mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">According to the World Health Organization healthy
eating, regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco products, and drinking
alcohol in moderation can help to prevent 80% of premature deaths from heart
disease and strokes and 60% of premature deaths due to cancer.
A
panel of health and wellness professionals give us their top tips on healthy
eating, aiming to achieve balance, improving sleep and learning to relax, for
making our lifestyles healthier:
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">How to Get Healthy Eating Right
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">To transform poor
eating habits into healthy ones, Raeesa Seedat, Registered Dietitian and ADSA
spokesperson, says:
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">1. Start your day well: Eat breakfast!
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"> - Breakfast is linked to improved nutrient
intakes, as well as improved concentration and alertness. Studies show that skipping breakfast is
associated with increased stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue and
tiredness.
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">2. Avoid temptation
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"> - The sight and smell of food is often enough
to tempt us. Avoid keeping tempting but unhealthy foods around the house and
avoid the treat aisles in the supermarket.
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">3. Shop smart –
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">To avoid impulsive buying, plan your shopping
with a budget and a list of what you need to buy and stick to it! If you don't
buy unhealthy foods, you won’t eat them.
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">4. Motivate yourself
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"> - Research shows that habits that don’t serve
us can be overcome with good intentions.
For example, having a conscious intention to eat healthier snacks helps
to override a habit of making poor food choices.
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">5. Do not starve yourself -
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">One of the most common triggers for unhealthy
snacking is hunger. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Do not get to the point
where you are so hungry you could wolf down anything you get your hands on.
Carry healthy snacks such as fruit, plain unsalted nuts or a tub of low fat
yoghurt to work or school to snack on.
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">What small changes can we make to our
daily eating that will help us move towards a healthier lifestyle? Kezia Kent, Registered Dietitian and ADSA
spokesperson says:
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">1.
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"> Hydrate:
Increase your daily water intake
- being well-hydrated is important for
overall health. Herbs such as mint, chopped fruit and lemon slices can all be
used to make water more interesting. Remember that flavoured waters often have
added sugar and should therefore be avoided.
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">2.
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"> Eat
regularly through the day by trying to eat every 2-3 hours
– Eating healthy
snacks between main meals helps to maintain a healthy metabolism and can help
to control portions at main meals. Your
first meal or snack of the day should be within 90 minutes after waking
up. Never skip meals.
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">3.
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"> Only
eat until you feel satisfied
- If you begin to feel uncomfortable or too
full, then you’ve already eaten too much.
If you still feel hungry after a meal, have some fresh vegetables with
fat-free salad dressing.
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">4.
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"> Avoid
eating while doing something else
- eating while driving, watching TV,
being on an electronic device or working prevents most people from actually
realising what and how much they are putting into their bodies. Focusing
on your food enables you to be aware of what your body wants and needs. Many also find they enjoy their food more and
are more satisfied with what they have eaten.
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">5.
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"> Be
active every day
– it can be a considerable boost to your overall health to
prioritize daily physical activity.
Even a short walk is better than nothing.
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:
minor-latin">How to practice balance in your life
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Raydene Naidoo, Psychologist from the
South African College of Applied Psychology recommends:
auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
background:white">
Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-language:
EN-GB">·
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Focus on yourself
from time to time and pamper yourself. You can't expect others
to nurture you if you can't nurture yourself.
auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
background:white">
Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-language:
EN-GB">·
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Learn to say
no without feeling guilty. Having reasonable boundaries is healthy, and it
helps you to regulate how much you take on.
auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
background:white">
Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-language:
EN-GB">·
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Take time to
nurture your relationships, especially with your loved ones.
auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
background:white">
Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-language:
EN-GB">·
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">You are only human
and you’re not always going to get the balance right. Rome was not built
in a day. Allow yourself a cheat day but within moderation.
auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
background:white">
Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-language:
EN-GB">·
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Get a good night’s
rest as often as you can, naps count too.
auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
background:white">
Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-language:
EN-GB">·
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Set SMART goals for
yourself. Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time specific.
font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:
minor-latin">How to improve our sleep
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA">Sleep is central to
all body functions. By the time you are 30 years old, you have already slept
for about 10 years. The basis of good sleep is to maintain good sleep hygiene.
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">Dr Kevin Rosman
from the Morningside Sleep Centre has this advice:
background:white">
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:
EN-ZA">The sleep environment
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:
EN-ZA;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> - t
11.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:
Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA">he bed must be
comfortable enough, the room quiet enough, dark enough, cool enough, and secure
enough. Complete absence of sound would be the best, but is generally not
possible. Second-best is a continuous quiet hum. Television is generally a bad
idea. Sometimes double lining of the curtains may be necessary to keep the room
dark enough. We sleep better at night when the environment is cool. If you have
an air conditioner, for example, set the temperature to that which is
comfortable for the "cooler" partner, and let the other simply add a
blanket.
background:white">
"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA">Winding down the brain
line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA">- b
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:
EN-ZA;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">efore going to sleep
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:
EN-ZA">, one needs to give the brain a chance to wind down. Allocate between 30
and 60 minutes for this. Going to bed directly after working or after exercise can
cause difficulty getting to sleep. Caffeine and alcohol can affect sleep, and
sufficient time should be allowed after the consumption of these before getting
into bed.
background:white">
font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:
minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA">Regular sleep habits
line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA">
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:
EN-ZA">- because the body works on a number of different cycles, we sleep best
at our usual bedtime. Getting up at the same time every day is also helpful.
mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">
font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:
minor-latin">How to relax more
"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">An
important part of a healthy lifestyle is stress reduction and stress
management.
"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">The
practice of mindfulness underpins activities such as yoga and meditation. Yoga
is a form of moving meditation, a complete and total mind-body-spirit overhaul
and the benefits of practicing yoga range from the physical benefits of
increased flexibility and strength right through to mental and emotional
wellbeing.”
"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">To
practice mindfulness, start small. Set your alarm clock for 10 minutes earlier
in the mornings. Find somewhere quiet, with a comfortable seat. Close your
eyes, and focus on your breath - allowing it to move freely in and out of your
nose. Start with 5 minutes and see how you go from there. If you really aren’t
a morning person, try it in the evenings. Tonight, instead of your usual
routine of flicking on the TV when you get home, take a few moments, find a
quiet space, no technology on or around you and just breathe. Find a way of moving
your body that feels good in your body. Try out different exercise or yoga classes,
until you find an environment that’s comfortable to you.
mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA">To find a registered dietitian
in your area who can assist you with a healthy lifestyle plan, visit
"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA"> www.adsa.org.za
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA">.
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">