Here's how... We're all guilty of a little vice here and there, whether it's a couple of glasses of wine after work or diving for the biscuits when we're stressed. We know we should be healthier, but it never seems like the right time - or that it would make much difference anyway .Well, the good news is that it really is never too late to turn things around. So, it's time to get up off the sofa, stub out your last cigarette, cut down on alcohol and step away from the sugar...
LOSE WEIGHT AND SLEEP BETTER BY REDUCING ALCOHOL INTAKE
Alcohol not only affects the way in which your liver functions, it makes it less efficient at processing fat and it can drastically affect how you feel. If you regularly exceed the recommended limit of 2-3 units per day for a woman (3-4 units per day for a man) you're likely to develop something called `fatty liver'.
What are the benefits
Reducing the amount you drink can help reverse any damage that has been done fairly quickly and lower the risk of liver disease by a significant amount.
Other benefits include weight loss, better quality sleep and fewer hangovers.
How to start
1. Get unit savvy . One 250ml glass of wine has about 2.8 units of alcohol in it, almost your whole recommended intake for a day .2. Change your attitude towards drinking, such as looking at how much you drink at home - you might drink more than you think on an average night in, especially if you drink in front of the TV .3. Buying small wine glasses or an alcohol measure are good ways of making sure you don't drink more than you intend to at home.4. When you're out with friends, opt out of rounds, or buy drinks with a smaller group.5. Space your drinks through out the night; alternate with a soft drink or water to stay hydrated, or have a diluted drink such as a spritzer or shandy .
ADD 7 YEARS TO YOUR LIFE BY EXERCISING
Exercise buys you three to seven additional years of life. It is an antidepressant, it improves cognitive function and there is now evidence that it may retard the onset of dementia, says Sanjay Sharma, professor of cardiac diseases. Research has shown that even people who don't start exercising until their sixties benefit more from the recent activity than they would have done at a younger age.
What are the benefits
Walking for just 20 minutes a day will... Cut a 60 year old's chance of heart failure by a fifth.
Significantly lower cholesterol.
Decrease blood pressure, allowing for better circulation and a stronger heart.
Even if you don't start exercising until you're 70, you'll be less likely to develop atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm condition which affects about 10% of people over 80.
If you're under 50, you'll benefit from strength training to protect your bones and build up your core, which in turn strengthens your back.
How to start
1. Take the stairs instead of the lift 2. Try getting off the tube or bus a stop early.3. Try to do at least 20 minutes of brisk walking a day.
HALVE YOUR RISK OR STROKE AND LUNG CANCER BY QUITTING SMOKING
Giving up smoking can seem impossible, especially if you've been a smoker for decades, but the benefits are visible almost from the day you stub out your last cigarette. According to research, if you can stop smoking for just 28 days, you're five times more likely to stop for good.
What are the benefits
After just 48 hours of quitting, there will be no nicotine left in your system, and your ability to taste and smell will improve.
Within two weeks your lung capacity and blood circulation are improving, while your skin starts to regain its colour.
Within 10 years your risk of lung cancer falls to half of that of a smoker, while your chance of a stroke will be the same as someone who's never picked up a cigarette.
After 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease will now be that of a person who has never smoked, and the same goes for your risk of get ting pancreatic cancer.
How to start
1. Take note of when you crave a ciggy - is it after a meal, or with your morning coffee 2. Try to change your routine so that the time you put aside for a cigarette break isn't featured in your day.3. Rather than being anxious when you can't smoke, revel in the fact that you're no longer pouring money away .
BRING DOWN YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND BLOOD PRESSURE BY REDUCING YOUR SUGAR INTAKE
We're all guilty of raiding the biscuit tin or adding an extra sugar (or two) to our tea, but recent research has shown the harmful effects of too much sugar. The National Health Survey recommends that added sugars shouldn't make up any more than 5% of our daily calorie intake, which equates to about 30g (or 7 tsp) of sugar per day for the average adult.
Source: Times of India
BDST: 1633 HRS, NOV- 03, 2015
Edited by: Sharmina Islam, Lifestyle Editor
