(NC) It is never too late or too early to start taking charge of your health to prevent chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. We may not be able to control our family history, but lifestyle changes can help keep us healthy at every stage of life.

Thanks to longitudinal research supported by the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project, Canada's largest health research platform, scientists are learning more about individual risk and how to prevent chronic disease.

Several long-term studies have revealed ways to help you dodge up to 80 per cent of premature heart disease and stroke, as well as almost half of common cancers. Here are the five tips to follow: don't smoke, maintain a healthy weight, eat a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, get regular physical activity and limit alcohol intake.

Try tackling one step at a time to improve your overall health. Small actions tend to build on one another, making additional lifestyle changes easier in the future.

Find more information on health research underway at www.partnershipfortomorrow.ca.

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