Rants&Rambles

Healthy 20

The NYTimes has just run an article suggesting the health habits worth picking up in your 20s, to serve you well in later life. It’s so obviously true that youth is wasted on the young, and also that believing themselves immortal, no 20 year old ever cared enough to take this advice, yet I will persevere and run these ideas past my daughters just in case:

 

 

Staying healthy in your 20s is strongly associated with a lower risk for heart disease in middle age, according to research from Northwestern University. That study showed that most people who adopted five healthy habits in their 20s – a lean body mass index, moderate alcohol consumption, no smoking, a healthy diet and regular physical activity – stayed healthy well into middle age.

 

So the healthy 20s list goes something like this:

Weigh yourself often – I am conflicted about this one, which probably says more about my own issues with my weight than anything to do with either healthy advice or my children. The advice given is to buy a bathroom scale or use one at the gym and weigh yourself regularly. There is nothing more harmful to long-term health than carrying excess pounds, and weight tends to creep up starting in the 20s. It is pretty easy for most people to get rid of three to five pounds and much harder to get rid of 20. If you keep an eye on your weight you can catch it quickly. At the same time, a later piece of advice is to practice portion control ie. be aware of what you’re eating and max out on the fruit and vegetables whilst moderating sweets. alcohol and processed foods. Maybe I could summarise this as “be aware”.

Learn to cook – My daughters know how to cook, how to follow recipes and how to put together a meal. They’re not experts but they’re on the path to a whole level of enjoyment. The official advice of course was less focus don enjoyment and more on “Learning to cook will save you money and help you to eat healthy. Your focus should be on tasty ways to add variety to your diet and to boost intake of veggies and fruits and other nutrient-rich ingredients”. Hmm. L:et’s add in a bit of advice to stay away from anyone who hasn’t bothered tolerant to cook. If they’re male, it speaks to an upbringing steeped in the patriarchy that no daughter of mine needs to deal with in her life. If they’re female, they’ll expect you to nurture and look after them whilst I see that as something they should do for themselves.

 

Cut back on sugar- The next advice was to try to avoid excessive simple sugar by eliminating the most common sources of consumption: 1) sugared soft drinks 2) breakfast cereals with added sugar and 3) adding table sugar to foods. My advice would probably be something along the lines of “know your sugar” ie. a bit of cake at teatime isn’t going to kill you but be aware of hidden sugar, casual pointless sugar that isn’t really adding any value such as soda drinks. Excessive sugar intake has been linked to obesity and diabetes, both of which contribute to heart disease.

 

​Live an active life – Build physical activity into your daily life. Find a way to get 20 or 30 minutes of activity each day, including riding a bike or briskly walking to work. While many people can’t find time for a scheduled exercise routine, that doesn’t mean you can’t find time to be active.

 

 ​​Eat your veg – My kids have been brought up to eat a range of vegetables and it would be sad to see that variety disappear. Nutrition science is complicated and debated endlessly, but the basics are well established: Eat plenty of plant foods, go easy on junk foods, and stay active. The trick is to enjoy your meals, but not to eat too much or too often.

 

​Adopt a post-party exercise routine – If you engage in a lot of drinking and snacking, ensure you exercise a lot to offset all those extra calories from Friday to Sunday that come with extra drinking and eating. We found in a study that on Friday through Sunday young adults consumed about 115 more calories than on other days, mainly from fat and alcohol.

 

​Find a job you love- Ohio State University research found that work life in your 20s can affect your midlife mental health. People who are less happy in their jobs are more likely to report depression, stress and sleep problems and have lower overall mental health scores. I want my kids to find a job they feel passionate about. This passion can keep them motivated, help them find meaning in life, and increase expectations about their future. That in turn will make them more engaged in life and healthier behaviors, which will have long term benefits for their well-being.