Health and nutrition could be more transparent. Even specialists have differing views, making it hard to find out how to optimize your health.
Despite differences, science supports several wellness practices.
27 science-backed health and dietary advice.
1. Limit sugary drinks
American diets get the most sugar from sodas, fruit juices, and sweetened teas (1).
Unfortunately, multiple studies show that sugar-sweetened beverages increase heart disease and type 2 diabetes risk even in lean people (2).
Sugar-sweetened beverages can also cause obesity and adult diseases, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in youngsters (3, 4, 5).
- Water is healthier.
- Unsweetened
- Tea
- iced coffee
2. Nuts and seeds
Nuts are fattening. Therefore some avoid them. Nuts and seeds are very healthy. They contain protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals (6, 7).
Nuts may help you lose weight and prevent type 2 diabetes and heart disease (8).
One large observational study found that low nuts and seed intake may raise the risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes (9).
3. Avoid ultra-processed foods
Ultra-processed foods contain heavily changed ingredients. They often have sugar, highly processed oil, salt, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colours, and tastes (10).
- snack cakes,
- frozen fast food
- crisps
Ultra-processed meals are appealing and activate reward-related brain areas, causing overeating and weight gain. Ultra-processed diets have been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases (11, 12, 13, 14).
They lack fiber, protein, and minerals and include inflammatory fats, processed carbohydrates, and sugar. They’re primarily empty calories.
4. Enjoy the coffee
Coffee is healthy despite its controversies.
Coffee’s antioxidants may help prevent type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other disorders (16, 17, 18, 19).
The recommended daily dosage is 3–4 cups, but pregnant women should avoid it because it has been associated with low birth weight (18).
Coffee and caffeine should be consumed in moderation. Caffeine can cause sleeplessness and heart palpitations. Avoid sweetened creamer and limit your coffee intake to fewer than 4 cups daily.
5. Eat fatty fish
Fish provides nutritious fat and protein. Fatty fish, including salmon, contain anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients (20, 21).
Fish eaters had a lower risk of heart disease, dementia, and inflammatory bowel disease, according to research (22, 23, 24).
NUTRITION:
6. Sleep enough Quality sleep is essential
Poor sleep causes insulin resistance, disrupts appetite hormones, and lowers physical and mental performance (25, 26, 27).
Poor sleep is also a significant risk factor for obesity. Sleep deprivation can cause weight gain by making healthier, sugarier, and calorie-rich meals (28, 29).
7. Feed gut bacteria
Gut microbiota—gut bacteria—are vital to health.
Obesity and many digestive issues are linked to gut bacteria change (30, 31).
Eating yogurt, sauerkraut, and fiber can boost intestinal health. Fibre, a prebiotic, feeds intestinal microorganisms (32, 33).
8. Hydrate
Hydration is an often-overlooked health indicator. Hydration maintains blood volume and body function (34).
Water is the healthiest way to stay hydrated.
Drink enough to fulfil your thirst daily (35).
9. Avoid burnt meats
Meat is nourishing and high in protein and minerals (36).
Charred beef causes issues. Charring can produce toxic substances that may increase cancer risk (37).
Avoid burning meat. Limit red and processed meats like lunch meats and bacon, which increase cancer and colon cancer risk (38, 39, 40, 41).
10. Avoid bright lights before bed
Bright lights with blue light wavelengths in the evening may affect melatonin production (42).
Wear blue light-blocking eyewear and avoid digital displays for 30–60 minutes before night to limit blue light exposure (43).
This helps your body naturally manufacture melatonin in the evening, improving sleep.
11. Take vitamin D if lacking
Most people lack vitamin D. Maintaining proper vitamin D levels can improve bone strength, reduce depression, boost the immune system, and cut cancer risk (44, 45, 46, 47).
Low vitamin D levels may result from insufficient sun exposure.
Evaluate your vitamin D levels so you can supplement if needed.
12. Eat lots of produce
Prebiotic fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in vegetables and fruits provide powerful health benefits.
Vegetarians and fruit eaters live longer and have a lower risk of heart disease, obesity, and other diseases (48, 49).
13. Eat enough protein
Protein is necessary for cell and tissue growth, so eating enough is essential for good health (50).
Additionally, this nutrient helps maintain a healthy weight.
Protein helps you feel full and burn calories. It may lessen cravings and late-night snacking (51, 52).
14. Move!
Cardio is excellent for your mental and physical wellness.
It reduces dangerous abdominal fat around your organs. Reduced abdominal fat may improve metabolic health (53).
The American Physical Activity Guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week (54).
15. Never smoke or take drugs, and drink moderately
Smoking, drug abuse, and alcohol abuse all hurt your health.
To lower your chronic illness risk, cut back or quit these behaviours.
Online and local resources can help. Ask your doctor about resources.
16. Use extra-virgin olive oil
Virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest vegetable oils. It contains anti-inflammatory antioxidants and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats (55, 56).
According to specific research, extra virgin olive oil may lessen the risk of heart attacks and strokes (57).
17. Limit sugar
Everyday meals and drinks are loaded with sugar. High intake causes obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (1, 2, 58).
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting added sugar to 10% of daily calories for maximum health, while the World Health Organization advises 5% or less (59, 60).
18. Limit refined carbs
Carbs vary.
Refined carbs lack fibre. They’re lacking in nutrients and unhealthy in large amounts. Most ultra-processed foods contain refined carbs such as processed corn, white flour, and added sugars.
Studies relate refined carb diets to overeating, weight gain, and chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease (61, 62, 63, 64).
19. Lift heavy weights
Strength and resistance training is excellent for muscle building and body composition.
It may also boost your metabolic rate and insulin sensitivity, making it easier to manage your blood sugar levels (65, 66).
Without weights, you can use your body weight or resistance bands to obtain a similar workout with many of the same advantages.
The US Physical Activity Guidelines advise twice-weekly resistance training (67).
20. Avoid trans fats
Artificial trans fats cause heart disease and inflammation (68).
Since they are entirely outlawed in the US and many other countries, avoiding them should be easy. Some foods contain naturally occurring trans fats, although these are not as harmful as synthesized trans fats (69).
21. Season well
We have more herbs and spices than before. They’re tasty and healthy (70).
Ginger and turmeric are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which may improve your health (71, 72).
Herbs and spices have substantial health advantages, so eat a variety.
22. Maintain friendships
Social relationships—with friends, family, and loved ones—are vital to your emotional and physical health.
According to research, persons with close friends and family live longer and healthier (73, 74).
23. Track your food sometimes
Weighing your food and using a nutrition tracker is the only way to count calories accurately. Estimating portion sizes and calorie intake could be more precise (75, 76).
Tracking protein, fibre, and micronutrients are also helpful.
Some studies have linked tracking calories to disordered eating, but others have found that tracking food intake helps people lose weight and keep it off (74, 77, 78, 79).
24. Remove belly fat
Visceral fat, or belly fat, is particularly detrimental and increases the risk of cardiometabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes and heart disease (80).
Thus, waist size and waist-to-hip ratio may be better health indicators than weight.
Reducing stress, eating more protein and fibre, and cutting refined carbs may help you lose belly fat (81, 82, 83,84).
25. Don’t diet
Diets only work short-term. Dieting predicts weight growth (85).
Overly restrictive diets reduce metabolism, making weight loss harder. They also change appetite and satiety hormones, making you hungrier and possibly seeking high-fat, calorie, and sugar foods (86, 87).
This causes “yoyo” weight gain.
Instead of dieting, live healthier. Don’t starve yourself—feed it.
It would be best to lose weight as you switch to whole, healthy meals, which are inherently satisfying and lower in calories than processed foods (14).
26. Eat whole eggs
Despite the ongoing debate, eggs are not unhealthy due to their cholesterol content. They’re high in protein and nutrients and don’t affect blood cholesterol in most people (87, 88).
Egg eating did not increase heart disease risk in 263,938 persons (88).
27. Meditate
Stress is unhealthy. It can alter blood sugar, eating choices, disease, weight, and fat distribution. Thus, proper stress management is crucial.
Meditation has been shown to reduce stress and improve health (89, 90).
Meditation reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol and inflammation in a trial of 48 persons with high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or both. Meditation participants claimed increased mental and physical health (91).
Conclusion
Simple changes can improve your diet and health.
If you want to live healthily, don’t just focus on eating. Sleep, exercise, and socialising are crucial.
These evidence-based ideas make it easy to make small changes that can improve your health.
