The pillars of self-care
Self-care is based on lifestyle medicine—an evidence-based approach to disease prevention and treatment that focuses on adopting healthy habits. It doesn’t replace medical interventions such as taking medication, but it is a powerful complement.
Americans are far less healthy than they could be. Six out of every 10 live with at least one chronic disease, according to the CDC. Four in 10 people have two or more conditions. Chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes exact a heavy toll on our collective health and productivity.
The irony is that these diseases are largely preventable. When researchers from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed data from the CDC and two long-term population studies—the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study—they found clear associations between specific lifestyle habits and disease incidence. In fact, they determined that people who practiced five specific lifestyle habits dramatically reduced their risks of heart disease and cancer, compared with those who did none of these things. The healthy participants
- ate a diet high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and unsaturated fatty acids, and low in red and processed meats, sugary drinks, trans fats, and sodium.
- did not smoke
- got at least three-and-a-half hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week.
- maintained a healthy body mass index (BMI) in the range of 18.5 to 24.9.
- avoided heavy drinking. (Newer research shows that there is no safe amount of alcohol. If you decide to drink, aim to limit your intake.)