Healthy behaviours to impact your health! | Sponsored by Pharmasave

Many people want to improve their overall health yet have no idea where to start!

As pharmacists and health professionals, we recommend starting with basic behaviours that you can consistently perform day in and day out 80% of the time! After all, the behaviours you can repeat most often will have the biggest impact on your health.

Tips for healthy eating:

Healthy eating and a balanced diet are crucial for good health. Good nutrition plays a role in preventing heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, and some types of cancer.

Try eating whole unprocessed foods rich in vitamins and minerals most of the time and limiting fast foods and dining out less of the time.

• Proteins are the building blocks of life. They are necessary for fuelling your muscles, tissues and for repairing cells and building new ones. Good sources to include in your diet are fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, and soy products
• Drink water and try to avoid soda pop, sugary drinks, and sweetened liquids in moderation -eat a consistent amount of protein to fuel your muscles and tissues
• Carbohydrates are sugars and starches that provide the body with fuel. Try to eat whole grain choices, fruits, and vegetables of all colours.
• Fats provide energy and help to build hormones and cells. Choices of fats should be unsaturated including nuts, seeds, avocados, vegetable oils, fatty fish, and soft margarine. Limit high-fat and processed meats, fried foods, creams, cheeses, desserts, and baked goods.
• Fibre is important for digestion and overall colon health. It helps you feel full and satisfied, aids with regular bowel movements, and helps lower cholesterol. Aim for 25-38g per day from fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grain foods.

Learn what foods have health benefits and those with the least. Food labels are a great way to learn the nutritional content of the food you are eating. Try to incorporate one or two nutritious foods at each meal and enjoy the foods with little nutritional value less often.

• Be mindful of your eating habits, taking time when eating meals or snacks and noticing when you feel hungry or full
• Cook more often – Plan your meals and foods, involving others in planning and preparing meals
• Enjoy food using culture and create healthy food traditions

Food and drug interactions can occur with medications so always consult a pharmacist about your medications before making drastic changes to your diet. Especially in regard to dairy, grapefruit, or alcohol.

Daily exercise:

Did you know that on average our daily activity has decreased by 70% in the last 100 years? We are all walking and moving less these days so prioritize daily exercise. Try to incorporate walking every day with 10,000 steps of movement as a goal. Our bodies need to move more often. Try to stand each hour and move if you have a job that is sedentary.

Resistance training 2-3 times a week helps increase bone density and helps retain muscle mass, even if it’s just bodyweight exercises everyone at any age will benefit. Daily fitness will help mental health, and overall mobility meaning that our bodies can function well into old age. Don’t neglect your fitness routine! It improves brain health, happiness, and longevity. Block off time in your day to work on your body….it will pay off in the. Long run!

Sleep:

Getting to bed at night with a solid 7-9 hours of sleep is necessary for our bodies to repair and regenerate for the next day. Many of us don’t get adequate sleep which then affects our performance and moods during the day. Aim to decrease caffeine after lunch and screen time one hour before bed to help get a deeper sleep.

Daily prayer or meditation habits are methods to help well-being and mental health.

Final thoughts:

• Minimize alcohol and other recreational substances
• Stop smoking and support others to stop smoking
• Connect with friends and try not to stay socially isolated
• Avoid obesity. This means having a BMI of less than 30. This limits your risk of cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and overall mobility as you age.
• Move often and minimize screen time

Talk to your pharmacist today!

Sandra Cox, Pharmasave Owner & Pharmacist, Certified Diabetes Educator, Nutrition Certified PN1, Certified Personal Trainer & Fitness competitor. Sandra owns Pharmasave in downtown Huntsville with her husband Troy Cox.  She has been a CDE for 15 years and specializes in health and fitness.