Expert Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle

Healthy Lifestyles Awareness Day being celebrated on 22nd February

Healthy Lifestyles Awareness Day being celebrated on 22nd February

Published Feb 21, 2017

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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:

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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. 

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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:

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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. 

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"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;

mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA">Winding down the brain

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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. 

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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">. 

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