WHAT THE DOCTORS SAY ON EXERCISE, DIET, NUTRITION & ALCOHOL

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting Randox Health for a full health test. I want to give you a full match report of that meeting at a later date. However, for now consider this a taster. These are just some of the notes I received from the doctors on health, exercise and well-being. It’s important I believe to put this out there, despite most of it being common parlance. (If you’re not taking the stairs instead of the lift by now then God help you). However, there is a lot noise out there. Misinformation is rife on the internet and every now and then it’s good to re-centre and have something in writing that pulls focus towards some simple truths regarding health. So here goes, here is what the doctor orders …

Exercise

There are many health benefits associated with physical activity including weight maintenance, ability to concentrate and perform everyday tasks, reducing risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, improving mood and self-esteem and reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Adults should aim to be active every day. Current guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more. This can be achieved by exercising for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, through activities such as brisk walking, cycling, running or swimming. Alternatively, carrying out 75 minutes of a vigorous intensity activity, (e.g. football, rugby, skipping) throughout the week will provide similar benefits.

Strength exercises (at least 8-10 different exercises / 8-12 repetitions of each exercise) are also recommended at least twice a week to work the major muscle groups. This involves using your body weight or working against a resistance, e.g. exercising with weights.

Everyday activities can contribute to your weekly activity levels, for example taking the stairs, parking further from the door, cutting the grass, etc. It is recommended that each person should take at least 10,000 steps per day in order to be `active.' However, this should be built up gradually, by working out your average weekly steps and setting a target each week. You can use a pedometer to record the amount of steps you take.

Choosing a Healthy, Balanced Diet

Current guidelines recommend a daily calorie intake of 2,500kcal for males and 2,000kcal for females (from all food and drinks). To start, we suggest you opt for a healthy, balanced diet by following the `Eatwell Guide'. This includes the five main food groups in the correct proportions:

1. Fruit and vegetables should make up just over a third of your overall diet. You should aim for at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day. A portion is 80g or any of the following: 1 apple, 1 banana, 3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables, a dessert bowl of salad, 30g of dried fruit or a 150ml glass of fruit juice or smoothie. Fresh, frozen, dried and canned all count towards your total 5-a-day.

2. Potatoes, bread, rice and other starchy carbohydrates (e.g. wholegrain cereal, oats) should make up just over a third of your overall diet. You should opt for higher fibre, wholegrain versions of these foods, where possible.

3. Dairy and alternatives (i.e. soya) e.g. milk, cheese, yogurts. Some of these should be included in your diet each day. Try to choose lower fat, lower sugar options.

4. Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins, including at least 2 portions (a portion is approximately 140g) of fish (1 oily) per week and reduce your intake of red and processed meat (e.g. sausages, bacon, cured meats and reformed meat products.

5. Oil and spreads, e.g. olive oil, butter, margarine. Try to limit the amount used and choose unsaturated varieties (e.g. vegetable oil, rapeseed oil and olive oil).

 Reduce the frequency and portions of chocolate, crisps, cakes, buns etc. that you consume. Aim to drink 6-8 glasses of fluids each day. Good sources of fluids include plain drinking water, tea or coffee (be aware of the amount of caffeine you are consuming) and fruit juices. Try to limit the amount of fizzy drinks in your diet, as they contain large amounts of sugar. In addition, excessive alcohol consumption can cause dehydration.

*These guidelines do not apply to infants under the age of 2 years, or to anyone with special dietary requirements / medical needs, who should seek advice from a dietitian.

Nutrition Guide

Cholesterol

There are two main types of cholesterol within our diet – LDL (‘bad’) and HDL (‘good’). One of the main causes of raised cholesterol in the UK is a diet rich in saturated fat (LDL cholesterol), found primarily in full fat dairy foods, meat and meat products, biscuits, cakes and savoury snacks. UK guidelines recommend that the average man should consume no more than 30g of saturated fat per day and the average woman should consume no more than 20g of saturated fat per day. To help reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels, it is recommended that you should replace foods high in saturated fat with foods high in unsaturated fat. HDL (‘good’) cholesterol is found in unsaturated fat and is important to help remove LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol from the arteries. Examples of foods containing unsaturated fat include; oily fish (e.g. mackerel and salmon), nuts and seeds (e.g. almonds, sunflower seeds), avocados, vegetable oils and spreads (e.g. rapeseed or vegetable oil). Oats, oat bran, linseeds (e.g. flaxseeds), barley, fruit, vegetables and vegetable proteins (e.g. nuts, beans, and pulses) contain soluble fibre, which helps to soak up cholesterol. Try to include these foods regularly within your diet.

Omega 3

Omega 3 is a family of fats that are useful for regulating ‘bad cholesterol’ and maintaining healthy joints, as well as having anti-inflammatory properties. Good sources of Omega 3 include oily fish, such as mackerel, salmon, sardines and fresh tuna. It is recommended that you should eat two portions of fish per week; however, in the UK there is no specific recommendation for how much Omega 3 we should consume. If you do not eat fish, other dietary sources of Omega 3 include nuts and seeds (e.g. walnuts and pumpkin seeds), vegetable oils (e.g. rapeseed and linseed oils), soya and soya products (e.g. beans, milk and tofu) and green leafy vegetables.

Alcohol

Alcohol consumption contributes to your calorie intake, as well as stimulating appetite in short term. For example, males drinking 3-4 units and females drinking 2-3 units daily increase their calorie consumption by 200-325kcal and 140-260kcal respectively. The UK guidelines recommend that you consume no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. This means you should not consume any more than 6 glasses of wine OR 6 pints of beer OR 14 glasses of spirits each week.