10 health tips for 2020

1. Eat a healthy diet

Consume a variety of foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. At least five pieces (400g) of fruit and vegetables should be consumed each day by adults. By always include vegetables in your meals, snacking on fresh fruit and vegetables, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, and eating them in season, you can increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you consume. You can lower your chance of developing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer, by consuming a nutritious diet.

2. Consume less salt and sugar

ilipinos drink twice as much sodium as is advised, which increases their risk of high blood pressure and, ultimately, heart disease and stroke. Salt is the main source of sodium for most individuals. Limit your daily salt consumption to 5g, or roughly 1 teaspoon. To make this easier, choose low-sodium foods and minimize your use of salt, soy sauce, fish sauce, and other high-sodium condiments when making meals. You should also remove salt from the dinner table and avoid salty snacks.

On the other side, consuming too much sugar raises your risk of developing tooth decay and gaining unhealthful weight. Less than 10% of total calorie consumption, in both adults and children, should come from free sugars. For an adult, this is equal to 12 teaspoons or 50g. Less than 5% of total energy intake is what the WHO advises for additional health advantages. By consuming fewer sugary snacks, candies, and beverages with added sugar, you can lower your daily sugar intake.

3. Reduce intake of harmful fats

Less than 30% of your entire calorie consumption should come from fats. By doing this, NCDs and unhealthful weight increase will be reduced. Although there are many different kinds of fats, unsaturated fats are preferred to trans- and saturated fats. The World Health Organization advises cutting down on saturated fats to less than 10% of total calorie intake, cutting back on trans fats to fewer than 1% of total energy intake, and switching to unsaturated fats to replace both saturated and trans fats.

Saturated fats are found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee, and lard. Trans-fats are found in baked and fried foods, as well as pre-packaged snacks and foods like frozen pizza, cookies, biscuits, and cooking oils and spreads. The healthier unsaturated fats are found in fish, avocado, nuts, and sunflower, soybean, canola, and olive oils.

4. Avoid harmful use of alcohol

There is no alcohol dosage that is considered safe. Alcohol consumption can cause serious health issues like mental and behavioral disorders, including alcoholism, significant NCDs such liver cirrhosis, some malignancies, and heart diseases, as well as injuries brought on by violence and traffic accidents.

5. Don’t smoke

NCDs such heart disease, stroke, and lung disease are brought on by cigarette usage. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke from smokers also die from tobacco use. Around 15.9 million adult Filipinos consume tobacco today, although 7 out of 10 smokers are either interested in quitting or have plans to do so.

It's not too late to stop smoking if you currently do so. Once you do, your health will improve both now and in the future. It's excellent that you don't smoke! Don't start smoking and defend your freedom to breathe air free of cigarette smoke.

6. Be active

The term "physical activity" refers to any skeletal muscle-driven movement that involves the use of energy. This encompasses physical activity and activities done while working, playing, doing duties around the house, traveling, and having fun. Depending on your age group, you may require more or less exercise, but individuals between the ages of 18 and 64 should engage in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise. For added health advantages, increase moderate-intensity exercise to 300 minutes per week.

7.  Check your blood pressure regularly

High blood pressure, often known as hypertension, is dubbed a "silent killer". This is due to the fact that many people with hypertension could not be aware of the issue since it might not show any symptoms. Uncontrolled hypertension can cause illnesses of the heart, brain, kidneys, and other organs. So that you are aware of your statistics, have your blood pressure checked frequently by a health professional. Consult a health professional for help if your blood pressure is high. This is crucial for the management and prevention of hypertension.

8. Get tested

A crucial first step in determining your health status is getting tested, particularly for TB, hepatitis B, HIV, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). These illnesses can cause major consequences and even death if left untreated. Knowing your status allows you to take appropriate action to either continue preventing these diseases or, if you find out you are positive, to receive the necessary care and treatment. Wherever you feel most at ease, visit a public or private health center to get examined.

9.Get vaccinated

One of the best methods for disease prevention is vaccination. The natural defenses of your body are strengthened by vaccinations against illnesses including polio, rabies, rubella, tetanus, typhoid, typhoid fever, cholera, diphtheria, hepatitis B, influenza, measles, mumps, pneumonia, and yellow fever.

In the Philippines, as part of the Department of Health's regular immunization program, free vaccines are given to children who are 1 years old and younger. Ask your doctor if you should verify your immunization status or get yourself vaccinated if you are an adult or adolescent.

10. Practice

safe sex

For the sake of your general health and wellbeing, it's crucial to take care of your sexual health. To avoid contracting HIV and other STDs like gonorrhea and syphilis, practice safe sex. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which protects against HIV, and condoms, which protect against HIV and other STIs are both preventive strategies that are readily available.