Uncovering the Lifestyle Factors That Impact Your Health and Well-Being

What are the lifestyle factors that affect health?

Lifestyle is referred to as the way of living of people, as individuals or in groups at a specific place and time. These are influenced by the social, political, economic and geological conditions.

Lifestyle Factors

In the modern era, lifestyle has been defined strongly by the technological advancements. Overuse and misuse of technology has posed a major challenge that threatens the physical and mental health of individuals.

According to WHO, 60% of the factors affecting health are correlated to lifestyle (1). We cannot change our genes but changing our lifestyle choices will definitely help boost our health.

This article will look at the six lifestyle factors that affect our health, and evidence-based ways of how to make positive changes to our lifestyle.

Dietary intake

Currently the world is witnessing overconsumption of processed and ultra-processed foods, which lack fiber and are rich in sodium, saturated fat and refined carbohydrates. Companies spend huge amounts of money to make them palatable and addictive. As a result, we are seeing the new epidemic of chronic lifestyle conditions.

If we are looking to prevent the metabolic conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, we definitely need to address our dietary intake.

Evidence shows that a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet improves insulin sensitivity and thus helps in reducing inflammation which is the underlying cause for most of the chronic metabolic conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, abnormal lipids, coronary atherosclerosis (2,3,4).

WFPB diet encourages plant foods in their whole form like fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds and nuts (in small amounts). For maximal benefits this diet limits animal products. Saturated and trans-fat is restricted.

Physical activity

Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality (5).

Lives are becoming more sedentary with the increase of motorized transport and virtual communication networks. Screen times have increased for work, education and recreation.

Evidence shows increased sedentary time has poorer health outcomes:

• Increased adiposity (weight gain)

• Poorer cardiometabolic health

• Increased all-cause mortality

• Increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer

• Decreased sleep duration

Exercise prescriptions should continue to meet the physical activity guidelines and reduce sedentary behavior (e. g., limit sitting and TV watching). The guidelines suggest: (6)

1. 150 minutes per week of exercise

2. Resistance training two times per week

3. Avoid prolonged sitting throughout the day, and include 5 minutes of movement once an hour.

Some ideas to incorporate physical activity:

• Take stairs instead of the elevator.

• While watching TV, during commercials keep moving. Can do stationary bike or jumping jacks or lunges or squats.

• Instead of going out for lunch, take the lunch and use the extra time for a walk.

• Park far away and walk.

• Run errands if possible

Sleep

Most common sleep disorder and complaint is insomnia which has been defined as difficulty in initiating and/or maintaining sleep, with adequate sleep opportunity and daytime consequences; and has been ongoing since at least three months and occurring three days a week (7,8).

This is associated with:

1. Fatigue, malaise, and sleepiness,

2. Concentration/memory impairment,

3. Decreased motivation,

4. Mood disturbances/irritability,

5. Errors or accidents at work/driving.

6. Physical symptoms: headaches, gastrointestinal distress,

7. Persistent worry about sleep.

Chronic sleep disorders increase the risk for metabolic disorders, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular risk and mortality.

Lifestyle changes that will help with improved sleep:

• Environment: Use the bed for only sleep and sex. Minimize noise and lights and allow natural cooling of temperature through night and warm extremities at bedtime (clothing or warm baths or warm non-caffeinated beverage)

• Light exposure: Increase morning sunlight exposure. An afternoon walk outdoors is preferable and decrease light exposure at night.

• Diet: Reduce/ eliminate caffeine, alcohol and high sodium foods. Eat a carbohydrate rich breakfast and carbohydrate light dinner

• Exercise: Better to exercise in the morning or afternoon, if possible

• Stress: Start winding down one hour before bed without gadgets and include active relaxation with guided meditation/ guided imagery/ warm shower.

Emotional and mental wellbeing

70% of the visits to primary care providers are related to stress and lifestyle.

Even though healthy habits like exercising can improve mood, people are not able to do when they are stressed and overwhelmed.

Stressful stimuli have a physical and a psychological component. Stress activates a complex series of hormones like cortisol, adrenaline and neuropeptides which affect the cardiovascular, metabolic and psychological functions of the body. If the noxious stressful stimuli is overwhelming and cannot be resolved, it can lead to suppression of the immune system and long term tissue and organ damage.

So, for emotional and mental well-being, steps that can be taken:

Screening and diagnosis- It is very important that every Primary care provider should be able to screen and diagnose significant stress and underlying mood disorders.

1. Non- pharmacological stress management plans including-

   1. Regular time in nature,

   2. light therapy,

   3. massage,

   4. abdominal breathing,

   5. movement like walking, strength training, dancing, tai chi, yoga,

   6. playing a musical instrument, drawing or creative art,

   7. engaging in volunteering or religious/spiritual activities,

   8. bibliotherapy or self hep websites,

   9. mindfulness exercise, meditation, relaxation,

   10. and time for contemplation.

2. Develop self-management techniques for well-being-

   1. Learn cognitive behavioral skills

   2. Develop problem solving skills

   3. Improve one’s sense of humor

   4. Learn time management techniques

   5. Improve frustration with Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT)Techniques

   6. Improve emotional intelligence

3. Seek social support for assistance with behavior changes.

4. Get help from community and online resources

5. If necessary don’t hesitate to reach out for mental health providers.

Smoking, alcohol and drug abuse

Tobacco products kill every one of every two person who use them.

Smoking causes-

• 87% of lung cancer deaths

• 32% of coronary heart disease deaths

• 80% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

• 40% of the total cancers and one in three deaths due to cancer

Smoking leads to or worsens-

• Diabetes

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Impaired immune function

• Reduced quality of life

• Problems with reproduction

• Slower wound healing

• Increased risk of tuberculosis

• If pregnant mother is a smoker, can cause ectopic pregnancy, low birth weight, preterm delivery with still birth, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), cleft lip and cleft palate,

• Erectile dysfunction

• Age related macular degeneration

• Treatment failure for all cancers

• Risk of bone fractures, muscle aches and pains.

Quitting tobacco will reduce the risk of above-mentioned risk factors and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Tobacco dependence is a chronic disease. Quitting needs repeated interventions and attempts.

Effective evidence-based treatment includes counselling and medication. Counselling includes individual, group or telephone counselling. It includes programs, intensive treatments and behavioral therapies. Medication includes nonprescription and prescription nicotine replacement therapy and prescription of non-nicotine medications.

For severe alcohol use and other substance abuse, will need addiction specialist intervention if measures of counselling and anti-relapse medications fail. With constant vigilance, guidance and support, schools, colleges, parents and communities can play a big role to prevent the increasing menace of substance abuse.

Positive psychology and role of connectedness

Positive psychology is defined as a scientific approach to studying human thoughts, feelings, and behavior, with a focus on strengths instead of weaknesses, building the good in life instead of repairing the bad, and taking the lives of average people up to “great” instead of focusing solely on those who are struggling up to “normal “(9)

Habits and practical techniques for emotional well-being (10-15):

• Finding and improving signature strengths

• Counting blessings

• Expressing appreciation

• Savoring the pleasant things in life

• Writing down how one wants to be remembered

• Regularly practicing acts of kindness

• Thinking of one’s happiest days frequently

• Doing activities that feel meaningful

• Connecting and interacting with others regularly in person and not solely through social media.

For someone looking to improve their health, addressing these six key pillars is essential for achieving physical, mental and emotional well-being.

References:

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