Editor’s Note:
AHMC Healthcare invited leading physicians from three major Taiwan medical centers to share the latest insights on heart and lung care, muscle health, chronic disease prevention, and precision medicine. Cultural Express launches a five-part series.
“Chronic disease doesn’t happen overnight—it builds through daily choices.”
AHMC Health System Co-CEO Wen-Ta Chiu said the fight against heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and dementia must begin beyond the clinic—with better food, exercise, sleep, stress control, and relationships.
.png)
In “A Daily Health Revolution,” he described lifestyle medicine as an evidence-based way to prevent, manage, and even reverse some chronic diseases.
Blue Zones, Longer Lives
WHO data show chronic diseases cause nearly three-quarters of global deaths, while lifestyle shapes about 60% of health. Lasting change comes not from an occasional checkup, but from the choices made every day.
Dr. Chiu cited five “Blue Zones”—Okinawa, Sardinia, Ikaria, Nicoya, and Loma Linda—where longevity is linked to plant-forward diets, daily movement, good sleep, low stress, strong relationships, purpose, and avoiding addictive substances.
“Genes don’t decide everything—daily habits add up,” Chiu said. Lifestyle medicine turns these lessons into six essential pillars for lifelong health.
Eat Smart, Move More
.png)
The first pillar is healthy eating. Wen-Ta Chiu recommends cutting back on processed foods, sugary drinks, and unhealthy fats, while choosing more whole foods, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, fish, and quality protein.
Asian diets can blend Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND principles with tofu, brown rice, mixed grains, mushrooms, dark leafy greens, and tea. “Food is where the daily health revolution begins.”
The second pillar is regular exercise: at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, plus strength training twice weekly. A simple test: “You can talk, but you can’t sing.”
Brisk walking, swimming, cycling, and dancing strengthen the heart and lungs, while squats, sit-to-stands, and resistance-band exercises help prevent muscle loss, falls, and osteoporosis.
Sleep Sound, Stress Less
The third pillar is sufficient sleep. Chiu calls sleep the body’s “overnight repair shift.” During deep sleep, the brain clears waste, while the heart, immune system, memory, and emotions reset.
Adults should aim for seven to eight hours a night. Chronic sleep loss raises the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, irregular heartbeat, and cognitive decline.
The fourth pillar is stress management. Chronic stress disrupts hormones and immunity and fuels inflammation. “Your body remembers every day of tension.”
Exercise, deep breathing, prayer, mindfulness, gratitude journaling, and time away from screens can help restore balance. When stress begins to affect work, relationships, or self-care, professional help is essential.
Connect More, Depend Less
The fifth pillar is social connection. Loneliness harms immunity and raises the risk of inflammation and early death. A “social prescription” calls for two or three meaningful interactions each week.
What matters most is not how many people you know, but whether you feel “seen, heard, and needed.”
The sixth pillar is avoiding substance misuse. Tobacco, alcohol, vaping, marijuana, sleeping pills, and opioids can shift from temporary relief to dependence, especially during stress or loneliness. Less harm means better health.
Chiu said the six pillars go beyond habits—they help reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic imbalance, lowering the risk of chronic disease and death.
A health revolution begins with small steps: skip one sugary drink, walk 30 minutes, go to bed earlier, or call someone you care about.
“It’s never too late to start,” Chiu said. “If we embrace all six pillars, the next Blue Zone could be right here.”(Health Column: Part 5 of 5)