Chronic diseases are a bummer. Here’s what you can do to prevent them

May 17

Written By Ashlee

Rose with a pink background, how to prevent chronic disease,

Disclaimer: Please note that I am not a medical or mental health professional. The information provided on this blog is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, please call your local emergency services or go to the nearest hospital immediately.

None of us knows how long we will be on planet Earth, but sister, I can bet you want your time here to be as joyful and simultaneously long as possible. I know I do.

But one of the number one killers and creators of pain, discomfort, and disruption for Americans is chronic disease.

I’m talking about heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, the works.

And although no one can decide whether they get a disease or not (and should NEVER EVER be blamed for having one) the beautiful news is that we can make strategic lifestyle choices that can drastically decrease our chances of getting them, even with a genetic predisposition. Now that is something to celebrate indeed.

Furthermore, healthy lifestyle choices can in many cases, alleviate lots of symptoms for those who are already dealing with a chronic disease. In some cases, they have even been able to heal chronic diseases.

Stick with me and I’ll walk you through 4 key things you can do to gift yourself the best chance of avoiding chronic disease and enjoying a long and healthy life. Be warned, possible side effects include but are not limited to feeling good, having more energy, being fitter, and being happier.

First, let’s talk about chronic diseases… BLAH

Ready to have your mind blown?

According to the CDC, “7 out of 10 Americans die from chronic diseases each year.”₁ These chronic diseases include cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, respiratory diseases, arthritis, obesity, and oral diseases.

Major bummer.

But as I alluded to earlier, there is lots of hope of avoiding these illnesses. The scientific literature has a common consensus which is summed up by Dr. Steven G. Aldana, “Chronic diseases are among the most common and costly health problems to treat, they are also among the most preventable…While a healthy lifestyle isn’t a guarantee that you won’t become chronically ill, it does tilt the odds heavily in your favor.”₂

But what about if you have a family history of a disease? Or a strong genetic predisposition? As the saying goes, genetics load the gun, but the environment pulls the trigger. And we aren’t just talking about pollution or saving the rainforest, although those factors certainly can come into play (hello Agent Orange). But overall, lifestyle choices pull the trigger of the disease gun.

This observation from Dr. Aldana is fascinating. “Within some families, a gene that causes cancer or heart disease at an early age may be passed from generation to generation. These particularly aggressive genes can affect many members of a single family line and, though they almost always cause disease, they are rare – less than 5% of all cases of cancer and cardiovascular disease falls into this category.

Other genes…can also cause these diseases but just carrying them doesn’t mean you will develop the disease. These genes…can cause health problems only if they have the right environment..

Just because you inherit a gene that is known to cause problems doesn’t mean you are destined to have those problems. Most genes can express themselves ONLY if they have the right environment.”₃

So what can we do to maximize our chances of a long and healthy life, and reduce the likelihood of developing a chronic illness? There is a lot that could go into a healthy lifestyle. But I’ll walk you through the most important factors so you know where to spend your focus and precious energy to get the most bang for your buck.

4 key strategies for avoiding chronic diseases and feeling good

Don’t smoke
I’m not even going to talk much about this one because it’s so painfully obvious, but this is probably the number one best thing you can do for your health. Every time you inhale that smoke you are damaging your body in so many directions. E-cigarettes are very harmful as well.₄
Ok moving on.
I know this is shocking, but you gotta exercise
Movement transforms our bodies on a physiological level. It is such a beautiful process.
Physical activity gets that heart pumping more effectively, makes stronger bones, develops some hot muscles, and gets life-giving blood flowing in all the right places through your body. In some cases, exercise can also be as effective as antidepressants!₅ (K but don’t just stop taking your pills, talk to your doctor if that’s something you’re considering). And that’s just the beginning of the benefits.
A comprehensive peer-reviewed article states: “Conclusive and overwhelming scientific evidence…exists for physical inactivity as a primary and actual cause of most chronic diseases… The evidence clearly establishes that lack of physical activity affects almost every cell, organ, and system in the body causing sedentary dysfunction and accelerated death.”₅ Yowzah!
So how much exercise do you need? The CDC recommends adults get at least 150 min each week of moderate physical activity, 75 min of vigorous exercise, or a combination of the two.
I feel like that’s really confusing, so let’s break it down.
If you like to live in the moderate intensity realm (think brisk walking), you want to get at least 30 minutes 5x a week. If you prefer higher intensity, you are taxing your body more and getting more done in less time. That breaks down to only 15 minutes a day for 5 times a week! Or you can do a combo of the two. (i.e. moderate cardio for 100 min in the week and vigorous cardio for 50 min).
Also, it is recommended that you do strengthening activities for all major muscle groups (think chest, back, arms, hips, core, legs, and shoulders) at least twice a week.₆
If you want some help getting started with exercise, check out my beginner weight training workout and blog post all about cardio.
Sleep
Ahhh sleep. Or as I like to refer to it… comfy time.
Sleep is that magical time when our body resets. It takes out the garbage, tidies up, and does its daily maintenance.
But even more than that, sleep is key to a healthy immune system. Additionally, during sleep, our bodies release certain hormones that control appetite, metabolism, and how much fat we hold onto.₇
When we don’t get enough sleep, or get too much sleep (typically more than 9 hours) we mess up that hormone production. As a result, we secrete too much cortisol (the fight or flight hormone), store more fat than we would otherwise, and develop a higher appetite than necessary. Ergo we are tired, stressed, and overeat.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s no secret that when we are tired we are way more likely to be depressed, anxious, grouchy, make bad decisions, skip out on exercise, and feel generally gross.
Harvard Health said that “Several studies have linked insufficient sleep and weight gain. For example, studies have shown that people who habitually sleep less than six hours per night are much more likely to have a higher than average body mass index (BMI) and that people who sleep eight hours have the lowest BMI.”₈ Sleep is honestly one of the most important parts of the day!
How much sleep is needed? Adults need between 7-8 hours (but 9-10 habitually is harmful), teens need 9-10 hours, and children need at least 10 hours of sleep.₉
For ideas on how to get enough sleep (especially for sleep revengers), check out my post about creating a peaceful bedroom and building healthy habits.
Eat mostly whole foods, and a lot of vegetables
Whole foods are a gorgeous thing, but the term has kind of become a buzz word. What even qualifies as a “whole food?”
Whole foods are foods that are in their original form or pretty darn close. They are very minimally processed (if at all).
As nutritionist Alex Picot Annand says, “the greater degree of processing, the more additives such as sugar, refined starch, unhealthy fats, sodium, preservatives, and fillers.”₁₀ That doesn’t mean you can’t ever eat processed foods, but we want to eat a diet rich in whole foods.
Additionally, whole foods play a huge role in avoiding chronic diseases. For one thing, many of them are plant-based and contain little buddies called phytonutrients, which are magic. Basically, they are protective properties for the plants and when we eat them, they help protect us. These are mostly found in good old-fashioned fruits and vegetables. Fruit juice just isn’t gonna make the cut here.
Whole foods usually contain fiber which can help keep our digestive tract running smoothly and regulate blood sugar. Gut health is very closely related to overall health and fiber’s role in promoting a healthy gut helps protect against many chronic diseases.
Whole foods also have antioxidants, that take care of little troublemakers called free radicals. They are also filled with minerals, vitamins, and nutrients that our bodies need to do their job properly of surveillance, maintenance, building, and thriving.
Another benefit is that we are way less likely to overeat whole foods because they are filled with nutrients without the tons of calories found in hyper-palatable processed foods (like fast food).
Whole foods can clear out the gunk from our arteries, boost our mood, and help us think more clearly. The benefits are almost limitless (given that you don’t have an allergy, in which case you should work with your doctor).
So yeah, whole foods are kind of a big deal. If you want a deeper dive into how to eat healthily, along witha bazillion healthy whole food meal and snack ideas, I have a whole post for you here.

And there you have it! Now you know all about chronic diseases and the major strategies you can use to avoid them and optimize your health!

Now listen, it’s easy to suddenly start panicking or feel like you need to make 1000 changes at once. In my experience as a fitness professional and as a human, this is rarely helpful. Rather, sustainable change is the goal! I can not stress that enough.