Transcript The Great Swapathon 2012

The Great Swapathon 2012
We all want to feel healthy and trim, but no one wants to deprive themselves of the things
they love. In fact, cutting out the things we love often means we don’t keep up the
changes we make for very long.
One of the best ways to be healthy is to make some lifestyle swaps, and build
them into your life for the long term. The more you do, the better you'll feel.
We can help you with any swaps you would like
to make around…
…to help you live a healthier lifestyle
Physical activity
Physical activity, according to the World Health Organisation, is “any bodily
movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure”
• Easy ways to increase the amount of physical activity you do:
 Park your car further away from the office
 Use the stairs instead of the lift or escalator, where possible
 Cycle to work on a couple of days per week, or use a bike to go
between work meetings
 Go for a ten minute walk in your lunch break
 Choose activities you enjoy
 Involve friends and family to make it more fun and sociable
Benefits of becoming more physically active
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Reduced risk of: Heart disease;
Stroke; Type 2 diabetes; Some
forms of cancer; Obesity;
Osteoporosis.
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Increases HDL cholesterol (the
good type)
Improves fitness
Improves mental wellbeing
Helps remove signs of stress
Boosts self-esteem
Lose weight
Improves your circulation
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Managing stress
There are certain times and situations in life that can cause stress. Whether it is
your health, moving house, money matters, family or work issues, stress can impact
on your health and wellbeing in many different ways.
Healthier lifestyle habits, including exercise can be an excellent way to relieve
stress. They may take a little practice to develop, and you might not want to make
lots of changes all at once. Find the way that works best for you.
Eating a high fat, sugar and salt diet can increase your anxiety even if there isn’t
anything to worry about. Alcohol can stimulate your system, making it difficult to
switch off and contrary to popular belief, smoking does not calm your nerves. If
you’re struggling to identify the cause of stress, keep a diary for a month and review
it to spot the triggers.
Managing stress – the five ways to wellbeing
Connect - With the people around you. Visit
www.medway.gov.uk/leisure for ideas.
Be active - Exercising makes you feel good. Visit
http://www.medwaygetsactive.co.uk
Take notice - Be aware of the world around you and
what you are feeling. Visit
www.medway.gov.uk/leisure
Keep learning - Learning new things will make you
more
confident, as well as being fun to do.
Visit www.medway.gov.uk/adultlearning
Give - Do something nice for someone. Visit
www.medway.gov.uk/volunteer
Quitting smoking
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Giving up smoking is one of the most
important steps you can take to improve
your health and protect those around
you. Smoking can cause lung cancer,
heart disease and bronchitis.
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Not only is a smoker’s health at risk, but
people that breathe second-hand smoke
are at risk of the same diseases.
Children in particular are affected by
second-hand smoke because their
bodies are still developing.
Benefits of quitting smoking
The quitting timeline
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After 20 minutes your blood pressure and
pulse return to normal.
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After 24 hours your lungs start to clear.
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After two days your body is nicotine-free and
your sense of taste and smell improve.
Ten ways your health will improve:
•Younger looking skin
• Better breathing
• Longer life
• Less stress
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After three days you can breathe more easily,
and your energy increases.
• Better sex
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After two to 12 weeks, your circulation
improves.
• Whiter teeth
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After three to nine months coughs, wheezing
and breathing improves.
• Improved smell and taste
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After one year your heart attack risk is half
that of a smoker.
• Healthier loved ones
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After 10 years your lung cancer risk is half
that of a smoker.
• Improved fertility
• More energy
Easier ways to drink sensibly
Having a drink may feel like an easy way to unwind at the end of the day but one
glass can often lead to two or three. Before you know it, you’ve had half a bottle, and
you could be on the path towards harmful drinking.
Drinking is linked to a number of cancers, including mouth cancer, oesophagus
cancer and larynx cancer (throat cancer). For women, there’s also a higher risk of
breast cancer. Most people who have health problems from drinking aren’t alcoholics
– they’re just people who’ve regularly been drinking above recommended limits for
some years.
Did you know, the average wine drinker consumes an extra 2000 calories each
month?
Easier ways to drink sensibly
• Keep a record of your drinking to help you get to grips with units and
different levels of drinking
• Try a new non-alcoholic tipple. ‘Mocktails’ make a refreshing alternative
• Alternate alcoholic with non-alcoholic drinks
• Swap your regular beer or lager for a light version
• Top your drink right up with a reduced calorie, alcohol free mixer
• Go for smaller sized glasses or a bottled beer
Healthy eating
Eating a healthy diet is not just for those wanting to lose weight. It is important for
everyone to ensure that the body gets the important nutrients needed to function to
the best of its ability. A healthy diet can also help towards preventing diseases such
as heart disease, stroke and cancer.
To have a healthy diet, try to follow these eight simple steps:
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Try to base your meals on starchy foods
Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
Eat more fish
Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
Try to eat less salt – adults no more than 6g a day
Get active and try to be a healthy weight
Drink plenty of water
Try not to skip breakfast
Easier ways to eat healthily
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To help reduce your salt intake why not try using herbs and spices to flavour food first;
don’t add salt while cooking – only add at table if necessary after tasting first; try and
choose lower salt options where possible
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When planning meals try to choose meals that are vegetable and fruit based; tomato
sauces, vegetable soups, casseroles and avoid the use oil, cream, butter and cheese
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To help reduce your saturated fat intake why not try trimming the visible fat of your
meats before cooking; if you need to fry use an oil (sunflower, vegetable, olive) not
butter or lard; when using a moist sandwich filling try avoid using butter or if
necessary opt for a lower fat spread.
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Try choosing fruit and vegetables that have a variety of colours and textures, not only
will this help to keep you interested in your food but will also ensure that you are
getting most of the wide range of nutrients fruit and vegetables provide