The importance of healthy habits to prevent and manage chronic conditions was highlighted in June.
A healthy lifestyle is one of the most important pillars of a balanced life. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, we need to make smart choices, including about the food we eat, how we prepare food, and other habits such as not smoking, not using drugs and not abusing alcohol.
Unhealthy lifestyle choices increase the risk of developing common chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, gout, cancers and mental health problems. Regular exercise and healthy eating habits are extremely important for your overall health and mental well-being.
Warrinita Kroutz, dietician at Caledon Hospital and in the Theewaterskloof Sub-district, says eating healthy does not need to be expensive and unsustainable. By making simple lifestyle changes and substitutions, Warrinita said, you can be on the healthy lifestyle path without breaking the bank. It all starts with your shopping habits, Warrinita explained.
“I firstly advise my clients not to go to the store if they have not eaten yet, as this leads to cravings and buying unnecessary and unhealthy food. Stop yourself from stocking up on unhealthy snacks like sweets, chocolates and chips and instead buy vegetables and fruit that are in season. If you just use less sugar, don’t deep fry and don’t buy fizzy drinks, you will save on the monthly food purchases and ensure that you are eating healthier.”
Warrinita also pointed out that growing your own vegetables will save money and be a source of nutritional food. “Start a vegetable garden, this can be done in a bucket or old tyre if you have limited space. If you have a lot of space, plant a variety of vegetables. When you harvest, freeze some of the vegetables for later use.”
Other ways to improve your eating habits include replacing meat with other proteins. Where possible, cook with inexpensive vegetarian sources such as beans, eggs and legumes, as opposed to more expensive meat like fish or poultry. This not only allows you to save money but also to increase your consumption of healthy plant foods.
Eggs are an excellent, inexpensive source of protein that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
“Lifestyle change is not easy, but it is not impossible!” said Warrinita. “Start with small changes, like reducing your sugar intake from four teaspoons of sugar to 1-2 teaspoons per cup; instead of four glasses of soft drinks or fizzy cool drink, rather drink water and add mint, lemon or cucumber to the water. Start walking, even if it’s just for 10 minutes and increase it every day until you reach 30 min per day or 150 minutes for the week. Exercise includes dancing, cycling and swimming.”
If you need assistance with your diet, meal planning and lifestyle choices, visit your nearest clinic to make an appointment with the dietician.
