Begin the year off with the evergreen resolution of leading a better life.
Here are 10 useful health tips to get you started on your journey to living a healthier lifestyle in 2025.
Table of Contents
1. Eat a healthy diet
Consume a variety of foods, including fruits and legumes, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. Adults should consume at minimum 5 portions (400g) of fruits and vegetables each day. It is possible to increase the amount of vegetables and fruits by including vegetables in your diet, eating fresh fruits and vegetables for snacks, eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, and eating them when they are in season. By eating a healthy diet, you can lower your risk of being malnourished and non-communicable illnesses (NCDs) like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and stroke.
2. Use less sugar and salt.
Reduce your intake of salt by 5g a day, which is roughly 1 teaspoon. It’s much easier to do this by limiting the use of salt and Soy Sauce, Fish sauce, and other high-sodium ingredients when making meals, removing salt as well as seasonings and condiments from your dining table, and avoiding snacks that are salty and selecting products that are low in sodium.
However, drinking excessive amounts of sugar can increase the risk of tooth decay as well as weight gain. Both in children and adults, eating sugars from the free category should be cut back. WHO suggests consuming under 5% your total energy intake to reap added health advantages. You can cut down on the amount of sugar you consume by limiting your consumption of sweet candy, snacks, and beverages that contain sugar.
3. Reduce consumption of fats that are harmful to your health.
The amount of fat you consume should not be more than 30 percent of your daily energy consumption. This can help avoid unhealthful weight gain and NCDs. There are many kinds of fats; however, unsaturated fats are superior to trans-fats and saturated fats. WHO suggests the reduction of saturated fats to less than 10 percent of the total energy intake, and reducing trans-fats in the range of less than one percent of the total energy consumption, and replacing trans-fats and saturated fats with unsaturated fats.
The most desirable unsaturated fats can be found in avocado, fish, and nuts, as well as in soybean, sunflower oil, olive oil, canola while saturated fats can be found in fat-laden meat, butter, palm, and coconut oils, cheese, cream, ghee, and lard. and trans-fats can be present in fried and baked foods, prepared snacks and meals like frozen pizza, biscuits, cookies, as well as cooking oils and spreads.
4. Don’t smoke
Smoking tobacco can cause NCDs like lung diseases, heart disease, stroke, and stroke. Tobacco causes death not just to smokers directly, but also to non-smokers via exposure through indirect exposure.
If you’re currently smoking cigarettes, it’s not too late to give up. If you decide to quit, you’ll experience immediate as well as longer-lasting positive health effects. If you’re not smokers, then that’s great! Don’t start smoking, and fight for the right to enjoy smoke-free and tobacco-free air.
5. Be active
Physical activity refers to any bodily activity performed by the skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. This can include activities such as exercise that are performed during play, work, or doing household chores, traveling, and engaging in leisure activities. How much physical exercise you require is dependent depending on age; however, adults aged 18-64 years should be doing at minimum 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity every day. Increase moderate intensity exercise up to 300 minutes a week to reap additional health benefits.
6. Make sure you monitor your blood pressure regularly
Hypertension or hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is known as”a silent death”. This is because a lot of people with hypertension might not know about the condition. After all, they may not show any signs. If uncontrolled, the hypertension condition can cause kidney, brain, and other ailments. Check your blood pressure frequently with a medical professional to know your blood pressure levels. In the event that your blood pressures are elevated, seek the advice of a health professional. This is essential in the control and prevention of hypertension.
7. Be aware of the traffic laws
Road accidents take over one million lives all over the globe, and millions are injured. Road traffic accidents can be prevented by a range of measures taken by the federal government, like strict law enforcement and legislation, safer road infrastructure, and standards for vehicles, as well as improved post-crash treatment. You can help reduce the risk of road crashes by ensuring that you adhere to the traffic laws, such as wearing seatbelts for adults, and child restraints for your children, wearing a helmet while on a bicycle or motorcycle or riding a bicycle, not driving drunk, or using a cellphone when driving.
8. Only take antibiotics as directed by your doctor.
Resistance to antibiotics is among the most significant health risks facing us in our age. As antibiotics become less effective against bacteria, they become more difficult to treat, leading to increased costs for medical treatment, longer hospitalizations, and an increase in mortality. The effectiveness of antibiotics is diminishing due to misuse and excessive use for both animals and humans. Take antibiotics as directed by a certified medical specialist. When prescribed, follow the prescribed treatment as directed. Do not use antibiotics in conjunction with other medications.
9. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly
Hand hygiene is important not just for health professionals but for all. Hands that are clean can stop spreading infectious diseases. It is recommended to wash your hands with soap with water whenever your hands appear to be dirty or rub your hands with alcohol-based products.
10. Regular health check-ups
Regular health check-ups can identify problems with your health before they begin. Health professionals can aid in finding and recognizing health issues earlier and ensure that your chances of getting the treatment you need and a cure are higher. Visit your local health center to review the health services, screenings, and treatments available to you.