What can I do to maintain a healthy diet?

A healthy diet is one that gives you the energy you need to work, exercise and enjoy life. Some foods can boost your energy, stimulate your memory and stabilise your mood; they can also reduce your risk of diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes and defend against depression and associated loss of functioning.

A healthy diet does not mean giving up the foods you love, but it does mean being aware of some basic facts about the risk associated with certain foods. To help you make healthy choices, the following is a table on food facts and tips on what you can do to improve your diet.

Food Facts	What you can do
Fruit and vegetables
Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, stomach cancer and colorectal cancer.	Increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts. We recommend you eat at least five portions of different types of fruit and vegetables a day. It is easier than it sounds: a glass of 100% unsweetened fruit juice can count as one portion, and vegetables cooked in dishes also count.
Salt
Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure and put you at greater risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke.	Bear in mind that, even if you do not add salt to your food, you may still be eating too much: about threequarters of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals, soups, breads and snack foods like potato chips.
Fat
There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. The main danger comes from saturated fat: too much of it can raise the level of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease and having a stroke.	Choose foods that contain unsaturated fats such as olive and seed soils, oily fish, nuts and avocados. Try to cut down on foods containing saturated fat such as cakes, pies, biscuits, sausages, cream, butter, lard and hard cheese.
Sugar
Sugary foods and drinks are often high in calories and can contribute to weight gain. They can also cause tooth decay, especially if consumed between meals.	It is OK to consume sugars found naturally in foods such as fruit and milk, but do try to cut down on foods containing added sugar such as sugary fizzy drinks, cakes, biscuits, sweets and pastries.

What can I do to increase my physical activity levels?

Physical activity means all body movements that increase energy expenditure. It can be fun and includes a variety of activities such as your transport to work or school, activities during work, gardening, household work, as well as more formal sport and exercise. Physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, breast and colon cancer, stroke, weight gain, falls, and depression. Plus, it can give you a sense of well-being and help prolong your life: people who engage in some sort of physical activity for 30 minutes several times a week live longer than people who do not.

There are ma ny DIFFERENT wa ys to be more physically active:

• Walk from one place to another or use the bicycle.
• Do active work at home, such as gardening and household tasks.
• Play games with the children such as catching and throwing.
• Do exercises that are planned, structured, repetitive and purposeful. For example, dance, swim, play ball sports such as football or baseball or join an exercise class.

Some tips:

• Choose activities that you enjoy. Don't be afraid of doing new things: try them out, or change activity regularly so you don't get bored.
• Try taking up an activity the whole family or your friends can enjoy – see it as a social activity.
• Make physical activity part of your daily or weekly routine. Try walking an extra block every day or use the stairs instead of the lift.
• You don't need to do 30 minutes all in one go: you can take a 10-minute brisk walk three times a day, or one walk for 20 minutes and one for 10 minutes.
• If your job requires you to sit for long hours, change your position regularly and, for example, stand up and move your arms and legs and take some deep breaths.
• If you have a heavy, physically active job, take regular breaks to stand up and move your body in different ways.
• Keep a physical activity diary to monitor your progress. Initially, set yourself easy, realistic, short-term goals you can achieve. As you progress, set yourself daily, weekly and monthly goals or targets. If you achieve your goals, reward yourself – and try not to be discouraged if you miss a target or a new goal.
• Celebrate success - despite your body benefiting as soon as you become more active, you may not see visible changes straight away. After a few weeks the benefits will become more noticeable to you.
• As you become more physically fit, the intensity of many activities such as walking or bike riding can be increased. If you would like to increase your activity level and start a more structured physical activity programme, please talk to your health professional first.

How CAN I quit smoking?

Giving up smoking may help you live longer and more actively, with a greater level of well-being, and to avoid dying from lung cancer or chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. It will also help to reduce the risk of shortening the life of those in your immediate environment, such as family, friends and fellow workers, who are also harmed by your smoke.

Tobacco use is not about freedom or choice of lifestyle. Nicotine is an addiction in much the same way as heroin or cocaine addiction. For your health, and for the health of those around you, you should try to quit. It will not be easy. Here are some steps to help you:

Step 1: Thinking about quitting
Decide for sure that you want to quit. Promise yourself that you'll do it. It's okay to have mixed feelings. Don't let that stop you. There will be times every day that you don't feel like quitting. Stick with it anyway!

Find reasons to quit that are important to you. Think of more than just health reasons. For examp le, think of:

• How much money you'll save by not buying cigarettes.
• The time you'll have for yourself instead of taking cigarette breaks, rushing out to buy a pack, or searching for a light.
• Not being short of breath or coughing as much.
• Setting a better example for your children.
• How smoking a cigarette doesn't calm you down.

Write down all the reasons why you want to quit. List the ways to fight the urge to smoke too. Keep your list where you'll see it often. Good places are:

• Where you keep your cigarettes.
• In your wallet or purse.
• In the kitchen.
• In your car.

Step 2: Preparing to quit
Just thinking about quitting may make you anxious. But your chances will be better if you get ready first. Quitting works best when you're prepared. Before you quit, START by taking these five important actions:

• S = Set a quit date.

• T = Tell family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit.
• A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you'll face while quitting.
• R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and work.
• T = Talk to your health professional about getting help to quit, or using nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT).

Step 3: Quitting
Today's the day you start your smoke-free life! Remind your family and friends that today is your quit date. Ask them to support you during the first few days and weeks. They can help you through the rough spots.

• Use a support programme such as a smoking cessation clinic at your local pharmacy or a community based support group.
• Keep busy.
• Stay away from what tempts you.

Step 4: Keeping smoke-free
Beating an addiction to nicotine takes a lot of willpower and determination. You should feel great about yourself for making it so far. Now is the time to focus on sticking with it.

Your body has changed since you began to smoke. Your brain has learned to crave nicotine. So certain places, people, or events can trigger a strong urge to smoke, even years after quitting. That's why you should never take a puff again, no matter how long it has been since you quit.
At first, you may not be able to do things as well as when you were smoking. Don't worry. This won't last long. Your mind and body just need to get used to being without nicotine.

For more information, you can visit online resources such as: http://www.who.int/topics/tobacco/en/

What can I do to prevent harmful use of alcohol?

Many people enjoy an alcoholic drink socially, with a meal or to celebrate an important event. It is important to distinguish between enjoyment of an occasional drink or two and excessive drinking. Excessive drinking can have serious long-term consequences on your health.

How much is it safe to drink?
Ask your health professional about the recommended drinking limits per day and week in your country. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for safe drinking limits per week are:

• Men: 21 units of alcohol
• Women: 14 units of alcohol.

In general, one unit is approximately:

• 1 small bottle of moderate-strength beer (250 ml), or
• 1 small glass of moderate strength wine (90 ml), or
• 1 measure (20 ml) of a spirit such whisky or vodka).

How to cut down or stop drinking
There are a number of tools to guide you on how to cut down on your drinking. Here is one:

Step 1: Commit to stop drinking
Most people have mixed feelings about stopping drinking; it is important to acknowledge these feelings. The benefits of reduced alcohol consumption will outweigh the costs.

Step 2: Set goals and prepare for change

• Decide whether you want to stop drinking altogether or just cut back. Commit to a safe quantity per day as well as non-drinking days.
• Set a quitting date.
• Get rid of drinking temptations and reminders.
• Tell your friends and family about your goals in order to get their support. Make clear there is no drinking in your home, and that you intend to avoid events where alcohol is served.
• Distance yourself from people who do not support your non-drinking objectives.
• If you have already tried to cut back, learn from past experience on what worked and what did not.
• Bear in mind that drinking alcohol won't solve your problems. You may forget them for a short while but, in general, the problems increase.

Step 3: Ask for help and support
Support can come from family members, friends, counsellors, other recovering alcoholics, your healthcare providers, and people from your faith community.

Support can come from family members, friends, counsellors, other recovering alcoholics, your healthcare providers, and people from your faith community.

Possible symptoms of alcohol withdrawal (delirium tremens) requiring emergency treatment are: severe vomiting; confusion and disorientation; fever; hallucinations; extreme agitation; seizures or convulsions. Long-term heavy drinkers may need the help of a health professional to become alcohol-free.

Step 4: Find new meaning in life
To stay alcohol-free for the long term, you will need to build a new, meaningful life where drinking no longer has a place: eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep and exercise; building a support network; joining a specialised support group; developing new activities and interests; and dealing with stress in a healthy way.

Step 5: Plan for triggers and cravings
Cravings for alcohol can be intense, particularly in the first six months. Combat them by avoiding people, places, or activities that trigger a craving for alcohol, refusing offers of alcoholic drinks in social situations, talking to someone you trust, taking a walk or practising some other physical activity, listening to music, running errands, etc. Remind yourself that drinking will not really make you feel better, and simply ride out or ignore the craving until it passes.

Step 6: Do not give up
Alcohol recovery is a process-one that often involves setbacks. Remind yourself that a brief relapse does not have to turn into a full-blown failure. Get support from friends or a counsellor, and learn from the experience.