acid.

Amino acids play a major role in growth, cellular maintenance, functioning of human body, cellular regeneration, repair hormones, enzyme productions, and maintain fluid balance.

Consuming enough protein is important to prevent the loss of lean muscle mass that occurs naturally with age.

Protein makes up nearly 17% of the total body weight.

Protein is available in two qualities:

Complete proteins (High quality proteins and Animal proteins) include:

Eggs
Cheese
Meat
Seafood
Milk

And the last one is incomplete proteins (low quality proteins and plant proteins) contains:

Grains
Nuts
Vegetables
Fruits
Corn
Fortified Soy

According to {2} health study suggests that eating plant-based protein such as beans, nuts or fruits are helping our body to reduce the risk of heart diseases.

While this study also suggests that eating animal protein did not reduce the risk of heart diseases.

Studies also show that {3}, eating red meat and processed meat can increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

Now it’s your turn to choose what you want to eat.

I’m just telling you my opinion and some experts’ opinion by proof.

Still if you have to take protein from animals, then you should go for the chicken, organic chicken.

Healthy Fat

Actually, fat is not good for the body, but there are some types of fats that can be good for the body to some extent.

It’s available in 4 types such as trans-fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat.

Trans fats are so unhealthy for our body which reduce protective high-density lipoprotein (Good cholesterol), causing damage to the arteries.

If trans-fat intake too higher then, it causes weight gain, type 2 diabetes, stimulate inflammation and cardiovascular diseases which causes premature death. Therefore, trans fat has no known health benefits

Saturated fats are quite healthy, but its consumption needs to be moderate.

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are good for our body because it lowers harmful low-density lipoprotein, lowers blood pressure.

Problems of fat in both men and women are highly affective.

Men’s faces belly fat which is too dangerous fat which causes high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and premature death.

In women, belly fat causes same problems but another major problem in women, is big fat butt which is found mostly in women.

As per World Health Organization {4}, industrially produced Trans Fat intake contributed to approximately 5,40,000 deaths each year.

Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Foods

List as follows:

Oils include corn, sunflower
Fish like trout and salmon
Nuts like walnuts
Olives
Avocados
Flaxseed oils, peanut oil and canola oil
Omega-3 fatty acids capsule

These are good foods for our health.

Trans-Fat Foods and Saturated Fat Foods

Hydrogenated oils (PHO)
Fried foods such as potato chips, fish sticks and some type of crackers
High amount intake of caffeine
Red meat and dairy products
Fast foods contain French fries, fried chicken and so on.

Trans fats are not good for our body. Even United States Food and Administration (FDA) advise and prohibits food manufacturers from adding artificial trans fats to the processed food.

Foods to eat

Fruits –

Eat all fresh and dried fruits or drink 100% fruit juices include:

Kiwifruit, mangoes, pineapple, raisins, papaya, plums, persimmons, cherries, dates, guava, jack fruit, berries (Strawberries, mulberries, raspberries, huckleberries and blackberries)

Protein Foods

Eat chicken eggs, meat including goat, lamb, pork and beef

In poultry, chickens, ducks and hens

Nuts include all trees and peanuts (Remember, intake of nuts should be without salt)

Seeds include flax seeds, sunflower, chia and pumpkin seeds

Grains

Eat whole grain products brown rice, bulgur, oats, quinoa and whole wheat bread

Vegetables

Red, green and orange vegetables include beet, asparagus, lotus root, carrots, red bell peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, mustard greens, spinach, chickpeas, mung beans and many others.

Bonus tip: Don’t drink too much alcohol. The alcohol consumption needs to be in the right amount. Try to increase the intake of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, B, C, D, E, K and calcium, iron and also zinc.

2. Meditate Benefits

The best time to do meditation is to wake up early in the morning.

Some research suggests that the habit of doing meditation regularly helps to reduce blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia and depression also.

Meditation is a technique and practice which is available for all, which reduces stress and overthinking, increasing calmness and concentration which promotes happiness and positivity towards thoughts.

Meditation can help you to achieve a state of calm and peace which is beneficial for your emotional well-being and of course, for the overall health of your body.

Meditation technique used for early years to develop awareness of the present moment. It comes in many forms.

Some main types of meditations are:

Mindfulness Meditation
Movement Meditation
Spiritual Meditation and
Focused Meditation

Anyone can meditate. It’s easy to do. If you search on YouTube for meditation, you will find a ton of videos by certified and expert coach who teaches you step-by-step.

Read our in-depth guide on meditation which will help you to understand the basics of meditation with one beautiful story about meditation.

(Click here for meditation guide)

Some research also suggests that practice of meditation may change the brain physically and promote healthy behaviors.

Meditation involves trying to train your thoughts to stay in the present moment.

Thoughts of the future (what will happen, what might) lead to fear and anxiety or thoughts of the past (if this had happened and so on) leading to depression and anger or loss of control. Therefore, staying focused on the present has a huge benefit.

If you are new to meditation, I prefer that you should only meditate for 5 to 10 minutes in the beginning. As you practice, you will be able to increase the time to sit for meditation.

Benefits of Meditation

Science-based benefits of meditation are as follows:

Reduce stress and anxiety
Increase attention span
Improve memory and reduce age-related memory loss
Decrease the level of blood pressure
Enhance self-awareness and promote kindness
Reduce negative emotions
And helps to increase patience

3. Get Quality Sleep

You deserve to be healthy and fulfilled in life so getting the right amount of sleep is a huge factor for that.

Sleep is a natural periodic state of rest for the mind and body.

Yes, I said it’s a natural thing. If you run from this, then you’re being totally unnatural. And, nobody likes this type of people because they are also unnatural.

On the other hand, we also hear that especially in motivational videos, this is the time to work hard and not waste your time.

Then you put the sleep aside and keep working on it, so you don’t give much importance to your sleep. I’ll help you to understand too deeply.

Why is sleep important?

So again, I will introduce you to some studies.

Studies proved that only one night of sleep deprivation can make you insulin resistant.

What is insulin resistance?

Insulin is a hormone in our body made by the pancreas (Pancreas is an organ which plays an important role in converting food into fuel for body cells in our body) helps lower blood glucose to keep it in the normal range. In simple words, insulin maintains the blood sugar level in our body.

This is just a one-night effect.

I mean, if you keep doing this over and over again for a month, then you can estimate how much danger this is for your body.

If insulin resistance increases in your body, it causes:

High blood pressure
Abnormal cholesterol levels
Diabetes (Type 2 Diabetes)
Stroke
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a condition which affects women’s hormone levels.

Value of sleep/Importance of sleep or Benefits of sleep

1. High quality of sleep boosts your immune system

The immune system is a complex structure of cells and organs plus tissues. So, all together it helps the body to fight against infection and diseases. This system defends your body against unknown or harmful substances. The immune system has different parts such as organs, tissues, white blood cells, membranes and many more, which helps to keep your body safe from other substances, and also it fights against germs.

2. Boost metabolism

Metabolism is a process which converts what you eat and drink into energy which is essential for your body to function.

So, if you are getting less sleep, think about it.

Your body needs energy to do work and energy comes from calories in food and beverages which combine in the body with oxygen to release energy to your body for the purpose of functioning well.

3. Boost concentration and productivity

Sleep is important and beneficial also for brain.

4. Sleep is more important for heart health

Low sleep hours may increase your risk of developing heart diseases as per proven study.

Therefore, sleep hours need to be at least 7 to 9 hours.

Poor sleep increases inflammation, depression, and it also reduces the ability to control emotions and social interaction

4. Drinking Water Benefits

As per the study of the international journal of cancer, nitrate in drinking water may increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

Nitrate in the water originated mainly from agricultural activities, municipal and industrial waste water and also from urban drainage.

Nitrate in water causes some serious health problems and especially in babies.

Chemical risks in drinking water arise from nitrate, fluorides and emerging contaminants.

Purified water is safe and contamination free. Always drink water which is purified by methods such as boiling, filtration and chlorine.

Drinking purified water prevents diseases like typhoid, cholera, polio, dysentery and many more.

Let’s get into the main point

60 percent of our body is made up of water and that’s why our body needs high amount of water.

So, why is water important for your body? Or what are the benefits of water?

1. It regulates body temperature

When body temperature is low, the heart and some organs can’t work normally.

2. Helps to deliver oxygen throughout the body

Oxygen (O) is the most important element in our body to live. Our blood carries oxygen to the cells of our body to keep them healthy. If the oxygen level in blood is too low, then your body may not work properly without sufficient amount of oxygen.

3. Flush body waste through urine

The kidney functions to flush bodily waste out of our body and that’s why it needs water because waste in our body turns to the urine which is a water-soluble waste.

4. It forms saliva, which helps in our body digestion of food

Saliva is mostly made of water which helps the body to digest food.

If the digestion process is not done properly then it causes sleep disturbance, skin irritation and many more problems.

5. Water helps to keep skin healthy and helps with glowing skin.

6. Mainly, it helps to keep blood pressure maintain.

7. Shortage of water in our body can increase kidney stones and many problems, so it’s necessary to drink purified water.

Remember: When you drink too much water, your kidneys cannot remove too much water from the body, and it’s harmful to your kidneys to function rightly.

Sometimes it causes kidney failure or death.

5. Physical Activity

Because of COVID-19, Now everyone understands the importance of health and fitness.

Exercising every day is just as important as the rest.

Regular physical activity is the most important thing which people can do to improve their health and living. {2}

There are 4 most important types of exercises:

Aerobic Exercises
Stretching
Strength Training
Balance Exercises

Aerobic Exercises include running, jumping rope, walking, cycling, swimming and so on
Stretches like triceps stretch, butterfly stretch and so on
Strength Training includes Squats (Goblet squat, Bulgarian split squat, Single-leg box squat), Deadlifts, Push-Ups, Lunge (Reverse lunge, Lateral lunge)
Balance Exercises include tai chi, single-leg, standing knee, weight shifting all these balance exercises

We will discuss this one-by-one later.

As per one study, exercise can help to prevent pregnancy related disorders such as excessive gestational weight gain, hypertensive disorders, anxiety, depression and urinary incontinence.

Doing exercise during pregnancy helps you to sleep better, and it boosts your mood. So, it’s beneficial to do exercise during the period of pregnancy if you’re healthy and if your pregnancy is normal.

The ARIC (The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study found that heart attack rate increases by 18 percent in people who never done exercise and don’t count any push-ups on their own.

Better a poor horse than no horse at all.

In the beginning, you can only take 15 minutes a day to exercise, gradually the time will increase according to your habit.

Benefits of exercise:

Exercise on a regular basis can help with stroke which blocks blood supply to the parts of the brain {1}
Exercise controls your weight (Maintain a healthy weight is necessary to avoid cancer related problems) {1}
Helps to promote better sleep
It helps to fight against some health-related problems like stroke, diabetes, depression and many types of cancers
Exercise helps to boost your mood
It helps to improve brain function and your memory
Exercise daily can lower blood pressure and keep your heart healthy
It protects you from chronic diseases

We will see all these habits too deeply in upcoming posts.

Now, What Did You Think

I’d like to hear from you.

Are you going to get good habits from today?

Whether all your doubts are gone or not?

Which of these is a habit that you follow wholeheartedly?

What changes should we make to our content or any idea?

Let me know by comment below and have a good day.