1.
Take a healthy diet
The start of a new decade brings with it new resolutions to
improve one’s life, including a healthier lifestyle. Here are 20 practical
health tips to help you start off towards healthy living in 2020.
1. Eat
a healthy diet
Eat a combination of different foods, including fruit, vegetables,
legumes, nuts, and whole grains. Adults should eat at least five portions (400g)
of fruit and vegetables per day. You can improve your intake of fruits and
vegetables by always including veggies in your meal; eating fresh fruit and
vegetables as snacks; eating a variety of fruits and vegetables; and eating
them in season. By eating healthy, you will reduce your risk of malnutrition
and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and
cancer.
2.
Consume less salt and sugar
Filipinos consume twice the recommended amount of sodium, putting them
at risk of high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart
disease and stroke. Most people get their sodium through salt. Reduce your salt
intake to 5g per day, equivalent to about one teaspoon. It’s easier to do this
by limiting the amount of salt, soy sauce, fish sauce, and other high-sodium
condiments when preparing meals; removing salt, seasonings, and condiments from
your meal table; avoiding salty snacks; and choosing low-sodium products.
On the other hand, consuming excessive amounts of sugar increases the risk of
tooth decay and unhealthy weight gain. In both adults and children, the intake
of free sugars should be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake. This
is equivalent to 50g or about 12 teaspoons for an adult. WHO recommends
consuming less than 5% of total energy intake for additional health benefits.
You can reduce your sugar intake by limiting the consumption of sugary snacks,
candies, and sugar-sweetened beverages.
Reduce
harmful fats
Fats consumed should be less than 30% of your total energy intake. This will
help prevent unhealthy weight gain and NCDs. There are different types of fats,
but unsaturated fats are preferable over saturated fats and trans fats. WHO
recommends reducing saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake;
reducing trans-fats to less than 1% of total energy intake; and replacing both
saturated fats and trans-fats with unsaturated fats.
The preferable unsaturated fats are found in fish, avocado, and nuts, and in
sunflower, soybean, canola, and olive oils; saturated fats are found in fatty
meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee, and lard; and
trans-fats are found in baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and
foods, such as frozen pizza, cookies, biscuits, and cooking oils and spreads.
4.
Avoid the harmful use of alcohol
There is no safe level for drinking alcohol.
Consuming alcohol can lead to health problems such as mental and behavioral
disorders, including alcohol dependence, major NCDs such as liver cirrhosis,
some cancers, and heart diseases, as well as injuries resulting from violence
and road clashes and collisions.
5.
Don’t smoke
Smoking tobacco causes NCDs such as lung disease, heart disease, and stroke.
Tobacco kills not only direct smokers but even non-smokers through
second-hand exposure. Currently, there are around 15.9 million Filipino adults
who smoke tobacco but 7 in 10 smokers are interested or plan to quit.
If you are currently a smoker, it’s not too late to quit. Once you do, you will
experience immediate and long-term health
benefits. If you are not a smoker, that’s great! Do not start smoking and
fight for your right to breathe tobacco-smoke-free air.
6. Be active
Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal
muscles that require energy expenditure. This includes exercise and activities
undertaken while working, playing, carrying out household chores, traveling,
and engaging in recreational pursuits. The amount of physical activity you need
depends on your age group but adults aged 18-64 years should do at
least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week.
Increase moderate-intensity physical activity to 300 minutes per week for
additional health benefits.
7.
Check your blood pressure regularly
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is called a “silent
killer”. This is because many people who have hypertension may not be aware of
the problem as it may not have any symptoms. If left uncontrolled, hypertension
can lead to heart, brain, kidney, and other diseases. Have your blood pressure
checked regularly by a health worker so you know your numbers. If your blood
pressure is high, get the advice of a health worker. This is vital in the
prevention and control of hypertension.
8. Get tested
Getting yourself tested is an important step in knowing your health status,
especially when it comes to HIV, hepatitis B, sexually-transmitted infections
(STIs), and tuberculosis (TB). Left untreated, these diseases can lead to
serious complications and even death. Knowing your status means you will know
how to either continue preventing these diseases or, if you find out that
you’re positive, get the care and treatment that you need. Go to a public or
private health facility, wherever you are comfortable, to have yourself tested.
9. Get
vaccinated
Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent diseases. Vaccines
work with your body’s natural defenses to build protection against diseases
like cervical cancer, cholera, diphtheria, hepatitis B, influenza, measles, mumps,
pneumonia, polio, rabies, rubella, tetanus, typhoid, and yellow fever.
In the Philippines, free vaccines are provided to children 1-year-old and below
as part of the Department of Health’s routine immunization program. If you
are an adolescent or adult, you may ask your physician to check your
immunization status or if you want to have yourself vaccinated.
10.
Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing
Diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, and tuberculosis are transmitted through
the air. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, infectious agents may be
passed on to others through airborne droplets. When you feel a cough or sneeze
coming on, make sure you have covered your mouth with a face mask or use a
tissue then dispose of it carefully. If you do not have a tissue close by when you
cough or sneeze, cover your mouth as much as possible with the crook (or the
inside) of your elbow.
0 Comments