Johannesburg - It’s that time of year again. You’ve gained more weight than you care to count from festive season bingeing and are looking to being a trimmer, healthier and better you. Here are some new year health resolutions that could get you on your way:
* Quit Smoking
It is the number one thing to do for your health, aside from practising safe sex, says Dr Yusuf Saloojee, director of the National Council Against Smoking. “Within hours of you stopping smoking, your body gets rid of nicotine and carbon monoxide. Within 24 hours, the nicotine levels start to fall from your body and your heart rate also falls.
“After a week to 10 days, your breathing improves. After a year your risk of heart disease is halved – within five years your heart rate becomes the same as a non-smoker.”
The first few days are the toughest because of withdrawal symptoms. Dr Saloojee advises what he terms the Four Ds: Drink water; Deep breaths in and out; Do something different when the craving hits; Delay. “An urge lasts up to three minutes. Wait it out.”
* Get physically active
Physical inactivity accounts for 7 percent of the cardiovascular disease burden, but physical activity reduces those risks. Dr Tracy Kolbe-Alexander says all one needs is a minimum of 30 minutes a day, five times a week, of physical activity. It’s as easy as taking a 30-minute walk a day. “Worldwide, 31.1 percent of adults are physically inactive. In South Africa, 70 percent are in the corporate sector. Sitting more than three hours a day shortens your life by two years even among individuals who exercise regularly,” she said.
* Know your HIV status
“Get tested. It is important to know one’s status so that if you do test positive, you can receive the appropriate health care,” HIV clinician Dr Sindisiwe van Zyl said.
If you test negative, you need to test again after six to 12 weeks. If you are still negative, then practise safe sex to ensure you stay negative.”
Couples should agree about the use of condoms as intermittent condom use is as bad as not using condoms. And women should have a pap smear done once they start being sexually active,” she said.
* Cut down on your salt intake
The World Health Organisation recommends that adults eat less than 5g of salt (a teaspoon) a day, but the Heart and Stroke Foundation and some experts estimate salt intake by some South Africans could be as high as 40g of salt a day.
And this kind of intake leads to susceptibility to high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.
To cut down on salt intake, Susan Bowerman, a registered dietician, said you could start by cutting out salty snacks, canned soups and heavily processed foods. “Read labels and look for low sodium versions of packaged foods. Season with herbs, lemon, onion and garlic.”
* Cut down on alcohol intake
The country consumes in excess of 5 billion litres of alcohol a year which equates to 9 to 10 litres of pure alcohol per person. A third of adults who drink, drink at risky levels over weekends. One in four adult men and one in 10 adult women reported symptoms of alcohol problems. The Medical Research Council says alcohol abuse accounts for 7 percent of all deaths and disabilities and increases the risk of unsafe sex by 31.5 percent. A 10 percent reduction in alcohol consumption would result in a significant reduction of deaths and disabilities.
Pretoria News