Dr. Holly Phillips Shares Her Own Top 5 Tips for Healthy Living

A focus on long-term improvements leads to lasting fixes to your health

I am no stranger to health challenges. Fatigue was an everyday struggle in my life for more than 20 years. When I started my practice, I noticed fatigue was also the number one health challenge with my patients—this inspired me to make a change. In 2015, I authored The Exhaustion Breakthrough, which focuses on fatigue prevention and treatment, along with tips for overall healthy living. While there are many quick fixes to boosting your mood and energy, such as light exposure and listening to pleasant music, my practice focuses on long-term improvements to your health, such as diet, exercise and sleep habits.

My Top 5 Healthy Living Tips:

1. Sleep between seven and nine hours a night

It’s no secret that sleep is key to better health. Sleep improves your immune system by releasing compounds called cytokines, which fight inflammation and infection. Sleep also decreases your risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. So how much sleep should you be getting? Adults between 26 and 65 years old need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, while adults who are older than 65 need between seven and eight hours of sleep per night.

1. Eat a plant-based diet

I recommend a Mediterranean diet, which focuses on plant-based foods, such as fruits, veggies, beans, nuts and whole grains, along with fish and poultry twice a week and red meet just a few times a month. And as a general rule of thumb, substitute butter with olive oil when cooking. This type of plant-based diet is known to reduce the risk of heart disease, breast cancer and even Alzheimer’s disease. It can also increase your energy levels and boost your cognitive health.

1. Laugh out loud

Laughing releases endorphins (the body’s natural feel-good chemicals), which create a sense of well-being while lowering stress and decreasing inflammation. Laughing is also known to decrease stress hormones, which can boost immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies. So whether you’re reading a funny book or cracking jokes with friends, try to get a good laugh in daily.

1. Move!

Whether you’re walking outside or dancing in your living room, move your body! It’s easy to be intimidated by exercise because many equate “working out” to hitting the weight room or taking an intense Pilates class. Don’t worry; the most profound health benefits simply come from not being sedentary. The benefits to daily exercise include weight control, mood improvements and better sleep. Exercise can also reduce your risk of health conditions like colon, breast, uterine and lung cancer, as well as depression, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Take a walk after dinner, take the stairs at work—whatever you prefer, just remember to move!

1. Live with a pet

If you need another reason to adopt a furry friend, here it is: Pets can decrease blood pressure, lessen anxiety, lower your risk of clinical depression and help keep you active. Not to mention, studies have shown that when a dog lives in a home, infants were less likely (19 percent vs. 33 percent) to show signs of pet allergies. If you’re feeling ready and prepared to adopt a pet, check out your local animal shelter and start feeling the benefits.

As a final note, if you’re in need of prescription medication, know that drug prices aren’t fixed; they vary from pharmacy to pharmacy. And your insurance might not guarantee the most affordable option.

With online tools like RxSaver, you can see pharmacy prices in your area, so you can shop with transparency and make an informed decision on where to fill your prescription.