Healthier Scotland
The Scottish Government's Take Life On campaign aims to encourage you to make small changes to your everyday life in order to benefit your health. By adopting these small changes you will help to reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, as well as increasing your wellbeing.
For example you can improve your diet by swapping deep-fried chips for low fat oven chips or a baked potato.
Other ways to improve your health include:
- Base your meals on starchy foods (breads, cereals, rice, pasta and potatoes)
- Eat more fruit and veg (can be fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced)
- Eat more fish
- Cut down on saturated fat
- Cut down on sugar
- Try to eat less salt
- Get active and try to be a healthy weight
- Drink plenty of water
- Watch your alcohol intake
- Read food labels
- Information and support on how to make changes to your lifestyle is available.
Lack of physical activity is the most common risk factor for coronary heart disease in Scotland. Walking briskly for a total of 30 minutes, five days a week, will help to reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. You don't have to do your 30 minutes all at once – it can be split into shorter 10 minute sessions (eg. walk to bus stop, short walk at lunch-time and walk to shops after work).
For more information on how to be healthier, one step at a time, please visit www.takelifeon.co.uk
Comments
I feel a terrific benefit after cutting out most of the junk food i was eating. I eat plenty of fruit now which i didn't do before. I changed from white bread to wholemeal bread. I try to make main meals with more healthier options. Excersise is a problem as i have a chronic back condition and excersise is extremely difficult, but i try to do some active stretching and light activities to help the muscles best i can. I feel so much better with the changes i have made.David Harkins