Harvard Health Publishing recently reported that eating more processed food may shorten your lifespan. The report said, cutting down on your amount could help you live longer according to a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. In the study, ultra-processed foods are defined as “ready-to-eat and microwaveable foods such as bread, breakfast cereals, instant noodles, chicken or fish nuggets, chocolate bars, candies, chips, and sweetened beverages.”

Ladies, please take note. Harvard Medical School recently published a study done on 5,000 women age 63-97 on the risk of the sedentary lifestyle. The study showed that adding just an additional hour of sitting per day increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 54 percent. The key to reducing risk is by moving more frequently. Find an excuse to move daily! Get up regularly for a glass of water, to answer the phone, to go the mailbox, or walk the dog. Any activity is better than no activity. Also, beware that inactivity is a contributing factor to Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) that creates pain in the legs. 

People who engage in daily physical activity will enjoy much more quality of life. It is outlined in chapter 5 in the 10 Habits of Wellness.

Listen up, men! Harvard Medical School released this information for men:

“Ok men. Can you run as fast as you were when you were 20 years old?  Hit a golf ball as far? Smash a tennis ball with the same speed and spin?

Probably not.

But even as we age, there are still plenty of ways to stay in the game and enjoy it. That’s true of sex as it is in sports. 

Whether you currently suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED) or are hoping to sidestep this condition, try these tips to overcome ED for better health and a better sex life.

1. Start walking. According to one Harvard study, just 30 minutes of walking a day was linked with a 41% drop in the risk for ED. Other research suggests that moderate exercise can help restore sexual performance in obese middle-aged men with ED.
2. Eat right. In the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, eating a diet rich in natural foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and fish – with fewer red and processed meat and refined grains – decreased the likelihood of ED.
3. Pay attention to your vascular health. High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides can all damage arteries in the heart (causing heart attack), in the brain (causing stroke), and leading to the penis (causing ED).”

A pill for every ill is not always the answer to enjoying the quality of life available and that we desire. It is with great joy for me to see a leading institution like Harvard Medical School and Harvard Health Publishing promoting the significant advantages of healthy choices we can make to improve health and well-being.