Do you know what pairs nicely with our weight loss program? Light activity! One simple and easy form of this is walking. That's because walking is a safe and an effective way to get in regular activity. Plus, it offers many health benefits. For example, in the Journal of the American Heart Association they found that the benefits of walking in regards to longevity was equivalent whether people got in their steps in one long walk, or fewer shorter walks. What mattered most was that the walking was regular. Also, walking helps with mobility - especially with older adults. Specifically, one study in 2014 found that a "regular program of physical activity can preserve independence among older men and women."
It is helpful to eat a healthy diet, but regular exercise enhances the health benefits you receive. It's best to have a combination of exercise and nutrition. A healthy diet consisting of quality foods like fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean proteins ensures that you are meeting your nutrient needs, as well as fueling your body for an active lifestyle. Activity helps maintain our muscles and respiratory capacity. We should never think that one is better than the other, rather that a healthy diet and regular exercise complement one another. They both help achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, and reduce our risk for chronic diseases.
So, if you aren't already put on a pair of comfortable shoes and go for a walk!
Reference: Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University, Walking: Key To Staying Active and Independent (p.4).
We all know that healthy eating has its benefits. One such benefit is preventing inflammation. Did you know that some eating patterns can increase or decrease inflammation in your body? That said, let's look at one kind of diet-related inflammation - colorectal cancer.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the US. Also, studies have shown that there are dietary factors associated with a higher risk of this cancer. Foods like processed meats unfortunately are linked to increasing your risk. One study in JAMA Oncology showed that people who followed dietary patterns that were most likely to cause inflammation had a 32% higher chance of developing colorectal cancer compared with people who followed a dietary pattern that was least likely to cause inflammation. That's something to think about! However, since this was an observational study it does not necessarily prove that the anti-inflammatory nature of these foods offers protection as there may be other properties from this diet that could be at work.
So, what are proinflammatory foods? These would include foods such as red and processed meats, organ meats, and sugar-sweetened beverages. On the flip side, diets that were high in dark green and leafy vegetables, dark yellow vegetables, tea, and coffee were found to be anti-inflammatory.
What does this all mean for you? Right now, research has shown that being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight helps with reducing your risk of getting colorectal cancer. Additionally, eating a healthy diet containing green leafy vegetables and low in red and processed meat, refined grains, and sugar-sweetened beverages is also beneficial.
Reference: Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University, Diet-Related Inflammation and Colorectal Cancer (p.3).
