More of anything is not always a good thing. Change is often hard to pursue. Bad habits are hard to break. I often find that when I am advising patients on adapting healthy lifestyle, they feel it near impossible to start. No one wants to give up the things they enjoy. And as a physician, I do not believe any one is going to completely rid themselves of all their bad vices, no matter how unhealthy I convince them they are. So what is the answer? Everything in moderation.
How can someone adopt a healthy lifestyle in moderation?
1. Regarding diet, many of the fad diets do not work because they are too extreme. Patients may lose much weight initially but they tend to gain it all back when it becomes boring or unsustainable. It is better to make gradual changes over time. For example, gradually increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you are eating while gradually reducing the junk food and high fat foods you enjoy. No one wants you to never eat the things you enjoy again. If you start thinking you will, you will fail. You can still eat the things you enjoy. But, not all the time and not as much as you want.
2. Regarding exercise, the right balance is very important and must be tailored to the person. I often do not give specific exercise advice to patients because everyone can tolerate a different amount. If you are a couch potato now, you are not going to be running marathons next month. The most important thing is to find something you enjoy. If you force yourself to do something you hate, you will not continue. Start slowly and work your way up. It is recommended to do 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 days a week plus strengthening training. It is not wise to start doing that from the beginning otherwise you are setting yourself up for injury and/or disappointment. And remember that it is alright if you feel sore after work-out. Pain is not Ok though and signals that you have done too much and should back off.
3. Regarding alcohol intake, many studies have shown that a glass of wine with meals has some cardiac benefit. Other studies have shown the disastrous health complications of too much alcohol can have: liver disease, cirrhosis, B12 deficiency, etc. There needs to be a balance. And if you don’t drink alcohol, you don’t need to start just to get the cardiovascular benefits. There are other ways to do it.
4. Regarding sleep, everyone requires a different number of hours to be ideal. In the USA, many people are chronically sleep deprived. Recent studies have shown that lack of sleep can have adverse health effects so it is important to get enough sleep every night. Too much sleep, however, is also not a good thing.
5. Regarding work, in the USA, it has been shown that workers take much less vacation than in other countries. People are working too hard here. This increases stress levels and doesn’t give people enough time to rest.
These are a few examples of how things done in moderation are beneficial. This can really apply to anything in life. It is important to start gradually when undertaking any new lifestyle change. And it is likely to be more successful if it is less drastic.
