For Optimal Health: A Healthy Lifestyle

Staying well hinges on a wide range of lifestyle choices that can enhance the quality of your life so that one feels better physically and mentally. Equally important, these habits can either promote longevity or quash even good moves.

Below is a summary of the most important actions to take;

• If you smoke, give it up; Though not considered an illness per se, smoking is a habit with serious health consequences. Thousands of premature deaths each year worldwide are related to smoking.

• Eat a varied, low fat diet; Experts recommend seven servings of fruits and vegetables each day, plenty of whole grains (which are high in dietary fibre as well as vitamins and minerals) and low fat dairy products, for bone strengthening calcium.

• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation; Excessive consumption of alcohol (more than four standard drinks a day for men, two for women) can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, cancerdefine and other health problems.

• Exercise regularly; Experts recommend that as little as 30 minutes of exercise – such as walking, swimming, or playing tennis – at least three times a week can help to lower the risk of disease and premature death.

• Avoid becoming seriously overweight; A large weight gain in adults (10 kilograms or more) is linked to increased mortality in middle age. Keep your weight in check by watching your kilojoules and exercise regularly.

• Protect yourself from sun; Too much sun damages the skin, promoting skin cancer and cataracts. Use sunscreen (at least 15 SPF, but preferably 20 SPF) before cruising in the sun. Avoid long exposure, especially during peak summer hours; cover up; wear sunglasses and a hat; and examine your skin regularly.

• Control stress; You can’t avoid this consequence of modern life altogether. But by exercising, meditating and pursuing other activities one enjoys, one can keep stress from becoming overwhelming.