Adopt a healthy lifestyle

Foot Notes

1. King D et al. Turning back the clock: adopting a healthy lifestyle in middle age. The American Journal of Medicine 2007; 120 (7): doi.10.1016/j.amjmed.2006.09.020.
2. US Department of Health and Human Services. Reducing the health consequences of smoking: 25 years of progress. A report of the Surgeon General, 1989. Rockyville, Maryland: Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, Office on Smoking and Health, 1989.
3. Prescott et al. BMJ 1998;316:1043-1047.
4. Bonita R et al. Passive smoking as well as active smoking increases the risk of acute stroke. Tob Control 1999; 8:156-160.
5. Aldoori MI et al. Smoking and stroke: a causative role. Brit Med J 1998; 317: 962-3.
6. www.americanheart.org/womenheartdiseaseandstroke
7. Strategic Perspectives: Female Sexual Dysfunction; Datamonitor, 08/2002.

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Coloured fruit

• red (tomatoes, red peppers)
• orange (squash, peppers, oranges, apricots)
• yellow (yellow peppers, sweet corn)
• green (spinach, broccoli, lettuce, green beans)
• purple (beetroot, grapes, berries)

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Key tips on what to do:

In the UK for example, guidelines state that women can drink up to two to three units of alcohol a day and men up to three to four units a day, without significant risk to their health. Drinking guidelines vary between countries – for your country’s recommendation, refer to the International Center for Alcohol Policies www.icap.org.

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Key tips on what to do:

There are many smoking cessation programmes available including nicotine replacement programmes, prescription medications, health service support and telephone help lines.

Support groups and hypnosis also help some people who wish to stop smoking.

It may take several attempts to stop smoking but perseverance is important.

Monitoring by a healthcare professional is likely to show improvements in lung function and blood gases.

Smokers with risk factors for heart disease such as hypertension, obesity, or diabetes should seek medical help to stop smoking.

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Regular exercise helps to:

• Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease.
• Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing it.
• Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing it.
• Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer.
• Reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
• Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat.
• Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints.
• Reduce depression and anxiety so as to improve psychological well-being.
• Enhance work, recreation, and sport performance.

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Exercise to suit your lifestyle

Simply changing daily routine to include walking up the stairs instead of using lifts, walking up moving escalators, walking short journeys instead of using the car, gardening, and many other everyday activities all contribute to improved physical activity.

People with hypertension or heart disease should always consult their doctor before starting any exercise regimen and avoid extreme sports that may result in overexertion and stress.

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It is never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Recent research published in the American Journal of Medicine has shown that people 45 to 64 years of age who adopted healthy lifestyle behaviours could substantially reduce their risk of heart disease and death by over one third¹.

A healthy lifestyle is important for reducing long-term health risks associated with oestrogen decline. With increasing age, everyone is at greater risk of developing long-term health problems. However, risks can be minimised by moderate exercise, eating a healthy diet, weight control, giving up smoking, and drinking alcohol in moderation.

Diet

Adopting a healthy eating plan not only helps control weight, it benefits the heart, circulation and bones and improves skin and hair too. The golden rule is to eat and drink a wide variety of foods in moderation but to know which are the healthiest to choose frequently and which to eat less often.

• Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure and cholesterol, prevent some types of cancer. Try to eat a wide variety of different coloured fruits and vegetables.
• Cook with olive oil or vegetable oil, which contain high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids; these help control levels of LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol whilst raising HDL (‘good’ cholesterol) levels. Cut down on foods made from red meats like beef burgers and sausages and on processed foods (e.g., instant meals). These contain saturated animal fats or trans fats which may increase the risk of getting heart disease.
• Eat whole grains and seeds and bread made from them; these contain vitamins and fibre which are heart-healthy.
• Eat dairy foods such as skimmed milk and yoghurt which provide calcium needed by teeth and bones.
• Eat oily fish at least twice weekly; their omega 3 fat content is associated with healthy hearts and blood vessels.
• Cut down on salt. The recommended daily salt allowance is no more than 6g per person (just over one small teaspoon of salt).
• Keep an eye on calories; some foods – especially pre-packaged snacks and sweets – contain more than you would think. Consuming excess calories every day beyond exercise requirements leads to overweight and obesity. Obesity is a risk factor for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
• Eat the right balance of food groups. A typical meal on a plate should be one quarter protein, one quarter starchy carbohydrates (potatoes, rice or pasta) and half vegetables.
• Get into the habit of reading packaged food labels and see how much salt, trans fats and how many calories they contain.

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Alcohol

Drink alcohol in moderation consuming no more than 14 units (e.g., 1 small glass of wine = 1 unit) weekly or two units daily.

Key tips on what to do.

Drinking to intoxication levels (becoming 'drunk') should be avoided as should regular drinking of large amounts over a long period. This can lead to liver damage and other long-term health risks.

Stopping smoking

Key message: Don’t start smoking and try to stop if already smoking

Without doubt, smoking is the single most preventable cause of illness and premature death. It accounts for approximately one in five deaths from heart disease².

Women smokers have a higher risk of heart attack than male smokers. Women who smoke only 2-5 cigarettes double their risk of heart attack, while men who smoke 6-9 cigarettes a day double their risk. Constant exposure to second-hand smoke increases the risk.

Smoking increases the risk of heart and lung disease, osteoporosis, lung and many other cancers. Smokers have four times the risk of stroke compared with never smokers⁴.

Women who smoke tend to experience the menopause 5 years earlier than non-smokers.

Once a person stops smoking, the state of health improves immediately. According to the World Health Organization, one year after stopping smoking, risk of heart disease is halved and within 15 years the risk of dying from heart disease is no more than a non-smoker.

Five years after stopping a former smoker has no higher risk of stroke than a non-smoker⁵.

Key tips on what to do.

Staying active

Exercise has benefits for bones, heart and blood vessels. Physical inactivity increases the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Among inactive women, heart disease is almost twice as likely as in those who are more active⁶.

Significant health benefits can be achieved from regular activity without the need for special equipment or sporting ability, such as a brisk 30-minute walk every day. If you choose an exercise, it should be something you like and which suits your personal preferences and everyday life. This helps maintaining regularity which is more important than high intensity.

Regular exercise helps to.

Exercise to suit your lifestyle.

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