Living well is the best way of preventing a range of common illnesses that are brought about by lifestyle choices. These conditions and diseases include many that are very common in developed countries today, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol (which can cause heart attacks and strokes), osteoarthritis (which causes wear and tear on the joints in our bodies) and even common cancers such as bowel cancer and breast cancer, where latest research indicates a strong link to obesity.
The good news is that it is possible to live well as long as the impact of our modern lifestyle (and its propensity to make us obese) is minimised. This is not as hard as it sounds, if we are prepared to make very simple adjustments in a few important areas, such as what and how we eat, and the amount of regular physical activity we engage in. These small and simple adjustments can make enormous differences to our chances of encountering any of these diseases and conditions.
As opposed to lifestyle changes that focus only on exercise or only on food consumption, the most effective way to deal with excess weight or obesity is by combining approaches in both these areas. With food, although most people know it is important what types of food we eat and what quantities of these foods we eat, many may not be aware that another important factor is when we eat. So-called 'intermittent fasting', where food is only eaten between certain hours in the day, allows the body to process any food consumed in the most effective and efficient way. And it's not necessary to follow a conventional 'diet' to achieve this - there is no need to follow a particularly restrictive program (either in terms of what food is eaten or how much) to achieve remarkable results.
