We all want to live healthy, long lives where we’re able to live independently in our own homes.

To help prevent many health risks and maximize the activity you’re able to do, being a healthy weight is helpful. A measure our Canadian doctors frequently use is the BMI (body mass index) which uses a person’s height and weight to classify her/him as either healthy (18.5 – 24.9 range), overweight (25 – 29.9 range) or obese (over 30) . The thing I don’t necessarily like about this index is that it doesn’t take into account how muscular a person is, or their bone structure. This is why I also measure the circumference of the waist in any assessments I do. A waistline above 35 inches for a female, or 40 inches for a male can increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease or stress on the joints (often knees and back).

To maintain a healthy weight and to live a long independent life in a location of your choosing, there are a few things you should be thinking about and following throughout your 30s, 40s and 50s.

1. Eat whole foods – especially veggies.

Minimize processed, pre-packaged foods that often contain too many calories and too much fat and salt, with minimal nutrients. When you eat whole foods (lean proteins and veggies/fruits), you’ll fill yourself up with lower calorie products filled with vitamins and minerals, for longer. For one month, try tracking the number of servings of veggies and fruits you consume daily. Tracking them makes you much more aware of what you’re putting in your mouth and will help you build healthier, long-term habits. At first, consuming 8-10 servings of veggies & fruits may seem like a lot, but try building up to this. Here’s a look at how I get my recommended servings in a day:

With regards to salt, we should only be getting 1000-1500 milligrams of sodium daily, but most of us are consuming more than 3,400 milligrams! This is concerning because too much sodium leads to high blood pressure, which increases our risk of heart disease.

2. Be active every day.

Getting up and walking around your office building for 5-10 minutes hourly can really make a difference to your health, physique and mind. I love using a fitness tracker that shows me how active I am throughout the day. To set me up for success with getting in my 10,000 steps daily, I have the goal to walk at least 3,000 steps by noon. Goal oriented people do really well with steps counting. The free app I use (until I get my fitbit) is Pacer.

Don’t forget about strength training – in addition to assisting with weight loss, this form of exercise is also critical to heart, muscle and bone health.

3. Be social.

Surround yourself with friends and family who you enjoy being around. Try out a team sport, dance class or cooking class to learn more healthy lifestyle tips. In the gym, try working with a buddy or a personal trainer. Put together the right support system for you.

4. Sleep.

During sleep is the only time the body repairs and regrows tissues. Sleep is critical for regulating hormones and keeping the mind alert and active.Try getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night and attempt to go to bed at close to the same time.

5. Don’t smoke.

I know I’m stating the obvious here, but smoking is so horrible for your health. It increases your risk of developing many unhealthy, life-crippling conditions making basic chores almost impossible. Breathlessness, fatigue, an increased risk of developing cancer, diabetes and more, are all outcomes associated with smoking.

If you’re an unhealthy weight, low in energy and struggling to eat right just realize things aren’t going to change overnight, there isn’t a magic pill. Try improving 1 or 2 habits at a time. Research shows that changing a couple of small things vs attempting to completely overhaul your life at once, leads to longer, more sustainable lifestyle changes. Please reach out if you’d like more information about how I help my clients make healthy lifestyle changes.

Sources:
Good Times, May 2013 Edition, 10 Steps to Better Health, Wendy Haaf