Page 33 - Silver Lakes September 2021

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

FIVE HEALTHY RULES TO LIVE BY

(NO MATTER YOUR AGE!)

By Bianca Tromp, FUTURELIFE® dietitian

ood health does not happen by Rule 3: Take care of your gut problems include obesity, depression,
accident; it’s a result of proactive, We often associate gut health with the impairment in immunity and can even
Gpreventive, healthy choices that absence of symptoms like bloatedness, affect your appearance! Making sure
have an impact on your health today, constipation, and diarrhoea, but did you you get a good night’s rest (every night!)
tomorrow, and beyond and it is never too know that 80% of your immune cells are in should be a top priority. The National Sleep
early (or too late!) to develop healthy habits. your gut? To support our immune system Foundation recommends seven to eight
and keep our gut healthy we need a balance hours of sleep for people over age 64 and
“A healthy lifestyle is not only important of probiotics (the “good” micro-organisms) seven to nine hours for ages 18 to 64. Kids
during infancy and old age, but is crucial in our digestive tract. Including a probiotic need more sleep.
during all stages of life, including childhood, supplement can assist in maintaining this
adolescence, and adult years. Regardless balance. “It takes more than five healthy rules to get
of whether you are 12 or 75 years old, the from one to 85, but this is a great starting
impact of a healthy lifestyle should never Rule 4: Include protein in every point!” Bianca concludes.
be underestimated,” says Bianca. meal
Not only does protein provide the building Sources:
She adds that by following a few simple, block for muscle maintenance and • https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2017-03-16-social-
eating-connects-communities
healthy rules, we are all likely to share a synthesis, protein will also make you feel • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
common outcome – ongoing physical and fuller for longer. This means less cravings PMC3395188/
emotional health as we age. “However, it all and snacking on unhealthy foods. Aim to • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
PMC3387875/
starts by reforming the simple choices we include a protein source in each meal and • https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/why-5-a-
make each day.” snack. Low saturated fat protein options day/
include nuts, nut butters, eggs, soy, lean • h ttps://health.clev elandclinic .or g/
happens-body - don t - get - enough-
Five healthy rules we should all be meat and chicken cuts, fish, beans and sleep/#:~:text=Some%20of%20the%20
living by (regardless of our age!): legumes. most%20serious,can%20even%20affect%20
your%20appearance.
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-
healthy/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need
Rule 1: Watch your portions Rule 5: A good night’s rest • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
Why is it that even though you eat Like breathing, sleep is a fundamental PMC4621239/
perceived healthy foods, you can still be human requirement. And yet, so many of us
at an unhealthy weight? The problem do not get the required amount of sleep to Image Source:
often lies with portion control. Even too function properly. Lack of sleep can cause • https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/woman-
big a portion of healthy foods can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, chef-cooking-vegetables-pan_8380328.htm#pa
ge=3&query=Healthy+lifestyle&position=32
unwanted weight gain. And, although you heart failure or stroke. Other potential
might see your portion sizes as “normal”,
it might be time to reassess. So, what is a
healthy portion size? For starches, choose
low-GI starches, no more than the size of
your fist. For lean meat, chicken and fish,
have a portion the size and thickness of
your palm. Vegetables should fill the rest of
your plate, so include about two handfuls
while limiting fats to the size of the tip of
your thumb.

Rule 2: Keep moving
The one thing that those who live healthy,
long lives have in common is physical
activity. This is not just good for your
physical well-being, it also keeps you
mentally and emotionally healthy too.
Plus, you don’t need to be a gym ‘bunny’
either. You can walk around the block in
the evenings or spend time gardening…
whatever you choose – just include at least
150 minutes of moderate physical activity a
week.

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