grow your healthspan
live better
New research has revealed ways to increase our healthspans. Healthspan is the number of years lived in good health with the ability to participate in life. As medicine has tackled many infectious diseases, lifespans have increased and healthspan has risen to the forefront. We don’t want to just live longer, we want to live better! Lifespan only considers quantity of years lived but does not consider the quality of those years. For example, living to be 80-years-old burdened by forty years of disease, a poor quality of life and limited function is a short healthspan. Low back pain, neck pain, musculoskeletal disorders and arthritis decrease function, quality of life and healthspan. They are among the top ten causes of disability in the United States. A shortened healthspan is linked to low amounts of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, omega-3-fatty acids and physical activity as well as a high sodium diet.
Nutritious foods help grow our healthspan as does improving our physical activity, sleep, resiliency and relationships. A 2020 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found maintaining a healthy weight, physical activity, no smoking, and limited alcohol intake improved healthspan. These life improvements combined with eating unprocessed, low added sugar foods can make all the difference. Healthy food does not have to be time consuming or difficult to prepare. Whole fruits, cut vegetables and nuts make great snacks for an afternoon break, drive home or after dinner treat. They squash inflammation and extend our healthspan.
Time to pack some “fast food” snacks, grab a handful of nuts, and increase our physical activity. Cheers to growing our health spans!
References:
1. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The Global Burden of Disease: Generating Evidence, Guiding Policy. Seattle, WA: IHME, 2013.
2. Nyberg ST, Singh-Manoux A, Pentti J, et al. Association of Healthy Lifestyle With Years Lived Without Major Chronic Diseases. JAMA Intern Med. 2020;180(5):760–768.
Photograph credit: Tim Foster