10 Healthy Lifestyle Tips for Adults

• Fats are important for good health and proper functioning of the body. However, too much of it can negatively affect our weight and cardiovascular health.
• We should limit the consumption of total and saturated fats (often coming from foods of animal origin), and completely avoid trans fats.
• Eating fish 2-3 times a week, with at least one serving of oily fish, will contribute to our right intake of unsaturated fats.

Fruits and vegetables are among the most important foods for giving us enough vitamins, minerals and fibre. We should try to eat at least 5 servings a day. For example, a glass of fresh fruit juice at breakfast, perhaps an apple and a piece of watermelon as snacks, and a good portion of different vegetables at each meal.

• A high salt intake can result in high blood pressure, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. There are different ways to reduce salt in the diet:
• When shopping, we could choose products with lower sodium content.
• When cooking, salt can be substituted with spices, increasing the variety of flavours and tastes.
• When eating, it helps not to have salt at the table, or at least not to add salt before tasting.

Adults need to drink at least 1.5 litres of fluid a day! Or more if it's very hot or they are physically active. Water is the best source, of course, and we can use tap or mineral water, sparkling or non-sparkling, plain or flavoured. Fruit juices, tea, soft drinks, milk and other drinks, can all be okay - from time to time.

• The right weight for each us depends on factors like our gender, height, age, and genes. Being affected by obesity and overweight increases the risks of a wide range of diseases, including diabetes, heart diseases, and cancer.
• Excess body fat comes from eating more than we need. The extra calories can come from any caloric nutrient - protein, fat, carbohydrate, or alcohol, but fat is the most concentrated source of energy. Physical activity helps us spend the energy, and makes us feel good.

• Gradual changes in our lifestyle are easier to maintain than major changes introduced all at once. For three days, we could write down the foods and drinks we consume throughout the day, and make a note of the amount of movement we made. It won’t be difficult to spot where we could improve:
• Skipping breakfast? A small bowl of muesli, a piece of bread or fruit, could help slowly introduce it into our routine
• Too few fruits and vegetables? To start with, we can introduce one extra piece a day.

Never sleep on your stomach, on the couch or in the recliner. No pretzel sleeping! Your body needs a neutral position to rest properly.

Warm up or Stretch before exercising or other physical activity could help you practice your daily exercises easier.