Lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle
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Published by ER24 Communications [email protected] March 2015 - Health and Salt Awareness Month We hear about healthy diets and a balanced lifestyle often but do we know what these terms mean and entail? Eating healthy is not only for those who need to lose weight and everyone should lead a balanced lifestyle. With March being World Salt Awareness Month and focusing on a balanced lifestyle, ER24 is urging people to eat wisely, exercise and rest. Dietician Louise Bembridge- Carter, from the Morningside Sports Medicine Centre based at Mediclinic Morningside, said being on a diet does not necessarily constitute leading a balanced lifestyle. “A balanced lifestyle is getting the balance between healthy eating, exercise, sleep, stress and family right,” she said. In desperation, some of us will try just about any diet to lose a few kilos. Bembridge-Carter said, “Some diets are unhealthy and unbalanced. It is important to be on the right eating plan for you as an individual. “A diet – crash diet and so forth – may not mean you are leading a healthy lifestyle. We should all be eating well and making healthy choices. Crash diets eliminate certain foods and this can be unhealthy.” Benefits of healthy eating and exercise A healthy eating plan can help with weight loss, maintaining weight, preventing certain diseases as well as improving energy, sleep and stomach comfort. “Eating well can improve diabetes by helping with glucose control. It can lower cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease. A strong immune system is needed to fight HIV. Healthy eating can do this,” said Bembridge-Carter. Fruits and vegetables should be part of everyone’s diet. “Fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants and vitamins so one will always benefit from including these in their eating plan,” said Bembridge-Carter. Remember that a healthy diet and exercise always work well together. Not only do they improve energy but decrease stress levels as well. What should be avoided? Speaking about food that should be avoided, Bembridge-Carter said this varies from person to person. However, everyone should avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. “These foods are bad for us and should not be included in one’s diet,” she said. Many of us cannot do without adding extra salt to our meal. We should be careful of this. “It is not a good idea to have too much salt in general. Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure and also water retention in the body,” said Bembridge-Carter. It would be wise to cook with salt to taste and not add it at the table. People who consume too much canned, processed and junk food as well as cured meats should be careful. These foods contain a lot of salt. ER24’s Emergency Contact Centre can be reached 24 hours a day on 084 124 for any medical emergency. LEAD A HEALTHY AND BALANCED LIFESTYLE “EATING WELL CAN IMPROVE DIABETES BY HELPING WITH GLUCOSE CONTROL. IT CAN LOWER CHOLESTEROL AND PREVENT CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.” BY CHITRA BODASING
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Eating well can improve diabetes by helping with glucose control. It can lower cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease.
Transcript of Lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle
Published by ER24 Communications [email protected] March 2015 - Health and Salt Awareness Month
We hear about healthy diets and a balanced lifestyle often but do we know what these terms mean and entail?
Eating healthy is not only for those who need to lose weight and everyone should lead a balanced lifestyle.
With March being World Salt Awareness Month and focusing on a balanced lifestyle, ER24 is urging people to eat wisely, exercise and rest.
Dietician Louise Bembridge-Carter, from the Morningside Sports Medicine Centre based at Mediclinic Morningside, said being on a diet does not necessarily constitute
leading a balanced lifestyle. “A balanced lifestyle is getting the balance between healthy eating, exercise, sleep, stress and family right,” she said.
In desperation, some of us will try just about any diet to lose a few kilos.
Bembridge-Carter said, “Some diets are unhealthy and unbalanced. It is important to be on the right eating plan for you as an individual.
“A diet – crash diet and so forth – may not mean you are leading a healthy lifestyle. We should all be eating well and making healthy choices. Crash diets eliminate certain foods and this can be
unhealthy.”Benefits of healthy eating and
exerciseA healthy eating plan can help
with weight loss, maintaining weight, preventing certain diseases as well as improving energy, sleep and stomach comfort.
“Eating well can improve diabetes by helping with glucose control. It can lower cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease. A strong immune system is needed to fight HIV. Healthy eating can do this,” said Bembridge-Carter.
Fruits and vegetables should be part of everyone’s diet. “Fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants
and vitamins so one will always benefit from including these in their eating plan,” said Bembridge-Carter.
Remember that a healthy diet and exercise always work well together.
Not only do they improve energy but decrease stress levels as well.
What should be avoided?Speaking about food that should
be avoided, Bembridge-Carter said this varies from person to person. However, everyone should avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. “These foods are bad for us and should not be included in one’s diet,” she said.
Many of us cannot do without
adding extra salt to our meal. We should be careful of this.
“It is not a good idea to have too much salt in general. Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure and also water retention in the body,” said Bembridge-Carter.
It would be wise to cook with salt to taste and not add it at the table.
People who consume too much canned, processed and junk food as well as cured meats should be careful. These foods contain a lot of salt.
ER24’s Emergency Contact Centre can be reached 24 hours a day on 084 124 for any medical emergency.
LEAD A HEALTHY AND BALANCED LIFESTYLE “ E AT I N G W E L L C A N I M P R O V E D I A B E T E S BY H E L P I N G W I T H G LU CO S E CO N T R O L . I T C A N LO W E R C H O L E S T E R O L A N D P R E V E N T C A R D I O VA S C U L A R D I S E A S E.”
BY CHITRA BODASING
