7 golden rules for good health

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Extract from the article: By looking after your health, you're building a brick in the edifice of your life every day. Here are seven habits that are just as many bricks to lay every day. These tips are even more important when you're over 25 years old.

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By looking after your health, you're building a brick in the edifice of your life every day. Here are seven habits that are just as many bricks to lay every day. These tips are even more important when you're over 25 years old. 

A healthy lifestyle has a 75% influence on health, whereas genetic inheritance is only responsible for 25%. Santé-Education therefore suggests getting back to basics with 7 common-sense recommendations that are easy to apply.

Limit your consumption of red meat as much as possible

It's best to avoid red meat in all cases. It is often high in cholesterol and increases the risk of gout. Instead, opt for white meat such as chicken and turkey, and fish such as salmon.

Eat the right fats

Omega 3 and omega 6 fats are recommended. Eat nuts, avocado, fish, olive oil and vegetables. Limit or avoid saturated fats such as butter and mayonnaise.

Eat 5 fruit and vegetables a day

Eat fruit and vegetables. The benefits of fresh, natural vegetables are countless: they contain valuable nutrients and fibre, and have a low glycaemic index and calorie density. For vegetables, the ideal is to steam them lightly or make vegetable juices. Overcooking them will cause them to lose their vitamins and other nutrients. Ensure that half of each meal is made up of vegetables or fruit.

Cut down on ice water (especially after meals)

After each meal, it's a good idea to drink hot water or hot tea. This helps your metabolism and prevents food from stagnating. However, drinking iced water after a meal is a bad habit that causes the body to malfunction and prevents the various organs from playing their role in processing the food consumed. Ice water mixed with food creates a foul sludge that becomes putrefied and toxic to the organs.

Reduce salt, sugar, tobacco and alcohol

When you eat a meal containing a lot of sugar, blood glucose levels rise rapidly and the pancreas reacts by immediately secreting a lot of insulin. Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. Eat less salt. Excessive consumption of alcohol, tobacco, sugar and salt can lead to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory disease.

Regular exercise

Regular exercise reduces the risk of disease, lowers blood pressure and reduces stress. It also improves sleep, physical appearance, self-confidence and energy levels. We recommend walking for 30 minutes at least three times a week.

Keeping in a good mood

Being optimistic, smiling and even laughing every day, having a good time, and controlling your emotions, particularly anger, stress and sadness, are among the behaviours that are highly conducive to good health and longevity. Optimistic people have stronger immune systems. A positive mood can stimulate the production of certain hormones and immune cells, helping us to better resist infection and disease.

Elom AKAKPO

Article validated by Dr Jean-Claude Bakpatina, General Practitioner at the Floreal Clinic in Lomé.