A new study published in Archives of Internal Medicine, says that the there are 4 bad habits that can shorten your life by 12 years.  Lack of physical activity, smoking, diet and alcohol consumption can put you at risk for a shortened life span. Specifically, exercising less than 2 hours a week, consuming more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day (2 for women), eating less than 3 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and smoking.

There are many things that we cannot control, like genetics and environment, but luckily these 4 habits are simple choices that we can make to increase our health and well being.  So what can you do?

1. If you smoke: STOP. We all know that smoking kills, and it also affects those around you.  There are many programs out there, from the patch to support groups.  Find something that works for you.

2. Eat more fruits and veggies.  In the study, an apple, a carrot and a glass of OJ were enough for the 3-per-day suggestion.

3.  Exercise more than 2 hours per week. That may seem a lot, but broken down, it’s only 20 minutes per day.

4. Curb alcohol consumption to less than 2 drinks per day. One glass of wine or a beer should be enough to give you health benefits but also quench your thirst.

We all know that we have to eat better, exercise more… but this study shows that it doesn’t take much to live healthier and longer lives. If you would like some support, consider scheduling an individualized consultation with an herbalist, naturopath or nutritionist.

Tags: aging, Exercise, individualized consultation, smoking

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 at 8:32 pm and is filed under Health Concerns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.