An Apple a day keeps the doctor away?

In medicine, we sometimes let perfect be the enemy of the good.

But the benefits of lifestyle changes are incremental and seemingly small additions have noticeable benefits. 

We aim for: 

5-a-day. 

10,000 steps. 

150 minutes of exercise. 

7-9 hours sleep. 

Reduce stress…

It’s a long list and can often feel impossible especially when you add in the realities of life. 

When ‘perfect’ isn’t possible and good enough is good enough, here’s what the evidence seems to shows:

🚶 Going from sedentary to just 4500 steps per day cuts early death risk by up to 45%. 

🥦 Eating 3 generous portions of fruit and veg cuts mortality risk by 22% compared to eating just one.

One study (https://lnkd.in/e8Z35xhe) found that just: 

15 extra minutes of sleep, 1.6 more minutes of moderate activity, and a small improvement in diet quality, (~ half a serving more vegetables a day) was associated with a 10% lower risk of death from any cause (this is theoretical based on the bigger numbers) 

At the higher end, 75 extra minutes of sleep, 12.5 more minutes of moderate activity, and a slightly larger improvement in diet quality was associated with a 50% lower all-cause mortality risk. 

The message is pretty simple, as it is not always about doing one thing perfectly. Small improvements in sleep, movement, and diet, done together, can add up to positive impacts. 

Health isn’t a pass/fail exam but is a series of small deposits into a long-term savings account.

Start where you are now and do the best you can; your body will respond. 

An apple a day really might keep the doctor away!