Maybole Health Forum - Healthy Men Tips

Healthy Eating Making small changes to your eating habits can ensure you are having a balanced diet. Try to Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day Eat more chicken, fish, beans and lean meat instead of processed foods such as burgers, pies and sausages Reduce your fat intake by choosing lower fat alternatives Cut down on sugary foods such as cakes, biscuits and sweetened drinks Reduce your salt intake - try not to add to your food. Eating healthier doesn't mean cutting out all your favourite foods at once, why not make changes gradually that will fit into your lifestyle.
Physical Activity Regular exercise helps you feel fit, relaxed and gives you more energy. It also helps protect against heart problems, high blodd pressure, diabetes, obesity and depression. Aim to slowly increase your activity to half an hour moderate exercise at least five times a week. Moderate exercise means you breathe deeper, feel warmer, but you still should be able to talk. Try to...... Use stairs instead of the lift Walk briskly Garden energetically Get off the bus early and walk the rest of the way. Why not enjoy... walking more, swimming, cycling, jogging, dancing, golf or playing team sports; such as football, rugby or tennis.
Heart Health Heart disease kills more than one in four men in Britain. Looking after you heart now can help reduce problems later. Try to..... Eat a healthy balanced diet..... too much saturated fat damages your arteries and puts a strain on your heart Keep physically active..... half and hour a day makes all the difference Be smoke free...........give up now Drink sensibly.........one or two glasses of wine or half to one pint of beer a day won't do harm. Keep your weight under control..... the more overweight you are the harder your heart has to work. If there is a heart disease in your family take advantage of a health check with your G.P. or Practice Nurse.
Alcohol Enjoy a drink but it is important to know where the benefits end and the risks begin. You can drink up to three to four units a day without risk to your health. One unit of alcohol........ = half a pint of beer or larger = a small glass of wine = a single pub measure of spirits You could try ......... Drinking half pints instead of pints Drinking lower-strength drinks Alternating alcoholic drink with non-alcoholic drinks Eating a meal before drinking to slow down the effects of the alcohol
Smoking Giving up smoking is the single best thing you can do to improve your health. It is never too late to stop. The benefits to your body are ...... Immediate improvement in breathing Sense of smell and taste returns Circulation improves, especially to hands and feet Hair, skin, breath and clothes no longer smell of tobacco smoke Less risk of cancer developing Stopping smoking at any age increases your life expectancy, provided you stop before you develop cancer or other serious disease.