Healthy living doesn’t have to mean dieting, crazy exercise regimes, or only eating superfoods. Healthy living can start today, and you might not have to make such a drastic change in your lifestyle. Here are some ways you can lead a healthier lifestyle:

1. Regular physical activity
   
   Why it’s important?
   – Helps to improve strength, balance, flexibility, endurance which aids to prevent the risk of falls in the elderly.
   – Helps to prevent obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
   
   What should you do?
   – Having a regular physical activity of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity/week. (Moderate physical activity: one way to know that you are working out at a moderate intensity is that you are able to speak but can’t sing!)
2. Food/Diet
   
   Why it’s important?
   – What you put into your body can contribute to health issues such as obesity, heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes, etc.
   What should you do?
   – Have 3 meals/day
   – The bulk of your consumption should be: fruits, vegetables, and whole grain (Tips: follow HPB’s My Healthy Plate!)
   – Choose lean meat, poultry, fish, nuts, eggs, beans
   – Avoid foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and salt (mostly found in red meats!)
   – Avoid sugary drinks (eg soda) and choose plain water instead.
   
3. Mental health
   Why it’s important?
   – It affects how you think, feel, act; how you cope with stress and how you relate with others.
   What should you do?
   – Get enough sleep! Sleep at least 7hrs/day.
   – Learn something new (maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to juggle?)
   – Keep your brain active (play some mind sports such as chess or sudoku!)
4. Avoid
   Tobacco use
   – Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke.
   – Quit smoking!  
   Excessive alcohol intake
   – Chronic heavy drinking increases the risk of liver disease, pancreatitis, cancer, gastrointestinal problems, and heart disease.
   – Women should drink no more than 1 standard drink/day, and men no more than 2 standard drinks/day.
   – Standard drinks: 1 can (330ml) of beer, half glass (100ml) of wine, 1 nip (30ml) of spirit