Forget the Influencers: Here's What Science Says About Staying Healthy
There is a lot of buzz this time of year about how to stay healthy: what to do and what not to do. The information is overwhelming and can feel impossible to sift through. While flashy ads and convincing online influencers might talk you into thinking the latest supplement or device will solve your problems, I'm going to break down the things you can feasibly do to improve your health, prevent disease, and be your best self in 2026!
Exercise and Eat Healthy: Common Sense, Right?
What seems like a straightforward task can be riddled with confusion when you don't know where to start. Fad diets and all sorts of different exercise plans leave our heads spinning. What is actually attainable? What actually works?
Let's look at the evidence: decades of nutrition research and exercise research highlight a few practices that lead to longevity and reduced risk of disease, from heart disease to cancer. The great news is none of these things are wild, extreme, or impossible to implement consistently. The best evidence we have for both exercise and nutrition tells us that consistency with whole foods and regular exercise prevents disease better than any diet or exercise fad out there.
Nutrition
The best available evidence from large-scale studies and systematic reviews has consistently shown that diets focusing on whole plant foods, healthy fats, and minimally processed foods are associated with reduced chronic disease risk. What does this mean for you? Think fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unprocessed lean meats, fish, seafood, and in general, whole foods rather than highly processed snack foods and fast foods: these will have the highest bang for your buck. No extreme diets of all meat or all vegetables. Nothing fancy. Consistency is key: treats in moderation with an overall focus on staying on track.
If you'd like a name for a diet, the Mediterranean diet is actually the most well-studied and science-backed option available.
Exercise
Decades of research into exercise science tells us the more activity, the better. We know that at about 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week, we see a dramatic reduction in mortality (this comes from reduced diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and more). That's just about 20 minutes a day! Evidence suggests this can be at least a brisk walk, resistance training, or better yet, a combination of the two.
Additional exercise beyond this is great, and higher intensity workouts may even show greater benefits. But there is significant benefit at just 20 minutes per day.
The Bottom Line
Doing these things while managing a job, household, and kids is challenging enough. If you can focus on hitting good nutrition and exercise marks as often as possible, that is a huge part of the battle. Perfection is not the goal: just consistency over time.
Prevention is the best medicine works sometimes; perhaps we should say prevention is the "ideal" medicine. Things happen, genetics play a role, and some people are more predisposed to disease than others. So combining this evidence with age-appropriate screenings and wellness visits with your doctor, you can feel confident you are doing the most effective things to reduce your risk of disease and catch things early.
We're Here to Help
At Apios, we love being there for you when you're sick, but we love it even more if we can help you stay healthy. In a world of very confusing and often misleading information, we are committed to helping you follow the evidence and making these goals achievable.
Follow us on Instagram and reach out to your Apios physician with any questions.
Need a nutrition consult? We can help with that!
References
Evaluation of the Quality of Evidence of the Association of Foods and Nutrients With Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes: A Systematic Review. JAMA Network Open, January 31, 2022.
Physical Activity, All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality, and Cardiovascular Disease. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2019. Kraus WE, Powell KE, Haskell WL, et al.
