Health Tips for the Year 2022

 Best Health Tips for the Year 2022

The beginning of a new decade brings with it new resolutions to improve one's life, including a healthy lifestyle. Here are 12 practical health tips to help you get started in 2021 towards healthy living.

1. Eat a Healthy Diet

Eat a combination of different foods including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. Adults should eat at least five portions (400 grams) of fruits and vegetables per day. You can always improve your intake of fruits and vegetables by including vegetables in your diet; Eating fresh fruits and vegetables as breakfast; Different types of fruits and vegetables, and eating them in season. By eating healthy, you will reduce your risk of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

2. Drink less salt and sugar

Filipinos consume twice the recommended amount of sodium, putting them at risk of high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Most people get their sodium through salt. Reduce your salt intake to 5g per day, equivalent to about a teaspoon. It is easy to do this by limiting the amount of salt, soy sauce, fish sauce, and other high sodium spices when preparing food; Remove salt, spices and spices from your dinner table; Avoiding salty snacks; And choosing low-sodium products.

On the other hand, consuming sugar in excess increases the risk of tooth deterioration and unhealthy weight gain. In both adults and children, free sugar intake should be less than 10% of the total energy intake. This is equivalent to 50 grams or about 12 teaspoons for an adult. WHO recommends consuming less than 5% of the total energy intake for additional health benefits. You can reduce your sugar intake by limiting your intake of sugar snacks, candy and sugar-sweetened beverages.

3. Reduce harmful fat intake

The fat consumed should be less than 30% of your total energy intake. This will help to increase unhealthy weight gain and prevent NCDs. There are different types of fats, but unsaturated fats are better over saturated fats and trans-fats. WHO recommends reducing saturated fat which is less than 10% of total energy intake; Reducing trans-fat by less than 1% of total energy intake, and replacing both saturated fat and trans-fat with unsaturated fat.

Better unsaturated fats are found in fish, avocados and nuts, and in sunflower, soybean, canola, and olive oil; Saturated fat is found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee, and lard; And trans-fats are found in cooked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods, such as frozen pizzas, cookies, biscuits, and cooking oils and spreads.

4. Avoid harmful use of alcohol

There is no safe level of drinking alcohol. Consuming alcohol can lead to mental and behavioral disorders such as alcohol dependence, major NCDs such as liver cirrhosis, certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases as well as health problems resulting from violence and road clashes and collisions.

5. Do not smoke

Smoking causes NCDs such as lung disease, heart disease, and stroke. Tobacco kills not only direct smokers but also non-smokers second-hand. Currently, there are approximately 15.9 million Filipino adults who smoke tobacco but 7 out of 10 smokers are interested or plan to quit.

If you are currently a smoker, it is not late to quit. Once you do, you will experience immediate and long term health benefits. If you are not a smoker, this is great! Do not start smoking and fight for your right to breathe in tobacco-free air.

6. Stay active

Physical activity is defined as any physical movement produced by skeletal muscle, requiring energy expenditure. This includes exercising, engaging activities, working, playing, doing household chores, traveling, and engaging in recreational activities. The amount of physical activity you need depends on your age group, but adults between the ages of 18-64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. Increase moderate-intensity physical activity to 300 minutes per week for additional recovery.

7. Check your blood pressure regularly

High blood pressure or high blood pressure is called a "silent killer". This is because many people with high blood pressure may not be aware of this problem because there may be no symptoms. If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can lead to heart, brain, kidney and other diseases. Is your blood pressure checked regularly by a health worker so that you can know your number. If your blood pressure is high, consult a health worker. It is important in the prevention and control of hypertension.

8. Get tested

Getting yourself tested is an important step in knowing your health status, especially when it comes to HIV, hepatitis B, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and tuberculosis (TB). Left untreated, these diseases can lead to serious complications and even death. Knowing your situation means that you will know how to either prevent these diseases or if you know you are positive, get the care and treatment you need. Go to a public or private healthcare facility, test yourself wherever you are comfortable.

10. Keep your mouth covered while coughing or sneezing

Diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, and tuberculosis are transmitted through the air. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, infectious agents can be passed on to others via air droplets. When you feel a cough or sneeze, make sure you cover your face with a face mask or use a tissue, then carefully dispose of it. If you don't have any tissue due to coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth with the crunch (or inside) of your elbow.

11. Prevent mosquito bites

Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world. Diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, malaria, and lymphatic filariasis are transmitted by mosquitoes and continue to affect Filipinos. You can take simple measures to protect yourself and your loved ones against diseases caused by mosquitoes. If you are traveling to a region with known mosquito-borne diseases, consult a physician for vaccines to prevent diseases such as Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever, or if you need to take antimalarial medicines. Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and pants and use insect repellent. At home, use window and door screens, use bed nets, and cleaning your surroundings weekly to destroy mosquito breeding sites.

12. Drink only safe water

Drinking unsafe water can cause water borne diseases like cholera, diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio. Globally, at least 2 billion people use sewage-contaminated drinking water sources. Check with your water concessioner and water purification station to make sure the water you are drinking is safe. In a setting where you are unsure of your water source, boil your water for at least one minute. This will destroy harmful organisms in the water. Let it cool down naturally before drinking.