Category: Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy Lifestyle Linked to Slower Memory Decline in Older Adults

Brain Connections Neural Network

The researchers uncovered that each personal wholesome habits (healthful eating plan, standard workout, energetic social get in touch with, cognitive action, non-using tobacco, and by no means drinking alcohol) was associated with a slower-than-typical drop in memory in excess of 10 decades just after accounting for other health, economic, and social aspects. The strongest result on slowing memory decrease was a balanced diet, followed by cognitive exercise and then physical work out.

Even individuals with genes connected to Alzheimer’s ailment see advantages.

In accordance to a 10 years-extended review of older grown ups in China, just lately released in The BMJ, a nutritious way of life, specially a nutritious diet plan, is joined to slower memory decrease.

The analyze uncovered that even carriers of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, which is the strongest acknowledged possibility variable for

Memory continuously declines as people age, but evidence from existing studies is insufficient to assess the effect of a healthy lifestyle on memory in later life. And given the many possible causes of memory decline, a combination of healthy behaviors might be needed for an optimal effect.

To explore this further, researchers analyzed data from 29,000 adults aged at least 60 years (average age 72; 49{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} women) with normal cognitive function who were part of the China Cognition and Aging Study.

At the start of the study in 2009, memory function was measured using the Auditory Verbal Learning test (AVLT) and participants were tested for the APOE gene (20{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} were found to be carriers). Follow-up assessments were then conducted over the next 10 years in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2019.

A healthy lifestyle score combining six factors was then calculated: healthy diet, regular exercise, active social contact (eg. seeing friends and family), cognitive activity (eg. writing, reading, playing mahjong), non-smoking, and never drinking alcohol.

Based on their score, ranging from 0 to 6, participants were put into favorable (4 to 6 healthy factors), average (2 to 3 healthy factors), or unfavorable (0 to 1 healthy factors) lifestyle groups and into APOE carrier and non-carrier groups.

After accounting for a range of other health, economic and social factors, the researchers found that each individual healthy behavior was associated with a slower-than-average decline in memory over 10 years. A healthy diet had the strongest effect on slowing memory decline, followed by cognitive activity and then physical exercise.

Compared with the group that had unfavorable lifestyles, memory decline in the favorable lifestyle group was 0.28 points slower over 10 years based on a standardized score (z score) of the AVLT, and memory decline in the average lifestyle group was 0.16 points slower. Participants with the APOE gene with favorable and average lifestyles also experienced a slower rate of memory decline than those with an unfavorable lifestyle (0.027 and 0.014 points per year slower, respectively).

What’s more, those with favorable or average lifestyles were almost 90{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} and almost 30{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} less likely to develop dementia or mild cognitive impairment relative to those with an unfavorable lifestyle, and the APOE group had similar results.

This is an observational study so can’t establish cause and the researchers acknowledge some limitations, such as the potential for measurement errors due to self-reporting of lifestyle factors, and the possibility of selection bias, as some participants did not return for follow-up evaluations. But this was a large study with a long follow-up period, allowing for the evaluation of individual lifestyle factors on memory function over time. And findings remained significant after further analyses, suggesting that they are robust.

As such, the researchers say their results provide strong evidence that adherence to a healthy lifestyle with a combination of positive behaviors is associated with a slower rate of memory decline, even for people who are genetically susceptible to memory decline. They suggest further research could focus on the effects of a healthy lifestyle on memory decline across the lifespan, acknowledging that memory problems can also affect younger people, not included in this study. “These results might offer important information for public health initiatives to protect older adults against memory decline,” they conclude.

“Prevention is important, given the absence of effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias,” say researchers in a linked editorial.

However, they point out that these results do not help to determine which among the six health behaviors included in the score (or specific combination) is the best target for dementia prevention, or when in the life course to focus prevention efforts. Further insight is also needed to determine whether the differences in memory decline observed in this study are clinically meaningful, they add.

They suggest a similar approach that led to a substantial reduction in cardiovascular disease should be taken with dementia prevention, “identifying not only the factors that matter most but also the threshold at which they matter, and the age when intervention is likely to be most effective.”

Reference: “Association between healthy lifestyle and memory decline in older adults: 10 year, population based, prospective cohort study” by Jianping Jia, Tan Zhao, Zhaojun Liu, Yumei Liang, Fangyu Li, Yan Li, Wenying Liu, Fang Li, Shengliang Shi, Chunkui Zhou, Heyun Yang, Zhengluan Liao, Yang Li, Huiying Zhao, Jintao Zhang, Kunnan Zhang, Minchen Kan, Shanshan Yang, Hao Li, Zhongling Liu, Rong Ma, Jihui Lv, Yue Wang, Xin Yan, Furu Liang, Xiaoling Yuan, Jinbiao Zhang, Serge Gauthier and Jeffrey Cummings, 25 January 2023, The BMJ.
DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-072691

The study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Eating handful of nuts daily reduces heart disease risk 25{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}

Including some crunch to your menu could save your ticker.

Scandinavian scientists located that ingesting a little amount of money of nuts and seeds every single working day can cut down the danger of a heart assault and strokes, according to a new study posted in the Food stuff Nourishment Investigate journal.

“If you eat a handful of nuts just about every working day — that is close to 30 grams — you will have a 20{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} to 25{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} reduce threat of suffering from cardiovascular disease,” explained examine co-author Erik Kristoffer Arnesen, of the University of Oslo’s Division of Diet, in a statement.

“In comparison, grownups in the Nordic international locations only try to eat on regular about 4 grams of nuts a day. Quite a few do not consume nuts or seeds at all.”

Scientists claimed they never have a particular nut which is sure to reduce the possibility — but observed that almonds, pistachios and walnuts appeared to be the ideal for decreasing cholesterol.

While the workforce of scientists guiding the research mentioned “the more the better,” taking in just a few nuts is better than none — and can improve your coronary heart overall health noticeably.

“Nuts have a effective result on cholesterol levels in the blood, which is significant to retain lower in order to prevent the buildup of extra fat in the arteries,” Arnesen defined. “This atherosclerosis, as it is referred to as, is one particular of the finest danger factors for coronary heart attacks.”


Eating handful of nuts daily reduces heart disease risk 25{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}
The investigate implies ingesting a serving of nuts a working day can lower the risk of coronary heart disease.
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The composition of fatty acids in nuts is beneficial for aiding overall health, according to the study's authors.
The composition of fatty acids in nuts is beneficial for aiding over-all well being, according to the study’s authors.
Getty Illustrations or photos/iStockphoto

About 1.8 million individuals had been involved in the review, with researchers searching at the relative possibility to getting coronary heart ailment or strokes in comparison to how quite a few nuts they ate in a day.

Researchers discovered that nuts decreased blood lipids — or excess fat in the blood — really do not feel to affect blood stress, and have been unable to identify if they influence blood sugar.

It was also unclear if having nuts diminished the threat of strokes and Sort 2 diabetic issues, with the review authors expressing far more exploration is needed.

The co-authors prompt the composition of fatty acids in nuts is valuable for aiding total well being.

“Even however nuts can’t be employed to treat significant cholesterol, we believe that that the result is sizeable ample to be utilized as a preventive evaluate amongst the normal populace,” Arnesen reported.

In accordance to the Mayo Clinic, unsalted nuts are a fantastic supply of protein and have at least some of these heart-healthy substances, around four to six servings of unsalted nuts a week as component of a healthy diet plan for grown ups.

The results align with study discovering the popular Mediterranean diet regime — which was named the greatest general diet for 2023 — is identified to decreased the danger of cardiovascular disease and other chronic problems, in accordance to former investigation.

The Mediterranean diet plan consists of having a great deal of refreshing greens, fruits, fish, nuts and olives.

5 lifestyle changes to reduce your cancer risk

In a world comprehensive of undesirable information, here’s a bit of great: A third to a 50 {bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of all cancers are preventable.

Cancer deaths have been on the decline for a lot more than 3 decades—and stayed on the decline, even with the pandemic raging, in accordance to a modern report from the American Cancer Culture. And they are reliably dropping by a percentage point or two just about every year, Karen Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Modern society, tells Fortune.

The optimistic craze is due in element to developments in treatment, which include vaccines that can combat cancer in those who have it and quit it from returning in all those who’ve gone into remission. (There are also vaccines that can stop it from taking place completely.)

But the steady drop in fatalities is also thanks to the fact that so significantly of cancer is preventable—and term is receiving out. 

Almost 610,000 cancer fatalities are envisioned in the U.S. this 12 months, Knudsen says—a little more than 1,670 per day. The silver lining: “Eighteen {bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of new cancer cases—and 16{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of cancer deaths—are attributable to points men and women can modify.”

Below are 5 rather very simple way of life changes you can make to appreciably lower your danger of producing cancer—and boost your all round wellbeing.

1. Limit your consuming or reduce it out altogether.

You read through that ideal: Go dry. Period. Entire halt.

Alcoholic beverages “has now been affiliated with five to six kinds of most cancers,” Dr. Ernest Hawk, head of the Most cancers Avoidance and Population Sciences division at the University of Texas’s MD Anderson Most cancers Middle, tells Fortune. “We utilized to feel there was a cardiologic advantage, but that’s mostly been refuted.”

Although the most the latest suggestions get in touch with for whole avoidance of alcoholic beverages to quash affiliated cancer threat, if you’re not ready to reduce it out absolutely, gals should not take in additional than one particular consume a working day at most—two a day for gentlemen, according to Hawk.

2. Avoid recognized carcinogens like tobacco (and secondhand smoke, way too).

Smoking is poor for your health—especially for your lungs. That is not information. But inspite of widespread awareness of the simple fact, 14{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} to 15{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of the populace however smokes, Hawk tells Fortune.

Besides staying linked to lung cancer, using tobacco can also direct to other varieties of cancer like pancreatic and bladder, Knudsen adds.

Individuals who are addicted to nicotine “really are worthy of a whole lot of focus and help and remedy, which is now commonly readily available,” Hawk suggests. “It’s critical to know they’re not in it on your own.”

Most smokers—more than 95{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}—can’t quit on their possess, he states. The most effective method: “a mix of medicine with counseling.” If you smoke and are open to quitting, get hold of your most important-treatment service provider for help—or contact the U.S. Centers for Disease Handle and Prevention’s national hotline at 1-800-Stop-NOW to communicate with a quitting coach.

It’s value mentioning that secondhand smoke can also be extremely fatal. It’s  dependable for nearly 7,500 lung most cancers fatalities each year among U.S. adults who never smoke, according to the CDC. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke improve their lung most cancers chance by 20{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} to 30{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}. So stay clear of it like the plague.

3. Control your fat with diet plan and physical exercise.

Not only will carrying out so improve your coronary heart well being and help retain your blood pressure less than control, but it will also lower your hazard of building cancer in the upcoming, authorities say.

The best information: Physical exercise and consume balanced throughout your daily life span. Some of the recommendations available to Fortune viewers:

  • Fill about two-thirds of your plate with fruits and veggies, and the remainder with wholesome proteins like fish and poultry, Hawk advises.
  • Make guaranteed your diet regime is varied. “Color matters,” Knudsen suggests, incorporating that dark eco-friendly, purple, and orange greens are fascinating, as are fiber-loaded veggies like beans and peas. And be sure to toss in a generous helping of entire grains, as very well as a rainbow of fruit alternatives. Stay clear of extremely processed foodstuff.
  • Make guaranteed you get in between 150 and 300 minutes of reasonable exercising, or 75 to 100 minutes of vigorous physical exercise, every single 7 days, Knudsen endorses.

The closer a single gets to the larger conclusion of that selection, the better, Knudsen claims, introducing that authorities really don’t but completely fully grasp just why there’s a correlation concerning work out and cancer reduction.

Nonetheless, “you need to really feel great on your treadmill or out using a vigorous wander, knowing that you are not just doing excellent factors for your body, but that you are engaging in cancer prevention as effectively,” she adds.

Whilst workout is important, it’s not a overcome-all. Be positive you are not living a sedentary lifestyle usually, she cautions: “Get up and shift all around often.”

4. Put on sunscreen and really do not use tanning beds.

The moment again, the goal right here is to decrease your publicity to sunburns throughout your everyday living span, Hawk claims.

“Getting burned early in lifetime is related with very long-expression possibility of pores and skin cancer,” he advises.

When it comes to sunshine protection, he recommends the following:

  • Put on protecting clothing.
  • Keep away from likely out in the warmth of the day.
  • Put on sunscreen each and every day.

“All the popular-sense things your mom taught you turns out to be right,” he claims.

5. Learn your family risk—even if the discussion is not comfortable.

It is great to know if you have a background of cancer in your spouse and children. But it’s especially vital to be conscious of most cancers background amongst to start with-degree relatives—parents, siblings, and youngsters, Hawk advises.

“Whether they had precancerous lesions or cancers, it feeds into your chance,” he states.

If family have a record of most cancers, enable your major-care service provider know. You are going to most likely be screened earlier than encouraged for that kind of most cancers.

“At minimum historically, family members have been unwilling to share information of a cancer prognosis, even with relatives,” he suggests. “That’s the completely wrong information. Share exposures, at least amongst blood kin, so everybody is informed that they might be at elevated chance.”

Some of these life style adjustments seem pretty simple—but we all know this sort of factors are less difficult stated than done. People looking to boost their over-all wellbeing and reduce their cancer risk should know that “you never have to do this overnight,” Knudsen suggests. 

Much more good news: The adjustments get less complicated with time.

“Once you get started down this route, people today often locate they really feel better—which is beneficial reinforcement,” she provides.

Do you often feel lightheaded or dizzy? Add these foods to your diet

Though many have a tendency to ignore inner thoughts of lightheadedness or dizziness, it is vital to pay out consideration to the similar as they can be signals of certain other overall health situations. According to Garima Goyal, a dietitian, “The sensation of dizziness without the need of any health-related issue can also be attributed to a drop in blood force.”

Sharing how your food plan can participate in a crucial position in handling these signs, she extra, “If these episodes take place frequently in a usual wholesome man or woman, a substantial carbohydrate and electrolyte-wealthy snack is wanted, such as an apple or a banana or lemon juice. The regular parameter is the rule of 15:15 which means taking in or ingesting a snack with 15 grams of carbohydrates and waiting around for 15 minutes. A wholesome human being recovers on his own by this time but if you are a diabetic, examine your blood sugar ranges after use.”

Further, she outlined different foods that you can include into your food plan to quickly get better from a dizziness episode, and attain back your electricity and stability.

Glucose: Increase 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of glucose to a glass of water and experience energised in much less than 15 minutes. “Glucose is the kind of electricity that is instantly absorbed by the brain cells. It has been proven that even the intake of glucose just before physical exercise helps to stay clear of dizziness episodes immediately after physical exercise,” Goyal reported.

Drinking water: In some cases, dehydration may trigger dizziness and acquiring a glass of drinking water solves it all. “Hydrating the physique properly more than enough is of utmost relevance.”

Apple sauce: Apple sauce refers to the purée of apples. Instead than fresh new fruits, sweetened or unsweetened apple sauce raises blood sugar far more rapidly, the qualified shared. “Apple sauce has a glycemic index of 53 while that of apple is 38. Taking in a teaspoon of apple sauce for balancing out your blood sugar ranges is a healthier suggestion. Also, it contains various minerals that help in assuaging dizzy episodes.”

Leafy greens: Anaemic women of all ages have a tendency to have a lot more dizziness episodes. So, possessing iron-abundant meals these as green leafy vegetables is proposed.

Raisins: Acquiring a handful of raisins can operate as an power-boosting snack.

Banana: Becoming superior in carbohydrates and acquiring a higher glycemic index, bananas will aid in recovering from a dizzy point out swiftly as it is a excellent blend of potassium as effectively as sugar.

Yoghurt: A fruity yoghurt with berries and nuts helps shoot up one’s energy, specifically for these with reactive hypoglycaemia. “In addition, it adds protein, calcium and other immunity-boosting elements to the diet plan,” the nutritionist explained.

Sweet potatoes: It is a wonderful snacking choice as its reduced glycemic index keeps sugar ranges stabilised for a prolonged period of time.

Listed here are some other recommendations, as shared by Goyal.

*Have modest but recurrent foods each and every 2-3 hrs as prolonged gaps in between meals may possibly be the cause.
*Eat a effectively-balanced eating plan with proportionate amounts of fruits, veggies, complete grains, lean protein and fibre. Each individual food group in moderation performs a function in holding the physique in stability.
*Limit the intake of caffeine as it may well cause hypoglycaemic signs and symptoms or may well raise blood force, main to lightheadedness.
*Keep away from alcohol because if you drink without having having, sugar degrees in the system may fall.
*Prevent higher-sugar foodstuff to restrict blood glucose dips.
*Choose foodstuff with a very low glycemic index to stay clear of unexpected sugar dips or shoot-ups.

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How to improve health: Tips for better sleep and diet

When it arrives to wellness advice, a lot of people today have extremely distinct opinions. From time to time you are going to hear people today say to take in keto and elevate weights, while other periods people today will say that you should do cardio and count energy. With the litany of unique tips, it can be complicated to come across a program that performs for you.

Lots of individuals want to increase their wellbeing and are not absolutely sure which spots subject the most — ought to slumber and food plan be the most important emphasis or must it be physical exercise? The actual solution is focusing on establishing a more healthy lifestyle and improving various areas of your lifestyle that can have a constructive impact on health.

Some of the most evident types are rest, food plan, work out, daylight and associations. Here’s how you can make minor improvements in each and every of these regions.

How to increase your sleep

Improving upon sleep might feel like an extremely hard process. Soon after obtaining property from university or function, time can just fly by. There are a few factors to do to assist you have greater snooze. Initial, ditch the blue light-weight before slumber. As tempting as it is to scroll through social media or textual content with your friends correct before heading to mattress, wanting at blue gentle can negatively effect your snooze. According to the Cleveland Clinic, scrolling on your cell phone can also retain your mind energetic, which will make it more challenging to tumble asleep.

Test turning off your electronics a couple of hrs in advance of bed and executing other pursuits, like reading a reserve or meditating prior to mattress, which can assist you to take it easy. Make confident to established your alarm in advance of you place your telephone down.

Another matter that can boost your rest is keeping away from caffeine prior to bed, for each the CDC. Consider to end drinking caffeine at noon each and every working day, so that way when you go to slumber, the results of it have worn off. Increasing snooze is about producing small improvements that will profit you in the prolonged run. Superior rest is essential for hormonal regulation and all round overall health, and it can set you up to make good decisions in the lengthy operate.

How to improve your diet program

Strengthening your diet plan can feel like a daunting job. One particular uncomplicated way to make alterations is to believe about earning uncomplicated switches. If you take in chips with lunch, take into consideration swapping them for carrots and celery. If you’re cooking a pasta dish, take into consideration switching the white flour pasta for a chickpea or pink lentil pasta. If you love fried chicken, attempt producing a baked version.

A handful of of these switches can be valuable in generating incremental, beneficial variations toward wellness. Also take into account what you can include to foods that you love. Say you seriously like mashed potatoes — take into account undertaking 50 percent potato and then fifty percent cauliflower. Or believe about a pasta dish you like, these kinds of as baked ziti. Imagine about how you can add broccoli and spinach to it. If your food plan could use some enhancement, odds are if you quickly switch to salads all the time, you won’t be earning sustainable adjustments.

There are other modest modifications you can make. Healthline indicates that you pay out interest to protein ingestion and continue to be hydrated through the day. A further tip is to remain away from diet plan meals. Assume about feeding on full food items when trying to strengthen your food plan.

How to begin working out

If you have stopped doing exercises, it’s not too late to get started doing it again. Genuine Basic indicates that when you’re trying to get again into the swing of exercising, start off compact. Instead of immediately striving to go back to wherever you were when you were exercising the most, get back into the behavior of accomplishing some motion every day.

The ideal exercise to do is the 1 that you will do continually and that you like. Experiment with health lessons or going to the health and fitness center or doing exercises at household or exterior. Finding a routine that you like can be beneficial to start off doing exercises.

A further way to get started doing exercises is to make accountability for by yourself. Communicate to a friend about finding again into a regime and build an accountability strategy. Even if you begin out compact, undertaking a small little bit of workout each week can help you to truly feel improved.

Why sunlight matters for pressure administration

Tension management can be a difficult issue to do. In accordance to the Stanford Life-style Medication Plan, taking care of pressure can be done by pinpointing the cause of the strain and then responding accordingly. Sunlight also can be an significant part of pressure management.

According to The Wellesley Information, sunlight can make us sense much less pressured. There’s just a thing about the solar that allows us sense better. According to a review posted in the journal Environmental Overall health Perspectives, daylight boosts the sum of vitamin D that you take in — numerous folks are deficient in this, so finding ample light-weight each individual working day can assistance your wellness.

When operating a 9 to 5, it can be tough to discover the time to go outside. Consider taking your lunch crack outdoors. This is a wonderful time to go for a quick, brisk wander as effectively, which can aid you get some movement in. Your temper may possibly also be positively impacted by expending much more time in the sunlight.

How to focus on relationships

Concentrating on relationships can enhance your total health. If you are pleased with your relationships, you may perhaps also be additional inclined to shell out more time increasing your overall health in other strategies, also.

Bettering associations is additional of an artwork than it is a science. Paying time with the people today you like can assistance you improve your relationships. When you are with a individual you love, acquire time to pay attention to them — really listen to them — and believe about what they’re stating. Make positive to let men and women in your lifetime know that you benefit them. It can boost your overall temper and well being to have strong interactions.

I’m a Longevity Doctor. Here Are My 7 Healthy Habits To Live Longer

Living a long, healthy life may seem like it requires winning a genetic lottery, but there’s so much more under your control than you realize.

Only 25{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of our probability of living a longer life is due to inherited genes, while 75{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} is due to environmental factors, says Dr. Luigi Fontana, professor of medicine and nutrition, and director of the healthy longevity research program at The University of Sydney in Australia.

“So the idea that your genes are the most important factor in shaping your longevity is wrong,” Fontana tells TODAY.com.

“In 2023, we have the knowledge to design a fantastic world where people are healthy. The probability of getting sick is still there because biology is not an exact science, but the risk is very low if you are living a healthy lifestyle.”

Fontana outlines some of the ways to activate the body’s longevity pathways in his new book, “Manual of Healthy Longevity & Wellbeing.”

The goal is to prevent age-related chronic diseases like heart disease. As people get older, they accumulate damage because the systems controlling the body’s ability to repair itself are getting weaker — but certain lifestyle choices can slow down this process, Fontana notes.

He believes up to 95{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of cardiovascular disease and 70{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of cancer cases are preventable based on his studies on exercise, calorie restriction and high-quality diets.

But Fontana worries prevention isn’t even taught in medical schools, with doctors focusing on diagnosing diseases and treating them mostly with drugs and surgery.

Here are some of the habits the longevity expert recommends for a longer life:

Monitor your waist size and keep it in check

This is even more important than keeping track of your weight because every extra inch in your waistline means an accumulation of belly fat, the worst type of body fat, Fontana says.

Known as visceral fat, it promotes inflammation, which is a major factor for aging, cancer, cardiovascular disease and many other chronic diseases, he warns.

Excess abdominal fat also triggers insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities, he adds.

“Every centimeter you lose, you are reducing all these factors,” Fontana notes. “It’s doable with exercise and a healthy diet.”

He advises women to have a waist measurement of less than 31.5 inches and men less than 37 inches.

It’s still important to monitor for weight gain and deal with it quickly. But weight is not the best measure because ideally you want to reduce waist circumference while increasing muscle mass, especially in the legs and glutes — the most powerful muscles in the body, Fontana says.

I’m a Longevity Doctor. Here Are My 7 Healthy Habits To Live Longer

Don’t eat ‘everything in moderation’

“People say, ‘Nothing is bad. You can eat some of everything.’ I disagree. It’s like saying, ‘I can have a couple of cigarettes in moderation,’” Fontana cautions.

“Everything in moderation” is not a dietary rule you should follow for maximum longevity, he writes in his book. Remove as much junk food, ultra-processed food, refined grains and sugary drinks from your diet as possible. There is no moderation with these foods.

Eat beans every day

Fontana follows the Mediterranean diet as the basis for his healthy longevity eating plan.

Along with beans, Fontana’s food pyramid calls for eating a wide variety of colorful vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, low-fat yogurt, olive oil and avocado every day.

He recommends eating fish two to three times a week, and enjoying small portions of cheese and a few eggs once or twice a week.

Meats or sweets should only be eaten occasionally.

Fontana always buys organic produce when he can to minimize his exposure to pesticides. “But if you tell me, ‘I cannot afford organic. What should I do?’ (I say) eat as many vegetables, whole grains and beans as you can, even if they’re not organic.”

He doesn’t take any supplements since he gets his nutrients from high quality food. The only exception was a daily vitamin D supplement in the winter when he lived in the U.S. to make up for the lack of sunshine.

Consider exercise the wonder drug for healthy longevity

Humans and their molecular pathways have evolved over thousands of years with a lot of exercise — walking everywhere, carrying wood, getting water from the well — so the modern sedentary lifestyle is not natural, Fontana warns.

He exercises every day, alternating mountain biking with swimming and weight lifting. An hour of aerobic exercise every day is ideal, but shorter bouts spread throughout the day can provide benefits, he writes in his book.

Exercise reduces triglycerides and LDL “bad” cholesterol, and increases HDL “good” cholesterol, Fontana notes. It reduces blood pressure and has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity.

When you exercise, you increase mitochondria — the “energy powerhouse of the cell” — in your muscle. Mitochondria are essential to burn fat, so you not only you build muscle mass, but burn more calories.

Exercise also increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is important for memory and is a powerful antidepressant molecule, Fontana says.

Go easy on the alcohol

Fontana doesn’t drink any alcohol. Studies suggest it’s not good for longevity and even small doses increase the risk of cancer, he notes.

“There is no evidence that resveratrol in wine is going to make you live longer,” he says.

“If you enjoy your beer and your glass of wine, that’s fine. But you should drink these occasionally… use it as a treat, not as a regular daily use.”

Give your body a break from eating

When you eat, the calories get transformed into glucose, which activates the production of insulin.

Between snacks and bigger meals, people end up being in a constant high-insulin environment for many hours of the day. That’s not normal physiologically and triggers pro-aging pathways, Fontana says.

Try to eat your calories within a restricted window, perhaps 10 hours, so that for the remaining hours of the day, your insulin and your glucose are low, he advises.

It’s OK to be a little hungry. It means the body is secreting the hunger hormone ghrelin, which inhibits inflammation.

“If you feel some hunger, don’t run immediately to eat something. If you can, just wait because you know you are activating this anti-inflammatory pathway,” Fontana says.

Think of your body as a Ferrari

Even a beautiful new sports car will develop problems if you don’t maintain it. But if you know how to take care of it, the car will last a long time.

It’s the same with your body, though maintenance in this case means a healthy diet and regular exercise.

“People say, ‘Who cares? I want to enjoy my life. I want to drink my wine. I want to stay on the couch eating chips,’” Fontana notes.

“Yes, you can drive your Ferrari without changing the oil. It’s up to you. But you need to know that your Ferrari will start to have problems.”