Eat Well : Tips for staying healthy

Fifteen ways to stay healthy

1. Eat a variety of foods to provide you with energy and different combinations of nutrients for your overall good health.

The best way to meet your daily requirements is to eat a variety of foods that include grains, lean meats/beans, vegetables, fruit and dairy products.

2. It is important to maintain a healthy body to prevent health problems. Be mindful of eating the appropriate food portions for your activity level. Overeating and being less active will cause you to gain weight. Also, if you do not eat enough food, you risk being underweight.

3. Two ways to see if you have a healthy body weight is to know your Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference. A high BMI or waist circumference measurement puts you at a higher risk for certain health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and Type-2 diabetes. The formula to calculate your Body Mass Index is:

BMI = weight (kg)

--------------

height (m) x height (m)

Your BMI reading will indicate if you are:

18.5 to 24.9 = healthy weight

25 – 29.9 = overweight

30 and above = obese

To calculate your waist circumference, measure your waistline using a measuring tape. If you have a measurement that is >80cm for women or >90cm for men, that means that you have an increased risk for diseases.

5. The Health Ministry’s My Healthy Plate is a guide to eating a balanced meal. Its hashtag #sukusukuseparuh reflects the proportions of a meal:

1/4 of the plate for rice and other grains

1/4 for protein foods such as meat, eggs, legumes

1/2 for vegetables and fruit

6. Dietary fat is important as it provides energy, essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. But excess fat in our daily diet can cause weight gain and affect heart health. So avoid eating too much deep-fried foods.

7. Salt, marinades, sauces and seasoning cubes, which we use as flavour enhancer, all contain sodium. However, too much sodium in your diet can affect high blood pressure. So be light handed and be mindful of adding too much salt to your cooking.

8. Aim to accumulate at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily. To avoid being sedentary, be sure to limit television or electronic media time to no more than two hours per day.

9. Exercising regularly and being active have many benefits. These include helping you to maintain a healthy body weight, strengthening muscles and bones and lowering your risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancers.

Other benefits include improving mental health and mood, improving joint health and flexibility and increasing longevity.

10. One of the easiest ways to increase your activity level is to walk! It is easy and does not require fancy equipment. It helps you to burn calories, builds stamina and strengthens your heart.