The realistic lifestyle modification with dietary measures has a preventive effect against several life-threatening diseases including diabetes, coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, smoking-induced cancers, colon cancers.
Avoid using tobacco
Cessation or avoidance of tobacco smoking and also smokeless tobacco are an effective way to prevent lung cancer, oral cancer, another type of cancers, and CAD.
Healthy weight management
Obesity with raised BMI which is greater than 30 often has a double or triple risk of developing many life-threatening diseases, such as CAD, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension compared with the lean individual. The mortality rate among obese patients is higher due to cancer development on the colon, endometrium, breast, kidney, and other organs of the body.
Individuals with increased waist circumference are considered as an indicator of type 2 diabetes, CAD, and stroke. Not only adults, but obese children also have the risk of developing such chronic conditions.
It has been observed that intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, consumption of soda, inexpensive food energy from refined sugar, grains, and vegetable oils often contributory factors of increasing body weight.
The intake of calorie measured diet with adequate physical activity can control body weight. For this, the right selection of food ingredients is a very important measure along with regular systematic physical activity is essential.
Regular physical activity
Regular physical activity plays an important role in healthy weight management. But Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, CAD, osteoarthritis, osteoporotic fractures, erectile dysfunction, depression, breast, and colon cancer. Daily half an hour walk helps to uphold physical activeness in long run and better in performing the intense activity.
Limit watching television
Longer hours spent watching television increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and gallstones. Spending time watching television reduces physical activity, and promotes the tendency of eating higher calorie-containing food and beverages. Experts found that a connection between the reduction of time for watching television and weight loss. According to the American Academy of Paediatrics recommendation the maximum limit of television watching per day is two hours.
Follow Healthy Diet
Diet has a significant impact on health. Diet can increase or decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cholelithiasis, renal stones, cataracts, macular degeneration, dental disease, specific cancers, and recently observed association with birth defects. Following are some essential recommendations for a healthy diet:
Use unsaturated fats instead of using saturated and trans fats. Omega 3 fatty acids are one of the healthiest unsaturated fats. Replacement of saturated and trans fats reduce the risk of CAD by controlling blood cholesterol and reduces serum low-density lipoprotein. Avoid using partially hydrogenated soybean, corn, sunflower, or palm oil which are different sources of saturated and trans fats, and increase the risk of developing CAD and type 2 diabetes. Intake of omega 3 fatty acid can prevent ventricular arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and other CVDs. Fish oil is one of the excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
Intake plentiful of fruits and vegetables along with folic acid supplementation. This is an effective way to prevent life-threatening diseases such as CAD, stroke, neural tube defect pregnancies, colon, and possibly breast cancer.
Select whole-grain, high-fiber containing cereal products that are natural sources of vitamins and minerals. The food items facilitate weight control, reduces the risk of CAD, diabetes, and promote gastrointestinal function along with preventing constipation.
Minimize sugar and sugar-based beverages consumption, as it increases dietary glycaemic load which aggravates the metabolic syndrome for increasing risk of diabetes and CAD. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline, the upper limit of sugar consumption is 10 percent of overall food intake per day.
Intake calorie calculated diet, as excessive calorie intake leads to obesity and increase the risk of associated diseases.
Limited sodium intake is helpful to maintain blood pressure and reduce the risk of hypertension, heart diseases, and scope of stroke. The WHO recommends taking 1.7 grams of sodium i.e. 5 grams of salt per day.
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