According to the Center for Disease Control, chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes are the leading cause of death in the US and are costing us trillions of dollars in health care costs. To better understand this it is important to point out that a chronic disease is a condition that last a year or longer, requires ongoing medical care and may limit daily living activities.
But here is the catch – our lifestyles contribute to these chronic diseases and we can participate in reducing our risk as well as managing our chronic diseases. So what can we do?
-BE ACTIVE! New physical activity guidelines say find ways to move throughout the day no matter what!
-Eat healthy – Perfection is not the goal – start with more fruit and veggies and go from there. (I hear this often – “if I can’t eat healthy that day, I won’t eat at all or I just don’t try to do it consistently”)
–If you do have a chronic disease – work with your medical providers by adhering to what is recommended by them. This may mean something as simple as taking medicines as prescribed to something more complex as getting help for depression.
–YOU ARE A COMMUNITY Lastly, understand that you are not alone in this journey! Please don’t allow yourself to become isolated or withdraw and friends and family need to rally to provide support and encouragement.
You can start today – right now – one small change can put you on the path to a healthier you and the transformation will begin!
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