Giving brief advice
for healthy lifestyles
Use scaling questions 1-10: how keen
are you feeling about having a healthier lifestyle?
The facts: how healthy are our lifestyles? In
England:
23% of men & 19% of women smoke
36% of adults participate in 30+ minutes of
moderately intense activity every week
66% of men & 61% of women overweight/obese
in 2011 (10% of 5 year olds obese)
22% of men & 13% of women drank twice the
recommended level of alcohol in the last week
In Plymouth the average consumption of fruit/veg
is c3 portions a day
What are the main killers?
Chronic diseases (heart disease,
stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes) Eg: 1/3 of people in England have high blood
pressure. Nearly 12k people in Plymouth have diabetes.
‘Lifestyle factors’ account for
80% of long term health conditions in the UK.
Smoking, obesity, physical
inactivity – each factor contributes to c9% of global premature deaths
Inactivity is an important risk
factor for many chronic health conditions such as hypertension and
depression - it can be an even greater
risk factor than obesity. Regarding
heart disease, inactivity causes the same risk as smoking 20 a day.
Smoking: the best thing you can do is quit. 4 times easier to quit with NHS services
After 20 minutes: blood pressure
and pulse normal. In 24 hours the lungs
start to clear. After 2 days the body is nicotine-free, taste and smell
improve. 3 days: you breathe more
easily, energy increases.
After 2-12 weeks your circulation
improves. 3-9 months: coughs, wheezing
and breathing improves; After 1 year: your heart attack risk is half of a
smoker.
Half of all long-term smokers die early from smoking-related diseases,
including heart
disease, lung
cancer and chronic
bronchitis Check www.smokefreeplymouth.com . Very
effective medications to ease cravings, block nicotine receptors etc: cheaper
to get medications via NHS – also the professional guidance.
Alcohol: don’t regularly drink more than 2-3 units a
day (woman) 3-4 units (man): have at least 2 consecutive non-drinking days:
A small glass (175ml) of wine (12%)
or 1 pint of weaker beer (3.6%) = 2 units.
Physical
Activity: you need 150
minutes of moderate intensity exercise, increasing your heart rate. Minimise the time you sit for extended
periods! Get out of breath every day!
Build up exercise slowly. Moderate
intensity =body is warming up, breathing is quicker and deeper, can still
talk. Like walking briskly uphill or
upstairs (= good medicine!) Children=1
hour a day. Over 65’s = 150 minutes too!
We should be active daily. Spread
the ‘moderate intensity’ as you wish but make sure you do it in at least 10 minute bursts: the first 10 minutes have the best
effects! Also good to improve muscle
strength via physical activity for 2 days a week (digging, gym, carrying heavy
loads). Minimise sitting by taking
regular breaks from your desk at work. Try
a 3-minute walk ever hour! Reduce driving and screen watching!
Walking is the first treatment for almost any ‘long term condition’. It has very few contraindications. (Gyms, sports & classes may prove
unsustainable for some people)
Physical activity is an anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing agent. Prevents cancer & dementia & treats
cancer, hypertension, depression, osteoarthritis & COPD. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of
depression by as much as 1/3. Watch
the video 23 and a half hours.
Food: eat at least 5 portions of fruit
and veg a day, plus reduce salt, sugar and fat
Eat fresh food. The less
processed food you eat the better. Aim
for 8 portions of fruit and veg a day.
Look up the Eatwell plate. How big
is a portion? (Roughly, a handful of food)
The daily maximum for salt should be 6g (a teaspoon). Your full stomach is the size of your 2 fists! . Always
check the labels when you buy processed food - do you know about the traffic
light labelling? (Green is good..)
Wellbeing
& mental health: It is estimated that 6.1 million people suffer from anxiety and depression
disorders in England. Physical activity,
especially in green space, can help prevent depression. We all tend to need:
a sense of control over our lives; good
relationships with other people and access to social networks; a chance to participate and have a sense of
purpose in life (eg via employment, education etc); and to not experience discrimination or
exclusion.
5 ways to wellbeing!
Connect - with people around you
Be active - do something you enjoy
Take notice - be aware of what is around you and
appreciate it (eg - enjoy Nature!)
Keep learning - try something new
Give - do something nice for others
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