How can I improve my quality of life?

Good health isn’t everything. But without it, almost everything else becomes harder.

When I first started Simply Better Living, I wanted it to be about something much bigger than moving abroad or retirement. Those topics matter, of course, but they're really only part of a much larger picture.

Over the coming weeks, I'd like to return to what I believe are the five pillars of a good life:

• Good food
• Adequate exercise
• Time for reflection
• Sound sleep
• Social connection

None of these is revolutionary. We all know they matter. The challenge is that modern life constantly tempts us away from them.

As we get older, however, these five habits become less like lifestyle choices and more like investments. Every healthy meal, every walk, every good night's sleep is a small deposit into our future well-being.

Our Greatest Assets

People often say that money is our greatest asset.

I disagree.

Our greatest assets are time and health. Time cannot be bought back, and poor health has a way of making every other success feel far less important.

The encouraging news is that while we cannot control everything about ageing, we have far more influence over our health than many people realise. Genetics certainly play a role, but daily habits matter enormously.

So What Is the Best Diet?

If you've ever wandered through a bookshop or browsed YouTube, you've probably been overwhelmed by competing claims.

• Low-carb.
• Low-fat.
• Keto.
• Carnivore.
• Vegan.
• Intermittent fasting.

The reality is refreshingly simple.

When scientists look not at fashionable diets but at populations who consistently live long, healthy lives, two eating patterns repeatedly stand out.

The Mediterranean Diet

For decades, researchers have admired the traditional diets of countries such as Greece, southern Italy and parts of Spain.

These diets are built around:

• plenty of vegetables
• fruit
• beans and lentils
• whole grains
• nuts and seeds
• olive oil
• fish
• moderate dairy
• relatively little red meat
• very little ultra-processed food

Perhaps just as importantly, meals are often eaten slowly and socially rather than rushed between meetings or in front of a television.

The Japanese Diet

Japan consistently ranks among the countries with the highest life expectancy.

Traditional Japanese meals are generally based around:

• fish
• rice
• vegetables
• soy products such as tofu
• seaweed
• green tea
• relatively small portions

Rather than eating until completely full, many Japanese people still follow the old Okinawan principle of eating until they are about 80% full—a simple habit that may prevent thousands of unnecessary calories over the course of a year.

What They Have in Common

These two diets look different, but they share remarkably similar principles.

Both emphasise:

• real, minimally processed food
• plenty of vegetables
• healthy fats
• regular fish
• modest portions
• less sugar
• fewer processed snacks
• far less fast food

In other words, healthy eating is far less complicated than the diet industry would have us believe.

Eat Like a Prince...

One old saying has largely stood the test of time:

Breakfast like a prince, lunch like an emperor, dinner like a pauper.

Many nutrition researchers now agree that eating more of our calories earlier in the day may work better with our natural body clock than consuming large evening meals.

A nourishing breakfast provides energy after an overnight fast.

A substantial lunch fuels the busiest part of the day.

A lighter evening meal is often easier to digest and may even contribute to better sleep.

Of course, life doesn't always fit neatly into proverbs, but it's a surprisingly sensible principle for many people.

Progress, Not Perfection

Healthy eating isn't about becoming obsessive or feeling guilty every time you enjoy an ice cream or a slice of cake.

It's about what you do most of the time.

If your plate is usually colourful, rich in vegetables, includes good-quality protein, healthy fats and whole foods, you're already doing something wonderful for your future self.

None of us can stop ageing.

But we can give ourselves the best possible chance of ageing well.

And that's a goal worth pursuing.

SIMPLY. BETTER. LIVING.

"The groundwork for all happiness is good health." — Leigh Hunt