Tips for Living a Healthier Lifestyle

When you purchase life insurance, it gets you thinking about your health. And although many of us take our health for granted when we’re young, as we grow older, it often becomes more challenging to take care of our body and mind. After all, the natural effects of aging combined with work and family pressures can take a toll on our physical and mental wellbeing.

Healthy Habits

Fortunately, there are things you can do to stay healthy. A study led by The John Hopkins University followed 6,200 people over the course of eight years. It found that both men and women reduced their chances of passing away during that time by an astounding 80 percent if they adopted the following four healthy behaviors:

Don’t smoke. This is a crucial step to take, since smoking affects your lungs and heart — plus, it increases your chances of having a stroke or developing cancer. If you use tobacco, talk to your primary care physician about a healthy program to stop smoking.
Maintain a healthy weight. For adults, a healthy body mass index — or BMI — is between 18.5 and 24.9. To find out what your BMI is, use this free BMI calculator.
Eat a healthy diet. Eat a lot of vegetables and fresh fruits, as well as whole grain carbohydrates and lean proteins. You should also consume foods that are rich in omega-three oils such as fatty fish and nuts — plus, you should cook with olive oil rather than saturated fats. Watch your salt intake, as too much salt can drive up your blood pressure, and drink at least eight cups of water a day.
Be physically active. You need about 30 minutes of physical activity at least five days a week. You can do this in one session per day or break it up into shorter bouts — for example, you could do two 15-minute walks. Another way to look at it is to take a minimum of 10,000 steps — or five miles — a day, according to WebMD.

You should also try to get eight hours of sleep each night, as well as minimize your stress. In addition, it’s advisable to build up your social life. In fact, according to Scientific American, a solid social network can boost longevity by as much as 50 percent.

Start Small

If you’ve read this far and are a bit overwhelmed by the changes you have to make, don’t panic. You can start with small changes and work your way up to bigger ones. For example, don’t radically change your diet overnight — simply start with eating more fresh vegetables and fruits first, and then go on to make other changes. That way, you can gradually become comfortable with your new lifestyle.

A Healthy Lifestyle Equals Lower Life Insurance Rates

In addition to helping you live longer, leading a healthy lifestyle can help you get lower life insurance rates. For more information and assistance finding the right policy for you, please contact our offices today.