1) Minimise Over-Eating
Obesity is a global health crisis and is one of the leading risk factors for developing chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and multiple cancers. These diseases account for 71% of deaths globally and 80% of all pre-mature deaths (aged 30-69 years) (WHO, 2014). Although the cause of obesity is multi-factorial, one aspect remains constant, excessive intakes lead to weight gain.
To prevent weight gain there must be a balance in the amount of energy (calories) consumed with the amount of energy burned. If you are less physically active, and therefore burning less energy, you will need to be more cautious of the food you eat compared to someone who is more physically active. This does not necessarily mean eating less, but instead making simple dietary changes. A few tips are listed below:- Avoid energy dense, low nutrient meals e.g. ready-meals
- Avoid bingeing on high-fat/high-sugar snacks
- Instead, opt for low-calorie, filling options e.g. carrot sticks, bell-pepper sticks
- Switch from cream-based sauces to tomato-based sauces
- Switch to wholegrain food products e.g. pasta, bread and rice
- This will promote the sense of fullness, limiting food (and energy) intakes
- Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks
- Instead, opt for low-calorie/sugar-free drinks
2) More Fruit and Vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre which all offer several health benefits such as improved longevity, healthier skin and reduced cancer risk. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a daily intake of 400g of fruit and vegetables for the prevention of chronic disease and to prevent micronutrient deficiencies. This is equivalent to roughly five portions per day. We all know we should be eating this amount, but how many of us actually achieve this?
Well, in 2017, 29% of adults within the UK were reported to be eating five portions a day and the average number of portions consumed was 3.8 per day (DEFRA, 2018). In short, the majority of the general public are not achieving this recommendation. Given that a higher consumption of fruit and vegetables is significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause death, increasing intakes should be a priority for those wishing to live a long and healthy life.
Now for those who want to increase their intake but are concerned about the cost implications, I’m here to help. Frozen and canned fruit and vegetables are often as nutritious and can be more nutritious than ‘fresh’ varieties. This is because they are picked and frozen/canned at peak season, meaning they haven’t perished and lost valuable nutrients by the time they reach your door. Canned produce often undergoes slightly more processing but tends to have a very similar nutrient profile to that of fresh and frozen produce. So, if you’re looking to increase your fruit and vegetable intakes but don’t quite have the room in the fridge/fruit bowl, try choosing a tinned or frozen option. But, be cautious as tinned fruit is sometimes stored in syrup, therefore increasing the free-sugar content.
3) Limit Processed Meat
There is a strong link between intakes of processed meat and the risk of developing certain types of cancer e.g stomach, colon and rectal cancers. But what are processed meats?
These are meats which are not sold as ‘fresh’, and instead have been cured, smoked, salted or preserved in some form e.g. bacon, sausages, burgers, ham, salami, peperoni. Although researchers are not exactly clear how processed meats increase the risk of cancer, they believe it is due to chemicals which arise during these processed. This has lead the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to classify processed meats as a ‘definite’ cause for cancer (or Group 1 carcinogen) – placing processed meats in the same category as smoking and alcohol. Despite this, eating one or two processed-meat based meals isn’t overly ‘bad for you’, but regularly eating a large amount of processed meat probably isn’t the best idea for those aiming to live a long and healthy life. The easiest solution would be to limit processed meat intakes and instead replace them with lean, ‘fresh’ cuts of red and white meat.
4) Reduce Salt
High sodium intakes (>2g per day) which is equivalent to >6g of salt increases the risk of developing high blood pressure which increases the risk of heart disease, strokes and chronic kidney disease. The average person consumes approximately 9-12g of salt per day, which is significantly higher than the recommended limit. Sodium is primarily found in the diet in the form of salt, which is added to highly processed foods for taste and preservation. Foods high in salt include; ready meals, processed meats, cheese, soups, stocks (e.g. stock cubes), sauces (e.g. ketchup, sriracha, peri-peri) and salty snacks. Other foods that are slightly lower in salt but are eaten in large quantities and therefore increase daily intakes include; bread and cereal products. Although manufacturers are looking to reduce the amount of salt added to foods, we should all take ownership of our own health. This can be achieved by reading the nutritional information on food packaging and choosing food low in salt/sodium whilst limiting (not avoid completely) ready meals, fast food and salty snacks. Other great ways to reduce salt intakes include not adding salt when preparing food and not having a salt shaker on the table.
5) Reduce Alcohol
Alcohol is known to increase the risk of developing both mental and physical health disorders. It is also classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning it is a ‘definite’ cause of cancer.
Despite all this, alcohol consumption guidelines range substantially across the world. For example, UK recommendations (<14 Units per week) are almost half that of US guidelines (<25 Units per week).
“So how much alcohol is safe?”
Well, several studies have shown the risk of all-causes of death are lowest when alcohol intakes are <100g/week (<12.5 Units) and this risk increases with alcohol intakes. The same study also suggested that drinkers of beer and spirits, as well as binge drinkers had the highest risk of all causes of death.
“So what does this mean for us?”
In short, this means the less alcohol you consume, the less risk you have of reducing your life-expectancy. Now I’m not suggesting we all go teetotal, but it is worth noting the amount and type of alcohol you drink and make simple lifestyle adjustments. Not only will this improve your health but it will also save a significant amount of money in the long run. Quick and easy suggestions are listed below:
- Do not regularly exceed 12.5 units of alcohol per week
- Spread alcoholic beverages across the week
- Avoid binge-drinking
- Have at least three alcohol-free days per week
- Switch short alcoholic drinks (e.g. Whisky, Vodka, Tequila) for longer drinks by pairing with mixers.
- Have a non-alcoholic beverage between each alcoholic beverage