HEALTHY LIVING.

Many factors affect your health.

 Some you cannot control, such as your genetic makeup or your age.

 But you can make changes to your lifestyle. By taking steps toward healthy living, you can help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and other serious diseases:

• Get the screening tests you need
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• Maintain a healthy weight
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• Eat a variety of healthy foods, and limit calories and saturated fat

• Be physically active
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• Control your blood pressure and cholesterol
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• Don't smoke
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• Protect yourself from too much sun
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• Drink alcohol in moderation, or don't drink at all
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• Do my habits really affect my health?
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• Yes, very much so. All of the major causes of death (such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease and injury) can be prevented in part by making healthy lifestyle choices.
  
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  Don't smoke or use tobacco.

  Smoking and using tobacco are very dangerous habits. Smoking causes 440,000 deaths in the United States every year. More preventable illnesses (such as emphysema, mouth, throat and lung cancer, and heart disease) are caused by tobacco use than by anything else. The sooner you quit, the better.
  
  

  Limit how much alcohol you drink.

  This means no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women. One drink is equal to 1 can of beer (12 ounces), a 4-ounce glass of wine or a jigger (1 ounce) of liquor.
  
  Too much alcohol can damage the liver and contribute to some cancers, such as throat and liver cancer. Alcohol also contributes to deaths from car wrecks, murders and suicides.
  
  

  Eat healthy.

  A healthy diet has many health benefits. Heart disease, certain cancers, stroke, diabetes and damage to your arteries can be linked to what you eat. By making healthier food choices, you can also lower your cholesterol and lose
  

  Exercise.

  Exercise can help prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis and depression. It can also help prevent colon cancer, stroke and back injury. You'll feel better and keep your weight under control if you exercise regularly. Try to exercise for 30 to 60 minutes, 4 to 6 times a week, but remember that any amount of exercise is better than none.
  
  

  Don't sunbathe or use tanning booths.

  Sun exposure is linked to skin cancer, which is the most common type of cancer in the United States. It's best to limit sun exposure and wear protective clothing and hats when you are outside. Sunscreen is also very important. It protects your skin and will help prevent skin cancer. Make sure you use sunscreen year round on exposed skin (such as your face and hands). Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least an SPF 15 and one that blocks both UVA and UVB light.
  
  

  Practice safe sex.

  The safest sex is between 2 people who are only having sex with each other and who don't have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or share needles.