Not too late to live a healthier lifestyle
The start of a new year brings with it, new resolutions to improve one’s life, including a healthier lifestyle and it is not too late to start now.
Here are some practical health tips help you with living healthy in 2021.
Eat a healthy diet Consume less salt and sugar Reduce intake of harmful fats
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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; 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.
We sometimes consume twice the recommended amount of sodium, putting us at risk of high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Reduce your salt intake to five grams per day, equivalent to about one teaspoon. On the other hand, consuming excessive amounts of sugars increase 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 per cent of total energy intake.
You can reduce your sugar intake by limiting the consumption of sugary snacks, candies and sugar-sweetened beverages.
Fats consumed should be less than 30 per cent 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.
World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends reducing saturated fats to less than 10 per cent of total energy intake; reducing trans-fats to less than one per cent of total energy intake; and replacing both saturated fats and trans-fats to unsaturated fats.
Avoid harmful use of alcohol
There is no safe level for drinking alcohol. Consuming alcohol can lead to health problems such as mental and behavioural disorders, including alcohol dependence, major NCDs such as liver cirrhosis, some cancers and heart diseases, as well as injuries resulting from violence and road accidents.
Don’t smoke
Smoking tobacco causes NCDs such lung disease, heart disease and stroke. Tobacco kills not only the direct smokers but even non-smokers through secondhand exposure.
If you are currently a smoker, it’s not too late to quit.