Healthspan has become a national Change4Life partner and are delighted to associate themselves with the government to share the life-saving message about optimising nutrition and exercising more.
Change4Life is one of the biggest health revolutions the nation has ever seen. The new, 3-year Government campaign aims to helps us eat better, become more active and, ultimately, enjoy a longer and healthier lifespan.
Eating well, and keeping active, was the normal way of life less than 50 years ago. Few families had cars, TVs, or phones, and most people ate fresh, local produce they often grew themselves. Kids walked or cycled to school, and automatically played outside afterwards, until called in for a home-cooked, nutritious tea. Technological inventions such as motorcars, mobile phones, laptops, TVs and home cinemas have encouraged inactivity, while fast, processed, convenience foods have reduced the nutrient quality of many people’s diet. How can we turn back the clock, eat better and get more active while still embracing modern inventions? It’s all a question of balance.
Eat better
Families used to sit down together for 3 meals a day, without fail. Although flexibility is important, sticking to regular meal times helps curb unhealthy snacking habits. A good breakfast is especially important to fuel the body and brain. Low sugar cereals, toast, natural yoghurt with chopped fruit, or a glass of unsweetened fruit juice take little time to prepare and really set you up for the day.
If you have children, eat together as a family when you can. Discourage eating in front of the TV as mindless shovelling of food means you don’t fully enjoy the flavours, and tend to continue eating even when you are full.
We all know the 5-a-day message is important, but kids often turn up their noses at healthy greens. Keep serving a variety of veg, prepared as you like it, and eventually they’ll start to eat them. Research consistently shows that children’s willingness to accept unfamiliar foods depends on the number of times they’re offered. We have an understanding in our house that we taste everything, but if we don’t like it we don’t have to eat it. It’s surprising how often one of my kids discovers they suddenly like something they thought they hated. Mushrooms were the latest breakthrough!
When you eat 3 regular meals a day, you tend to experience less hunger between times, but having a drink and a healthy, light snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon helps keep you going. Offer kids healthy snacks, like water, milk or unsweetened fruit juice plus fruit (fresh or dried), unsalted nuts, rice cakes or carrot sticks, and they’re more likely to eat better at mealtimes, too.
Get Up and About
By all means chill out and relax, but don’t veg out. Keep as active as possible to burn more energy and reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. This is especially important for kids, who need at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day that gets their heart beating faster than usual. These 60 minutes don’t have to be all in one go, but they do need to achieve them every day by doing what kids do best: running round, walking, dancing, swimming, playing sports and cycling. Adults need at least 30 minutes brisk activity per day, and preferably more. Why not aim for 60 minutes too?
Walk or cycle local distances, such as to and from school or work, and to buy the paper, milk, bread and fresh vegetables. It’s good for both your health and the environment. Shopping every day for perishable goods used to be the norm! Carrying shopping home is good exercise, too.
Rather than flopping down after a meal, go for a walk – even if it’s just around the block. Exercise after a meal reduces the usual rise in blood glucose and fat levels that promote weight gain, furring up of the arteries and glucose intolerance. Encourage kids to run round and burn off excess energy (and frustrations) after school, where they’ve been sitting down most of the day. And have family fun at weekends through enjoyable activities such as cycling, swimming, walking in the park or playing ball games.
Other good tips to get more active include taking the stairs, not the lift or escalator; walking to a friend’s house for a chat, rather than communicating via phone, text or email; and getting off the bus one stop earlier than normal and walking the rest of the way.
Eating better and becoming more active may start out as a chore, but you’ll soon notice the difference in your fitness, energy levels and improved mood and it’ll become a way of life. The basic steps of getting your nutrition right and being more active is the very first step in optimising your chances of a long, healthy lifespan!
Change4Life suggests...
...making Sugar Swaps. Replace food and drinks with added sugar for those without. Instead of fizzy drinks have water, semi-skimmed milk (full fat for under-2s) or unsweetened fruit juice; and in place of chocolate, biscuits or cake, have unsweetened yoghurt and/or fruit.
...serving ‘Me Size Meals’. Give kids less than the grown-ups, and if they’re really
hungry and come back for more, it’s ok to give seconds. Much better than serving too much and nagging them to finish.
...Cutting Back on Fat. Switch to oven chips rather than deep fries, and dollop fresh
or frozen yoghurt on your berries instead of cream or ice cream. Cut visible fat from meat, skin poultry, and grill rather than fry.
...setting a ‘2 snax max’ rule. But if you don’t buy it, they can’t snack it – cut back on
the sweets, crisps, biscuits and cakes you buy and help both your family’s health and your pocket. Many snack packs are designed for adults, or for sharing, so divvy them out in appropriate, smaller amounts.
...setting a time out rule by having a 2 hour limit on the amount of time kids spend
sitting down watching TV or playing computer games. Adults should follow suit!
Healthspan is in support of Change4Life. In order to maintain a healthy weight we need to both eat better and move more. Many families are making changes that will help them live longer lives.
Visit
www.nhs.uk/change4life or call 0300 123 4567 for more information.
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