Healthy Lifestyle Tips for you
For
good health, we need more than 40 different nutrients, and no single food can
supply them all. It is not about a single meal, it is about a balanced food
choice over time that will make a difference!
·
A
high-fat lunch could be followed by a low-fat dinner.
·
After
a large meat portion at dinner, perhaps fish should be the next day’s choice?
About
half the calories in our diet should come from foods rich in carbohydrates,
such as cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread. It is a good idea to include
at least one of these at every meal. Wholegrain foods, like wholegrain bread,
pasta, and cereals, will increase our fibre intake.
Fats
are important for good health and proper functioning of the body. However, too
much of it can negatively affect our weight and cardiovascular health.
Different kinds of fats have different health effects, and some of these tips
could help us keep the balance right:
·
We
should limit the consumption of total and saturated fats (often coming from
foods of animal origin), and completely avoid trans fats; reading the labels
helps to identify the sources.
·
Eating
fish 2-3 times a week, with at least one serving of oily fish, will contribute
to our right intake of unsaturated fats.
·
When
cooking, we should boil, steam or bake, rather than frying, remove the fatty
part of meat, use vegetable oils.
Fruits
and vegetables are among the most important foods for giving us enough
vitamins, minerals and fibre. We should try to eat at least 5 servings a day.
For example, a glass of fresh fruit juice at breakfast, perhaps an apple and a
piece of watermelon as snacks, and a good portion of different vegetables at
each meal.
A
high salt intake can result in high blood pressure, and increase the risk of
cardiovascular disease. There are different ways to reduce salt in the diet:
·
When
shopping, we could choose products with lower sodium content.
·
When
cooking, salt can be substituted with spices, increasing the variety of
flavours and tastes.
·
When
eating, it helps not to have salt at the table, or at least not to add salt
before tasting.
Sugar
provides sweetness and an attractive taste, but sugary foods and drinks
are rich in energy, and are best enjoyed in moderation, as an occasional
treat. We could use fruits instead, even to sweeten our foods and drinks.
Eating
a variety of foods, regularly, and in the right amounts is the best formula for
a healthy diet.
Skipping
meals, especially breakfast, can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting
in helpless overeating. Snacking between meals can help control hunger, but
snacking should not replace proper meals. For snacks, we could choose yoghurt,
a handful of fresh or dried fruits or vegetables (like carrot sticks), unsalted
nuts, or perhaps some bread with cheese.
Paying
attention to portion size will help us not to consume too much calories, and
will allow us to eat all the foods we enjoy, without having to eliminate any.
·
Cooking
the right amount makes it easier to not overeat.
·
Some
reasonable serving sizes are: 100 g of meat; one medium piece of fruit; half a
cup of raw pasta.
·
Using
smaller plates helps with smaller servings.
·
Packaged
foods, with calorie values on the pack, could aid portion control.
·
If
eating out, we could share a portion with a friend.
Adults
need to drink at least 1.5 litres of fluid a day! Or more if it's very hot or
they are physically active. Water is the best source, of course, and we can use
tap or mineral water, sparkling or non-sparkling, plain or flavoured.
Fruit juices, tea, soft drinks, milk and other drinks, can all be okay - from
time to time.
The
right weight for each us depends on factors like our gender, height, age, and
genes. Being affected by obesity and overweight increases the risks
of a wide range of diseases, including diabetes, heart diseases, and cancer.
Excess
body fat comes from eating more than we need. The extra calories can come from
any caloric nutrient - protein, fat, carbohydrate, or alcohol, but
fat is the most concentrated source of energy. Physical activity helps
us spend the energy, and makes us feel good. The message is reasonably simple:
if we are gaining weight, we need to eat less and be more active!
Physical
activity is important for people of all weight ranges and health conditions. It
helps us burn off the extra calories, it is good for the heart and circulatory
system, it maintains or increases our muscle mass, it helps us focus, and
improves overall health well-being. We don't have to be top athletes to get on
the move! 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity is advised, and it
can easily become part of our daily routine. We all could:
·
use
the stairs instead of the elevator,
·
go
for a walk during lunch breaks (and stretch in our offices in between)
·
make
time for a family weekend activity
Gradual
changes in our lifestyle are easier to maintain than major changes introduced
all at once. For three days, we could write down the foods and drinks we
consume throughout the day, and make a note of the amount of movement we made.
It won’t be difficult to spot where we could improve:
·
Skipping
breakfast? A small bowl of muesli, a piece of bread or fruit, could help slowly
introduce it into our routine
·
Too
few fruits and vegetables? To start with, we can introduce one extra piece a
day.
·
Favourite
foods high in fat? Eliminating them abruptly could fire back, and make us
return to the old habits. We can choose low fat options instead, eat them less
frequently, and in smaller portions.
·
Too
little activity? Using the stairs daily could be a great first move.