4 Simple Healthy Habits to Live Your Healthiest Now and For Years to Come, from a Doctor

By Lucy Danziger

Adopting healthy habits are the key to living your best, healthiest life. Instead of thinking about not doing something (other than smoking cigaretts), start thinking about how to add healthy habits into your daily routine, whether it’s regular morning walks, drinking more water (and less alcohol) or prioritizing sleep.

This advice comes from Dr. Mark Hyman, a respected Functional Medicine expert. He shares the results of a large study out of Europe (called the EPIC study) that shows us that total well-being comes down to healthy habits, or specifically four behaviors – some easier to do than others. To be healthy now and for years to come, follow this advice and make sure to incorporate these healthy habits.

For a Long, Healthy Life, Prioritize These 4 Behaviors:

1. Don’t smoke, or quit ASAP if you still do
2. Exercise daily, for at least 3.5 hours a week
3. Eat healthy, prioritizing fruit & vegetables
4. Maintain a healthy body weight

These four behaviors will significantly lower your risk of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s, as well as reduce your lifetime risk of stroke. Mastering these four behaviors will afford you the best chance at living a long, healthy life free of ailments that can rob you of the type of joyful years – and decades – we all hope to look forward to.

Longterm health is the goal, since simply aging, without your full health and abilities, is not the same as qualityh of life as we get older. The trick to that is to keep your brain and body active, intact and continue to learn, grow, and challenge yourself with new activities and interests. Someone like Isabella Rossellini has figured out how to age gracefully. It’s not about anti-aging so much as enjoying healthy aging. Read how she does it.

Diets & Drugs Can’t Achieve This

For anyone sick of diet culture (who isn’t?) or of hearing about diet pills and injections, this is a much simpler approach to well-being. No drug can provide the same health outcome as living an active healthy lifestyle, exercising daily, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and maintaining a healthy weight, Dr. Hyman points out.

As for diet drugs, the jury is still out on the long-term side effects of semaglutide, the generic name for Ozempic and Wegovy. The labels warn of elevated risk of pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, vision problems, and even thyroid cancer. (I say: No thank you, not worth the risk to anyone who just wants to lose a jeans size or two.) 

Four Healthy Habits to Incorporate Daily

These four behaviors are the only ones to prioritize, if you want to check that healthy box in 2024 and for years to come. You need to make exercise a part of your daily life, but you don’t need to spend hours at the gym. Add brisk walking or any other favorite activity, and you can get to 3.5 hours a week. 

Eating healthy may be trickier (it is for me) since we all love our favorite comfort foods and indulgences. Following the 80/20 rule of focusing on healthy foods most of the time works, since as long as you’re active, you can enjoy treating yourself. 

A healthy diet is one where you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein at every meal, and limit or avoid packaged, ultra-processed foods, which contain added sugar and hidden oils, which get stored as fat and leave you hungry just hours after eating.

We Would Add Two More to This List:

1. Daily stress-relievers such as breathing exercises (try box breathing) or mindful activities (a morning gratitude walk) that help you feel calm and grateful for your healthy body, your loved ones, your home, your job, your ability to pursue creative endeavors and hobbies … and I would add … for my dog!

Make time for some joyful fun daily. Do something that makes you laugh, like watching a favorite TV show with a spouse or sibling, seeing friends for dinner, or for me, spending time playing and beach walking with my dog!

2.  Get a good night’s sleep! This is not only important for your physical health, but your mental outlook as well! You can’t expect your body to function properly without rest, and you can’t expect your brain to be recharged without sleep.

It’s impossible to focus on work tasks (and get stuff done so you can go enjoy those stress-free hours) unless you get enough restful sleep! That’s it. Keep it simple, healthy, and active. 

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