Chronic Disease

What is a chronic disease?

We hear this term quite often - it is a hot topic in the media as well as a frequent subject of new research. A chronic disease is an illness that is long-lasting and generally requires ongoing care or actions. Their severity can change over time, improving or worsening, depending on many factors. Examples of chronic disease include type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and asthma. 

Why do we care about chronic diseases? 

They are quite common - 1 in 3 adults will have a chronic disease at some point in their life. Chronic diseases also account for a huge portion of healthcare spending in our country. They have the potential to shorten your lifespan because if they go on without intervention or improvement, they can have serious health consequences. A common misconception is that these problems are permanent, meaning you can’t get rid of them. Another myth is that they are progressive, meaning they will get worse over time.

Lots of emerging evidence is showing that there are things you can do to prevent a chronic disease from happening, or even reverse it if you already have one. For example, lifestyle choices that we make on a daily basis, such as our diet and exercise habits, can cause or impact these diseases. What this means is that you have a lot of control over whether you have a chronic disease. 

Things you can do immediately to reduce your chance of getting a chronic disease or to improve a disease you might already have:

• Avoid smoking

• Limit alcohol consumption

• Eat whole foods: real foods that are not processed

• Avoid excessive carbohydrates in your diet: sugary drinks, candy, desserts, baked goods, sweet cereals, processed/bleached grains

• Move your body in a way that gets your heart rate up for 30-60 minutes at least 5 days a week

Small, sustainable changes over time can add up to have a huge impact on your health and reduce your chances of suffering from a chronic disease.