In my last post, I wrote about some of my thoughts on health. Now, don’t get me wrong; I fully admit that I don’t have it down or am the role model for health. I’m a 49 year old woman who struggles daily on many levels. However, I have read a lot written by those a whole lot smarter than I am, and I do buy into the theory that we eat too much crap (chemicals and sugar particularly), don’t eat enough REAL food, don’t exercise enough, are too stressed out, and take too many pills looking for the quick fix for physical and mental health. So, it made me happy to see the following news story on NBC Nightly News yesterday.
Cancer Survivors Live Longer With Healthy Habits
According to this story and the research behind it, advanced cancer survivors can increase their chances of living by 42% by following the American Cancer Society’s guidelines for healthy living. And guess what? Drinking a glass of wine per day is included as a healthy habit! Surely we can all get behind that one!
“We found that patients who maintain a healthy body weight, engage in regular physical activity, and eat a diet rich in vegetables and whole grains and low in red meats and processed meats did better and survived longer than those who didn’t,” said Dr. Erin Van Blarigan of the University of California, San Francisco, who led the study.
What I don’t get, and I’m talking about myself here too, is if I’m told that I can LIVE if I exercise and eat healthy. or I will DIE if I don’t, why on earth wouldn’t I do what it would take to live??? What if the probability was 90% or 100%? What if we are talking about kids or grandkids? Is our dependence on processed food, sugar, and internet or television so strong that we are willing to give our lives and our children’s lives for it? <3
Source: Fox, Maggie. “Colon Cancer Survivors Live Longer With Healthy Habits.” nbcnews.com, 17 May 2017
Super interesting! One of the things I’ve been reading about a lot lately is the impact of healthy behaviors on people even when carry extra pounds on their bodies. We all know people who eat healthy foods and exercise regularly but who don’t lose weight in the process, right? Or at least they don’t get down to what most of us think of as “normal weight.” There’s a lot of research showing that the healthy behaviors make a world of difference even when body weight is above average. So it’s not so much that weight = bad health as it is that unhealthy behaviors = bad health. My goal is to aim for healthy behaviors, not perfection. Just consistent movement toward healthy behaviors.
YES–I completely agree! I love seeing information about this and seeing realistic sized people in fashion. If we focus on the quality and content of what we eat, not on the calories and just getting off the couch and moving each day, the weight would take care of itself! It would be such a great example for our children, and at my age, I want to be a healthy example–not a size 4!