Best lifestyle habits to prevent disease
Best lifestyle habits to prevent disease
How
can you prevent diseases? Simply by following the right lifestyle
habits daily. To narrow down the list of the best lifestyle habits to
prevent diseases we collate the tips shared by our doctors and experts -
Mrs. Eileen Canday, Chef Dietician with Breach Candy Hospital Trust,
Dr. Rina from Jaslok Hospital, Dr. J.B. Sharma with the Action Cancer
Hospital, Dr. P K D Shah, Sr. Consultant- medicine and endocrinology at
Rockland Hospital .
These are up to date pointers that can help you stay healthy and prevent diseases. Stop following outdated health tips, as we get our experts to reveal the best lifestyle habits to prevent diseases.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent high cholesterol: Healthy living
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that provides energy to the body's cells. Produced from the carbs and fats that we eat, cholesterol is extremely essential for the body to work in a proper manner; however, too much cholesterol in the body leads to its build-up in the walls of our arteries and this increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Thus, it becomes essential to lower cholesterol in your daily diet, especially if tests have proved that your levels are too high.
- Quit smoking
- Exercise most days of the week
- Reduce saturated fats and banish trans fats from your diet completely
- Consume alcohol in moderation
- Lose weight if you are obese/overweight
- Eat more spinach
Best lifestyle habit to prevent Alopecia: Quit smoking
Losing even a strand of hair is painful, agonising, heart wrenching. Though we may not project this feeling to everyone around us, deep within we constantly think about how to prevent hair loss and prevent alopecia. That's the reason why we jump to every product and serum and tablet that promises hair loss treatment; but preventing hair loss is a much better plan! Here's how...
- Not smoking
- Exercise and live a stress full life
- Proper diet and exercise
- Quitting / reduce smoking and drinking
- Protecting your hair from UV rays
Best lifestyle habit to prevent chronic fatigue syndrome: A balanced lifestyle
A lot of research and medical study has gone into trying to identify the cause behind the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), a debilitating condition, but to little avail. Some theories connect the condition to the Epstein-Barr virus or human herpes virus-6. Then, some others believe that it is caused due to abnormal immune response. Characterized by constant fatigue, CFS cannot be improved by bed rest and treatment is mainly symptomatic. To avoid the worsening of the condition and manage the existing symptoms, it is important to adhere to certain set guidelines and norms.
- Maintain a healthy diet
- Avoid smoking
- Graded exercise programme
- Avoid caffeine drinks
- Reduce stress
Best lifestyle habit to prevent sleep apnea: Fight obesity and consult a specialist
If the problem is moderate to severe or you have tried self help strategies and lifestyle changes without success, it is important to see a sleep doctor. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the standard treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnea.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent migraines: Consult a specialist
Migraines can be medically treated with drugs that contain triptan, ergots and beta blockers (pills with these chemical compounds). When the headache is accompanied by nausea or vomiting an anti nauseous drug is prescribed. The specialist who will help you deal with migraines is a neurologist.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent high blood pressure: Weight management and timely meals
-Maintaining a healthy weight
-Practice moderation if you drink alcohol
-Quitting smoking
-Regulating the excessive intake of salt and sodium
-Frequent regulation of your health by visiting health care professionals at periodic intervals.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent hypertension: Avoid excessive and extreme habits
Hypertension is a controllable disease. You can avert and prevent HBP and hypertension if you incorporate a healthy diet along with exercise and medication.
Population-wide decrease in Blood Pressure can prevent 1,51,000 stroke and 1,53,000 coronary heart disease deaths in India each year. 95% of patients with high blood pressure have 'Primary Hypertension' that is - hypertension without any obvious medical cause. Many contributing factors may be present in these patients like obesity, alcohol or tobacco intake, high salt intake, low potassium or calcium intake, psychosocial stress, sedentary lifestyle, socioeconomic status or genetic factors.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent cancer: Be aware of your environment, self-created and otherwise
There is lots of conflicting advice about what we should do, or should not do, to decrease the risk of developing cancer. That's part of what makes cancer so scary. Moreover, there are plenty of people who seem to do everything 'right' and are still diagnosed with cancer. But if you follow the 10 recommendations described in these pages, you will go a long way toward reducing your overall cancer risk. And don't forget to get the recommended screening rests, some of which (like colonoscopy) can actually prevent cancer.
- Lose weight
- Quit smoking
- Get active
- Eat healthy
- Reduce alcohol intake
- Get examined
- Check your water for arsenic
- Reduce the exposure to pollution
Best lifestyle habit to prevent pneumonia in adults: Seasonal flu shots
Seasonal flu shot. The influenza virus can be a direct cause of viral pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia is also a common complication of the flu. A yearly flu shot provides significant protection either way.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent pneumonia in children: Immunisation and adequate nutrition
Immunisation against Hib, pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia.
Adequate nutrition is key to improving children's natural defences, starting with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. In addition to being effective in preventing pneumonia, it also helps to reduce the length of the illness if a child does become ill.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent diabetes: Eating healthy and exercising
Exercise regularly- Have an active lifestyle, which means one must exercise at least 20-30 minutes in a day. Aerobic exercises such as walking, cycling and swimming are good. Improving physical activity is one major step in preventing type 2 diabetes.
Stress reduction- Make sure you are sleeping for 8 hours at night as various studies have shown that less than 6 hours of shut-eye time can put you at a greater risk of diabetes. Also, avoid sleeping too much, as sleeping too long because of sleep apnea is also linked to diabetes.
Maintain your weight- Maintain your body weight, that is, do not gain too much weight above the ideal body weight. And as far as possible, avoid abdominal fat which causes insulin insensitivity leading to DM type II. If obese, try and reduce at least a few kilograms in order to get a head start.
Eat healthy diet- Eat a healthy diet with high fiber, low fat, optimal calories for age and complex carbohydrates. A healthy diet should have sufficient calories as required at a particular age and work type, it should be high in fiber and low in fat. Do not over-eat or over-drink. One must enjoy ones' meal or a drink or two once in a while but over-drinking and over-eating adds extra calories, which are converted into fat in the body causing insulin intolerance and thus obesity.
Self risk assessment & annual investigation - If one has an underlying disease that must be cured such as hypertension or depression, then the risk of diabetes is higher. One must try to quit smoking in order to prevent DM. Annual investigations should be done for early diagnosis and preferably to investigate the disease in pre-diabetic stage in order to reverse the disease.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent pre-diabetes: A healthy and balanced diet with exercise
Diet tips to fight pre-diabetes:
"Since pre-diabetics are at a risk of developing diabetes, they should also take appropriate measures when it comes to their diet. They should have small meals, eat moderately, have foods that are low in fat and carbohydrate content. Further, in addition to the diet, they should indulge in some kind of daily exercise or outdoor activity."
Best lifestyle habit to prevent HIV and AIDS: Safe sex and awareness
AIDS is a deadly disease caused by an infectious HIV virus that has killed millions of people all over the globe. HIV and AIDS strikes people from all backgrounds, gender and age. The only way to stay away from AIDS is to prevent it by adopting proper precautions, as there is no cure available.
- Educate yourself
-Avoid multi sexual partners
- Use condom at all time
- Get checked regularly
- Avoid sharing needles
Best lifestyle habit to prevent osteoporosis: Eat a balanced calcium-rich diet
Osteoporosis is an ailment closely related to elderly women. Calcium is one of the ways to prevent osteoporosis:
Calcium - The recommended daily amount of calcium is 1000mg for the average adult. You can usually meet your needs by having a diet balanced with high-calcium foods.
The dietician tells you to watch out for foods that can stall the absorption of calcium in your body. "There are things in your diet that can interfere with how much calcium your body can absorb:
Phytic acid: This is found in unleavened bread, raw beans, seeds, and grains.
Oxalic acid: This is found in spinach.
Sodium: High levels of sodium will interfere with calcium retention; the higher your sodium intake the more calcium your body needs to meet its daily requirements, so it's best to keep your sodium intake down."
Best lifestyle habit to prevent skin cancer: Protect your skin
Oncologist, Dr. J.B. Sharma suggests ways you can avoid the development of melanoma:
-"To prevent your chances of melanoma, avoid sun tanning and tanning beds. Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds causes skin cancer and wrinkling.
-Consider using a sunless self-tanning product to simulate the appearance of having been in the sun, but continue to use sunscreen.
-Wear protective clothing such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, where possible.
-Seek shade when appropriate, remembering that the sun's rays are the strongest between 10 AM and 4 PM.
-Be extra cautious near water, snow and sand as they reflect the damaging rays of the sun which can increase chances of sunburn.
-Meanwhile, lack of sun exposure can lead to vitamin deficiency as skin in presence of sun light makes vitamin D. Hence to overcome this deficiency, one should increase the intake of vitamin D through a healthy diet."
Best lifestyle habit to prevent deep vein thrombosis or blood clots: Increase circulation in the lower limbs
Here's how you can prevent blood clots from traveling and clogging any veins and arteries. Try these techniques for prevenetion:
If you are bedridden or you have an inactive life, keep your feet raised six inches above the level of your heart every now and then. This will reduce the pressure for your calves and allow the blood to flow to the feet and back.
Even when you cross your legs, it reduces the circulation of the blood to your calves, increasing your chances of clogging your arteries. due to long periods of being seated. To avoid this scenario, place a pillow under your feet and keep it raised, you want the blood to travel freely in your body.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent exhaustion: A quick nap
A 20-minute power nap at work is often recommended to boost your memory levels and is often advised in ordered to recharge your brain and body. It is helpful for students who are studying hard for examinations and is certainly helpful for office goers.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent dehydration: Drink water
Take a sip of water and not of energy drinks. "Half of the people who come to me complaining of fatigue are actually dehydrated," says Woodson Merrell, MD, executive director of the Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City ( as mentioned in prevention.com). Not only this, lack of water also leads to a rise in your blood pressure, lapses of memory and lack of concentration.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent obesity: Be a stair master!
Skip the elevators and take the stairs. Start following this exercise for a cheerful Monday and stick with it till Friday. But don't overdo it. After all, you don't want sweaty patches on your shirt/dress. If you work on the fifth floor of the building, start off by walking up to the second floor and then taking the elevator. Walking downstairs is as beneficial. Maintain a moderate, but steady pace.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent the flu: Stop touching your face
Something as innocuous as touching your face could infect you with flu, especially after your hands brush with contaminated surfaces, according to a study.
"There are many opportunities in between hand-washing episodes for people to re-contaminate their hands. If a deadly respiratory virus is around, this is something to really take into account," said Wladimir Alonso, from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, who led the study, according to Daily Mail.
They found that people touched common objects an average of 3.3 times per hour and their faces 3.6 times per hour. "We are therefore likely to get germs on our hands far more quickly than they are washed off," Alonso said.
These are up to date pointers that can help you stay healthy and prevent diseases. Stop following outdated health tips, as we get our experts to reveal the best lifestyle habits to prevent diseases.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent high cholesterol: Healthy living
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that provides energy to the body's cells. Produced from the carbs and fats that we eat, cholesterol is extremely essential for the body to work in a proper manner; however, too much cholesterol in the body leads to its build-up in the walls of our arteries and this increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Thus, it becomes essential to lower cholesterol in your daily diet, especially if tests have proved that your levels are too high.
- Quit smoking
- Exercise most days of the week
- Reduce saturated fats and banish trans fats from your diet completely
- Consume alcohol in moderation
- Lose weight if you are obese/overweight
- Eat more spinach
Best lifestyle habit to prevent Alopecia: Quit smoking
Losing even a strand of hair is painful, agonising, heart wrenching. Though we may not project this feeling to everyone around us, deep within we constantly think about how to prevent hair loss and prevent alopecia. That's the reason why we jump to every product and serum and tablet that promises hair loss treatment; but preventing hair loss is a much better plan! Here's how...
- Not smoking
- Exercise and live a stress full life
- Proper diet and exercise
- Quitting / reduce smoking and drinking
- Protecting your hair from UV rays
Best lifestyle habit to prevent chronic fatigue syndrome: A balanced lifestyle
A lot of research and medical study has gone into trying to identify the cause behind the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), a debilitating condition, but to little avail. Some theories connect the condition to the Epstein-Barr virus or human herpes virus-6. Then, some others believe that it is caused due to abnormal immune response. Characterized by constant fatigue, CFS cannot be improved by bed rest and treatment is mainly symptomatic. To avoid the worsening of the condition and manage the existing symptoms, it is important to adhere to certain set guidelines and norms.
- Maintain a healthy diet
- Avoid smoking
- Graded exercise programme
- Avoid caffeine drinks
- Reduce stress
Best lifestyle habit to prevent sleep apnea: Fight obesity and consult a specialist
If the problem is moderate to severe or you have tried self help strategies and lifestyle changes without success, it is important to see a sleep doctor. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the standard treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnea.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent migraines: Consult a specialist
Migraines can be medically treated with drugs that contain triptan, ergots and beta blockers (pills with these chemical compounds). When the headache is accompanied by nausea or vomiting an anti nauseous drug is prescribed. The specialist who will help you deal with migraines is a neurologist.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent high blood pressure: Weight management and timely meals
-Maintaining a healthy weight
-Practice moderation if you drink alcohol
-Quitting smoking
-Regulating the excessive intake of salt and sodium
-Frequent regulation of your health by visiting health care professionals at periodic intervals.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent hypertension: Avoid excessive and extreme habits
Hypertension is a controllable disease. You can avert and prevent HBP and hypertension if you incorporate a healthy diet along with exercise and medication.
Population-wide decrease in Blood Pressure can prevent 1,51,000 stroke and 1,53,000 coronary heart disease deaths in India each year. 95% of patients with high blood pressure have 'Primary Hypertension' that is - hypertension without any obvious medical cause. Many contributing factors may be present in these patients like obesity, alcohol or tobacco intake, high salt intake, low potassium or calcium intake, psychosocial stress, sedentary lifestyle, socioeconomic status or genetic factors.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent cancer: Be aware of your environment, self-created and otherwise
There is lots of conflicting advice about what we should do, or should not do, to decrease the risk of developing cancer. That's part of what makes cancer so scary. Moreover, there are plenty of people who seem to do everything 'right' and are still diagnosed with cancer. But if you follow the 10 recommendations described in these pages, you will go a long way toward reducing your overall cancer risk. And don't forget to get the recommended screening rests, some of which (like colonoscopy) can actually prevent cancer.
- Lose weight
- Quit smoking
- Get active
- Eat healthy
- Reduce alcohol intake
- Get examined
- Check your water for arsenic
- Reduce the exposure to pollution
Best lifestyle habit to prevent pneumonia in adults: Seasonal flu shots
Seasonal flu shot. The influenza virus can be a direct cause of viral pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia is also a common complication of the flu. A yearly flu shot provides significant protection either way.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent pneumonia in children: Immunisation and adequate nutrition
Immunisation against Hib, pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia.
Adequate nutrition is key to improving children's natural defences, starting with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. In addition to being effective in preventing pneumonia, it also helps to reduce the length of the illness if a child does become ill.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent diabetes: Eating healthy and exercising
Exercise regularly- Have an active lifestyle, which means one must exercise at least 20-30 minutes in a day. Aerobic exercises such as walking, cycling and swimming are good. Improving physical activity is one major step in preventing type 2 diabetes.
Stress reduction- Make sure you are sleeping for 8 hours at night as various studies have shown that less than 6 hours of shut-eye time can put you at a greater risk of diabetes. Also, avoid sleeping too much, as sleeping too long because of sleep apnea is also linked to diabetes.
Maintain your weight- Maintain your body weight, that is, do not gain too much weight above the ideal body weight. And as far as possible, avoid abdominal fat which causes insulin insensitivity leading to DM type II. If obese, try and reduce at least a few kilograms in order to get a head start.
Eat healthy diet- Eat a healthy diet with high fiber, low fat, optimal calories for age and complex carbohydrates. A healthy diet should have sufficient calories as required at a particular age and work type, it should be high in fiber and low in fat. Do not over-eat or over-drink. One must enjoy ones' meal or a drink or two once in a while but over-drinking and over-eating adds extra calories, which are converted into fat in the body causing insulin intolerance and thus obesity.
Self risk assessment & annual investigation - If one has an underlying disease that must be cured such as hypertension or depression, then the risk of diabetes is higher. One must try to quit smoking in order to prevent DM. Annual investigations should be done for early diagnosis and preferably to investigate the disease in pre-diabetic stage in order to reverse the disease.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent pre-diabetes: A healthy and balanced diet with exercise
Diet tips to fight pre-diabetes:
"Since pre-diabetics are at a risk of developing diabetes, they should also take appropriate measures when it comes to their diet. They should have small meals, eat moderately, have foods that are low in fat and carbohydrate content. Further, in addition to the diet, they should indulge in some kind of daily exercise or outdoor activity."
Best lifestyle habit to prevent HIV and AIDS: Safe sex and awareness
AIDS is a deadly disease caused by an infectious HIV virus that has killed millions of people all over the globe. HIV and AIDS strikes people from all backgrounds, gender and age. The only way to stay away from AIDS is to prevent it by adopting proper precautions, as there is no cure available.
- Educate yourself
-Avoid multi sexual partners
- Use condom at all time
- Get checked regularly
- Avoid sharing needles
Best lifestyle habit to prevent osteoporosis: Eat a balanced calcium-rich diet
Osteoporosis is an ailment closely related to elderly women. Calcium is one of the ways to prevent osteoporosis:
Calcium - The recommended daily amount of calcium is 1000mg for the average adult. You can usually meet your needs by having a diet balanced with high-calcium foods.
The dietician tells you to watch out for foods that can stall the absorption of calcium in your body. "There are things in your diet that can interfere with how much calcium your body can absorb:
Phytic acid: This is found in unleavened bread, raw beans, seeds, and grains.
Oxalic acid: This is found in spinach.
Sodium: High levels of sodium will interfere with calcium retention; the higher your sodium intake the more calcium your body needs to meet its daily requirements, so it's best to keep your sodium intake down."
Best lifestyle habit to prevent skin cancer: Protect your skin
Oncologist, Dr. J.B. Sharma suggests ways you can avoid the development of melanoma:
-"To prevent your chances of melanoma, avoid sun tanning and tanning beds. Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds causes skin cancer and wrinkling.
-Consider using a sunless self-tanning product to simulate the appearance of having been in the sun, but continue to use sunscreen.
-Wear protective clothing such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, where possible.
-Seek shade when appropriate, remembering that the sun's rays are the strongest between 10 AM and 4 PM.
-Be extra cautious near water, snow and sand as they reflect the damaging rays of the sun which can increase chances of sunburn.
-Meanwhile, lack of sun exposure can lead to vitamin deficiency as skin in presence of sun light makes vitamin D. Hence to overcome this deficiency, one should increase the intake of vitamin D through a healthy diet."
Best lifestyle habit to prevent deep vein thrombosis or blood clots: Increase circulation in the lower limbs
Here's how you can prevent blood clots from traveling and clogging any veins and arteries. Try these techniques for prevenetion:
If you are bedridden or you have an inactive life, keep your feet raised six inches above the level of your heart every now and then. This will reduce the pressure for your calves and allow the blood to flow to the feet and back.
Even when you cross your legs, it reduces the circulation of the blood to your calves, increasing your chances of clogging your arteries. due to long periods of being seated. To avoid this scenario, place a pillow under your feet and keep it raised, you want the blood to travel freely in your body.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent exhaustion: A quick nap
A 20-minute power nap at work is often recommended to boost your memory levels and is often advised in ordered to recharge your brain and body. It is helpful for students who are studying hard for examinations and is certainly helpful for office goers.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent dehydration: Drink water
Take a sip of water and not of energy drinks. "Half of the people who come to me complaining of fatigue are actually dehydrated," says Woodson Merrell, MD, executive director of the Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City ( as mentioned in prevention.com). Not only this, lack of water also leads to a rise in your blood pressure, lapses of memory and lack of concentration.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent obesity: Be a stair master!
Skip the elevators and take the stairs. Start following this exercise for a cheerful Monday and stick with it till Friday. But don't overdo it. After all, you don't want sweaty patches on your shirt/dress. If you work on the fifth floor of the building, start off by walking up to the second floor and then taking the elevator. Walking downstairs is as beneficial. Maintain a moderate, but steady pace.
Best lifestyle habit to prevent the flu: Stop touching your face
Something as innocuous as touching your face could infect you with flu, especially after your hands brush with contaminated surfaces, according to a study.
"There are many opportunities in between hand-washing episodes for people to re-contaminate their hands. If a deadly respiratory virus is around, this is something to really take into account," said Wladimir Alonso, from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, who led the study, according to Daily Mail.
They found that people touched common objects an average of 3.3 times per hour and their faces 3.6 times per hour. "We are therefore likely to get germs on our hands far more quickly than they are washed off," Alonso said.
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