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New Year’s Resolution to a Healthier Life
Good nutrition promotes good health. It not only promotes a healthier life, but you will actually feel better. However, this is only part of the story. Remember to be active or to exercise each day (even walking is considered a good form of exercise). Be sure to also maintain a healthy weight and get regular physical checkups.
Tips for a Healthy Diet and a Better Life
Balance calories. Balance calorie intake with physical activity. The calories you take in as food cannot exceed the calories you burn through activity, or you will gain weight. For example, the sugar in a daily can of pop is enough calories for a 15 lb weight gain in one year. When you have that urge for a pop , grab a bottle of water instead.
Eat a Variety of Foods. Variety is the spice of life. No single food can provide all the nutrients your body needs. That is why you should focus on fruits and vegetables, whole cereals, lean meats, poultry without skin, and fish. Dry peas and beans and low-fat dairy products are also a plus. These kinds of foods provide a wide range of nutrients for a healthy body (yours) and provide enough variety to keep you from getting bored at the dinner table.
Avoid Too Much Fat, Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. Choose lower fat dairy products (1% or skim), fish and leaner meats. Limit your consumption of red meats, especially those high in fat. A highfat diet increases the risk for cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon. It can also increase your risk for heart disease.
Limit Alcohol. Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. It’s okay to have a glass of wine with your dinner, but heavy drinking is a recipe for disaster and is closely related to cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus and liver. A word to the wise: If you smoke and drink, your cancer risk dramatically increases. So DON’T SMOKE.
Supplements and organic food. For most people, vitamin and mineral supplements are not required. And while organic food may be desirable, there is no evidence that consuming non-organic fruits and vegetables increases the risk of cancer.
Start today! It’s never too late to start living a healthier lifestyle. People do it all the time and you can, too. Your New Year’s resolution for a healthy diet doesn’t have to begin on January 1st. Start now and you will be on the road to a healthier, better life.
Read more about cancer prevention in the American Institute for Cancer Research's Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective
Or visit the BC Cancer Agancy website for additional cancer prevention information.
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