Better Health: Benefits of healthy eating and physical activity – Part 1
Better Health is here to support you in feeling better and healthier
We know that the last year has been tough on all of us, but there has never been a better time to have a go at some new healthier habits. Gaining weight is often a gradual process – it happens over the years as a result of modern-day life and the odd unhealthy habit. If you want to lose weight, it’s not about getting it right, but getting started.
Healthy changes start with little changes and will help you to feel better, inside and out.
Extra weight causes fat to build up around vital organs, making it harder for the body to fight against diseases like cancer, heart disease and now COVID-19.
If you are overweight or living with obesity, lowering your weight can help reduce your risk of developing serious diseases. Losing weight has many health benefits.
Making small, simple changes to what and how much you are eating and drinking can really help you lose the pounds, and it means you’ll be better able to fight serious diseases.
Whether you want to lose weight or get active, the NHS and Better Health has lots of free ideas to help you along the way.
In this interview with African Voice, Dr. Maurice Sanomi a GP with the NHS reveals his routine for weight loss/keeping healthy.
In these difficult pandemic times, it is essential to keep healthy, both physically and mentally, to be able to cope and overcome.
Essentially, this means adopting a healthy living mindset, eating well and staying active.
Lockdown, necessitated by the pandemic, has meant that we are now stuck indoors more often and for longer periods. Therefore, we are less likely to be active, along with irregular and sometimes unhealthy eating habits, leading to increased possibility of unhealthy weight gain. This obviously has long-term implications for our health.
You can use a BMI calculator to help you work out if your weight is in the healthy range or how much weight you need to lose, if that is not the case.
You should aim for a BMI in the healthy range, between 18.5-24.9.
If your BMI is above 25, you should consider losing weight, as being overweight carries with it the potential for undesirable health implications.
Be sensible and set a reasonable/ realistic weight loss target of 0.5-1kg weight loss per week.
If you are trying to lose weight, you should aim to eat a balanced diet and by sticking to a daily calorie allowance; for most men this means aiming for no more than 1900kcal per day, and 1400kcal for most women.
Do not be put off if you find that you have a lot to lose to get into the healthy BMI range, as even modest weight loss is desirable.
If you need a bit of extra support, the FREE NHS Weight Loss app is a 12-week plan designed to help you start healthier eating habits, be more active and start losing weight. You can download the app from your Google play and Apple App Store.
For more help and support to lose weight and get active, search Better Health:
Tips and advice for losing weight:
12 tips to help you lose weight: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/12-tips-to-help-you-lose-weight/
HOW TO EAT HEALTHIER MEALS
It can be tricky to know what to do with your meals if you’re trying to lose weight.
Here are some quick tips to help.
Veg: go for 2 or more
Aiming for 2 or more portions of veg in a main meal means half your plate.
Protein: prize it!
Always include some protein – like beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat or other types. It helps you stay full.
Carbs: stick to wholegrain
Carbs like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta should make up no more than a third of your meal.
Fish: try twice a week
If you eat fish, try to have 2 portions a week. At least 1 portion should be oily fish like tuna, sardines or salmon.
Simple tips to move more
1. Get into a good habit
Set a reminder (you could use the alarm or timer on your phone) to get up and move
every 30 minutes during the day.
Try stretching during TV ad breaks or pacing around the kitchen while the kettle’s boiling.
2. Lunch time is your time
Lunch time is a good opportunity to fit in some activity. Take a break to stretch and unwind, or even fit in a quick 10-minute home workout video.
3. Your own stand-up routine
Try standing when you can instead of sitting – even short periods will add up and improve your strength.
4. Take up a hobby
Active hobbies like gardening or DIY can be great for your mind as well as your body.
5. Track your progress
Hitting your daily target will feel great! Using tracking apps can help, but even just a checklist on a piece of paper will do.
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