Wellbeing
We all want to live a healthier lifestyle - we know we'll be fitter, slimmer and enjoy a better quality of life if we do. If you want to feel the benefits, start introducing a few healthy habits every day, week or month.
Step 1: Eat Well
Following a healthy balanced diet can substantially reduce the risk of developing heart disease, as well as keeping your heart in good shape. There are various steps you can make to help achieve a healthy balanced diet but to kick start you off try to implement all of the eight recommendations laid out by www.nutrition.org.uk below:
1. Base your meals on starchy foods including breads, potatoes and cereals
2. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
3. Introduce more fish into your diet
4. Cut down on saturated fats and sugar
5. Reduce your salt intake - no more than 6g a day
6. Get active and try to get down to and maintain a healthy weight
7. Drink plenty of water
8. Never skip breakfast
Visit www.heartuk.org.uk to download a series of food info sheets with guidelines and tips on maintaining a healthy diet.
Or alternatively find some great tasting and cholesterol conscious menu suggestions in our recipe section or gain further information on healthy eating on: www.eatingforhealth.co.uk.
Step 2: Watch your Weight
The healthiest way to lose weight is neither crash diets and fad diets nor sudden bursts of exercise. The body likes slow changes in terms of food and exercise. For example, someone who has not exercised for years should not rush into running three miles every day. Exercise needs to be increased slowly.
People who eat a lot will experience problems if they suddenly start starving themselves. Introduce changes gradually. Even relatively light exercise such as a short walk may be beneficial if done frequently. And remember - the calories you eat, minus what you use in exercise and that which is used to maintain your body will always be stored as fat. So the more you eat and the less you exercise you do - the more fat you will accumulate.
Someone that increases the amount they exercise and maintains the same diet and calorie intake will lose weight. But more effective means of weight loss will occur if you increase the levels of exercise at the same time as reduce your calorie intake. To give you a good starting point, your GP can give you further information about your ideal weight or you can calculate your own body mass index on 'www.weightlossresources.co.uk'
Step 3: Manage Stress
Stress affects virtually everyone at some time in their life. However, in the modern world we are all learning how to cope with it whether it is on an emotional or psychological level.
Many things can lead to stress including pressures at work, money worries, family arguments, moving house or bereavement. Sometimes, there is no particular reason for developing stress. It can simply arise out of a series of irritations, making the source hard to pinpoint.
Whatever the event, people can have different reactions to stress, which can ultimately lead to physical effects on your body such as excessive tiredness, skin problems and heart palpitations. If you feel you are suffering from stress, try to identify the aspects of your life that are causing it. Then try to change or avoid the situations by making small adaptations to your lifestyle.
- There are several things you can do to deal with stress:
- Delegating or sharing your responsibilities at work and home
- Talking to friends or family, and sharing your thoughts and fears
- Taking regular exercise and eating a healthy well balanced diet
- Listening to music or relaxation tapes
Ensuring you always have a little amount of 'me' time every week
By implementing small changes it can restore balance to the various aspects of your life – be it work, relationships or leisure time, allowing you to enjoy life and face all the challenges it throws at you.
Log onto www.mindtools.com for further support and advice on how to deal with stress.
Step 4: Drink only in moderation
The key words when talking about alcohol in relation to health is 'moderation and balance'.
British recommendations are to only drink alcohol in moderation and to have 2-3 alcohol free days each week. Recommended weekly levels for men and women are set out below – try to keep well within these limits, every week, and it will help you to keep your drinking in check:
- 21 units for males
- 14 units for females
A high intake of alcohol can contribute to heart disorders, high blood pressure or strokes.
Step 5: Stop smoking
There is no quick and easy way to stop smoking, but for those of you that are concerned about your heart health, know that by quitting the habit, you will dramatically improve your overall health and well-being.
Step 6: Start with gentle exercise
Physical exercise helps improve the balance of your blood cholesterol as it raises HDL 'good' cholesterol but does not negatively affect the level of 'bad' cholesterol in your blood. With this in mind it is important to take regular exercise.
The Government recommends that you do at least half an hour of moderate exercise five times a week. But the great news is that you don't have to join a gym to get fit and feel better. Exercise such as walking, cycling, swimming and dancing are all examples of activities you can undertake to benefit your heart's health. And here are some more everyday changes that can make a whole lot of difference to your level of fitness:
- Start using the stairs rather than the lift
- Instead of driving to the supermarket, walk to the shops
- Get your bicycle out and go for a cycle round the block or
- If you work in an office go for a walk at lunchtime and re-discover the area where you work
All of these small changes can make a whole lot of difference to your level of fitness – so go on, dig out those trainers!
miniCol handy checklist
Implementing all the different 'wellbeing steps' into your own lifestyle will take a while and certainly won't happen over night. If you have to make a complete overhaul, try one step at a time and when you have conquered one, move on to the next. This will help with both your success rate and your motivation to keep going – making it a lifetime change not a one off!
To help you monitor how much you need to re-address your 'wellbeing steps' answer the questions below:
1. do you eat five portions of fruit & vegetables a day?
2. do you know your ideal weight?
3. do you get through most days in a week stress free?
4. do you have at least 2-3 alcohol free days each week?
5. are you a non smoke?
6. do you do at least half an hour of moderate exercise a day, five times a week?
One or Two ticks: You need to get cracking to get yourself into tip-top condition. Start by booking an appointment with your GP now to get your cholesterol level checked out.
Three ticks: You're already on your way to a healthier, fitter you but there is certainly room for improvement. Wherever you fall down – aim to put it right in the weeks and months to come.
Four or five ticks: Well done! You're pretty healthy, but remember to keep on your toes and ensure it doesn't slip.
Six ticks: Congratulations! It would appear that you're a very healthy person, but cholesterol is a serious health issue and worth being mindful of throughout your life.