Top tips for a healthy lifestyle
Ten top tips for your healthy lifestyle
We all know how important it is to lead a healthy lifestyle - there are adverts about it everywhere - newspapers, magazines, on the radio and TV. There is a lot of information out there and it can get very confusing. People often ask me, 'how much exercise am I supposed to do?', 'what is a portion of fruit or veg?' and 'are carbohydrates bad for me?'
So, to make things a bit simpler and hopefully less confusing, here are my top 10 tips for an all-round healthy lifestyle:
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base your meals on starchy foods: breads, pastas, rice, potatoes - try to choose wholegrain varieties where possible
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eat lots of fruit and vegetable: remember your 5-a-day
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eat more fish: aim for at least two portions of fish a week including one portion of oily fish
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cut down on saturated fat and sugar: try vegetable oil instead and use reduced-fat spread instead of butter. With meat, choose lean cuts where possible and cut down on sugary drinks and foods
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get active and try to be a healthy weight. Aim for the recommended 30 minutes exercise per day, 5 days a week - Re-Active will help you achieve this!
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drink plenty of water: 6-8 glasses or 1.2 litres a day of water or other fluids to help prevent dehydration
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don't skip breakfast, it gives you the energy you need for the day ahead
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eat a wide variety of food to help you achieve a good balance. Use the eatwell plate to help you achieve a good balance
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be aware of your alcohol intake. The current recommendations are that men can drink up to 3-4 units of alcohol per day and women can drink up to 2-3 units of alcohol per day without significant risk to their health. For more information on this and to calculate your units visit the NHS website
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try to eat less salt: no more than 6g a day
Remember to enjoy your food!
Why not have a look at The Stable Company website to find out about their community projects which are based around all things that grow in the soil - you can sign up to their vegetable box scheme which delivers free of charge in the Cheltenham and Tewkesbury area. Download a copy of their latest newsletter.