In the last decade or so, I have spent an increasing amount of time trying to educate myself on how to stay healthy. There is a tremendous, growing body of information on health maintenance, wellness, and optimal aging that is rooted in research and hard science. What I mean by that is the information is obtained by medical researchers across the world applying the same standards as they do to discovering new cancer cures.

However, some of the new information conflicts with currently accepted recommendations from the medical community. This may lead to doctors disagreeing on what is best for you. I have also found that the lay press routinely picks snippets of information from a medical study and then portrays it as the whole truth without explaining the study’s complete findings. The net effect on patients is confusion and mistrust of the medical community. I think we all can understand that seeking consistent, reliable information in today’s world is challenging.

My point in writing this is that there are many factors that we can control to improve our chance of staying healthy. If we embrace wellness and healthy aging, research shows we can lower our odds of many major illnesses. The basic outline is very simple: eat clean, sleep 7-8 hours daily, exercise 30 minutes or more daily, minimize visceral fat, maintain hormonal balance throughout life, minimize environmental toxins, no smoking, and minimal alcohol intake. Most of this seems obvious and the majority of it is free! You just have to do it.

Healthcare in the United States is very good, but we are making ourselves sicker through our lifestyles and food choices. Take control of your health and be well. Your body will thank you.