As you set your New Year’s resolutions, remember that a healthy and balanced diet can have lasting benefits throughout the year and beyond. What we eat and drink plays a significant role in our body’s ability to fend off infections and influences our likelihood of developing chronic health issues like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
While the specifics of a healthy diet can vary depending on factors like age, activity level, and local food availability, there are some universal guidelines to help us lead healthier, longer lives.
Eat a Variety of Foods:
Our bodies require a complex mix of nutrients, and no single food can provide everything we need. Therefore, it’s essential to include a wide variety of fresh and nutritious foods in our diets.
Tips for a balanced diet In New Year:
Incorporate a mix of staple foods (like wheat, maize, rice, and potatoes) with legumes (such as lentils and beans), fresh fruits and vegetables, and animal-based products (like meat, fish, eggs, and milk) into your daily meals.
Opt for wholegrain options like unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice whenever possible. These foods are rich in fiber and help you feel full longer.
Choose healthy snacks like raw vegetables, unsalted nuts, and fresh fruit instead of those high in sugars, fats, or salt.
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Cut Back on Salt:
Excessive salt intake can lead to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Most people consume far more salt than the recommended daily limit of 5 grams (about one teaspoon).
Tips to reduce salt intake In New Year:
Use salt sparingly in cooking and reduce the use of salty sauces and condiments (like soy sauce and stock).
Avoid high-salt snacks and opt for fresh, healthy alternatives.
When buying canned or dried foods, choose varieties without added salt or sugars.
Remove the salt shaker from your table to break the habit of adding extra salt; your taste buds will adjust, and you’ll enjoy the natural flavors of food more.
Check food labels and choose products with lower sodium content.
Reduce Certain Fats and Oils In New Year:
While fat is an essential part of our diet, consuming too much of the wrong types can increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, and stroke. Industrially-produced trans fats are especially harmful and significantly raise the risk of heart disease.
Tips to reduce fat consumption:
Replace butter, lard, and ghee with healthier oils like soybean, canola, corn, safflower, and sunflower oils.
Choose lean meats like poultry and fish, trim visible fat from meat, and limit processed meat consumption.
Opt for steaming or boiling instead of frying food.
Avoid processed, fast, and fried foods that contain industrially-produced trans fats, often found in margarine, ghee, and pre-packaged snacks.
Limit Sugar Intake:
Excess sugar can harm your teeth and increase the risk of unhealthy weight gain and obesity, leading to serious chronic health issues. Be aware of the “hidden” sugars often found in processed foods and drinks.
Tips to reduce sugar intake In New Year:
Limit sweets and sugary drinks like sodas, fruit juices, energy drinks, and flavored milk products.
Choose fresh, healthy snacks instead of processed ones.
Avoid giving sugary foods to children. Salt and sugars should not be added to foods for children under two years old and should be limited beyond that age.
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Avoid Hazardous and Harmful Alcohol Use:
Alcohol doesn’t contribute to a healthy diet, and excessive consumption can lead to immediate risks like injury and long-term health problems like liver damage, cancer, heart disease, and mental illness. There is no safe level of alcohol consumption, and even low levels can be associated with significant health risks.
Tips for reducing alcohol use In New Year:
Remember, less alcohol is always better for your health, and it’s perfectly fine not to drink.
Avoid alcohol if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, driving, operating machinery, or have health conditions or medications that interact with alcohol.
If you or someone you know struggles with alcohol use, seek help from a health worker or specialist service. WHO has developed a self-help guide for those looking to reduce or stop alcohol use.
By following these tips, you can start the New Year with a healthier diet that supports your overall well-being.