Live Healthy,
Stay Healthy Your at-home, wellness challenge
Live healthy, stay healthy! Non-‐communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and heart disease are affec8ng Fijian communi8es at an alarming rate, threatening our health and livelihoods. The good news is these diseases can be prevented or controlled through healthy lifestyle changes. Everyday changes lead to lifelong benefits, helping you live healthy and stay healthy! Wellness Quiz Do you eat fruit every day? Are you eating a variety of colourful vegetables every day? When was the last time you were sweating and puffing from physical activity? Do you feel like you need to lose weight? Have you smoked a cigarette today? Do you reach for the salt shaker before eating? Are empty beer and soft drink bottles filling up your rubbish bin?
While our family history may lay the founda8on for NCDs, our behaviour is what either keeps us safe, or increases our risk. Too liIle fruits, vegetables and physical ac8vity plus too much salt, added sugar, unhealthy fat, tobacco, soJ drinks and alcohol are all risk factors for NCDs.
If you’re at risk, it could be time for some healthy changes!
Challenge yourself! To help you get started, we’ve designed three challenges for you to strive towards over the next 60 days. You might find it hard to achieve all of the challenges at first but don’t be discouraged. Just aim to beat your personal best!
My personal challenge
Over the next nine
weeks, I will................ ................................ ................................
These challenges will help you:
Reduce body fat and build muscle Lower your blood pressure Lower your blood cholesterol Control your blood sugar Improve your fitness and well-‐being
Results checker Use this chart to record your health screening results and track them against your goal. Results
Ini*al
Goal
Week 5
Final
Weight (kg) Waist circumference (cm) Hip circumference (cm) Blood pressure (mm Hg) Body Mass Index (BMI) Make sure your goals are realis8c for the nine weeks. If you’re aiming to lose weight keep in mind keep we should only lose between 0.5 – 1 kg a week. The slower it comes off, the longer it stays off!
The wellness challenge
These three challenges are especially designed to help you reduce your NCD risk factors (body fat, cholesterol and blood pressure).
1. Eat two servings of fruit every day What’s a serving? One medium banana, starfruit, guava, mangosteen, etc. One cup of pineapple, mango, pawpaw, watermelon, soursop, etc.
2. Eat three servings of vegetables What’s a serving?
Fill half your plate with veges!
One whole carrot, capsicum, tomato, etc. Half a cup of beans, celery, cucumber, eggplant, leIuce/ green leafy vegetables (cabbage, fern, dalo leaves, watercress, etc.), onion, corn, pumpkin, zucchini/ courgeIes, spring onion, etc.
3. Be physically ac*ve for at least 30 minutes every day
This means 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous ac8vity. Brisk walking is a great form of moderate intensity physical ac8vity. To ensure that you’re walking ‘briskly’ check that you can talk but not sing. You should be breathing heavier as your heart pumps faster.
Healthy checklist Use this checklist to keep track of your healthy lifestyle challenges. Aim to 8ck each challenge every day, and remember to track your own personal goal too.
ALer 60 days, you will be well on your way to forming lifelong habits!
What should I be eating? Our diet should have a variety of high-‐quality health (fruits and vegetables), energy (root crops, breads, ro8, rice, grains, coconut, avocado, healthy fats and oils) and body-‐building (protein-‐rich meats, fish, nuts, len8ls, legumes, milk and yoghurt) foods. These high-‐quality foods carry lots of vitamins, fibre and nutrients to keep us healthy and strong.
Health foods Rich in vitamins and minerals that protect your body from disease
Energy foods
Body-building foods
High in carbohydrates These foods are great sources of protein, and healthy fats that which helps build and provide your body repair your body with energy
Aim to have some food from each food group at every meal! Low-‐quality foods contain a lot of added sugar, unhealthy fat and salt. They are high in calories but don’t fill us up and leave us feeling hungry for more food. This can cause us to overeat and gain weight. Low-‐quality foods should not be eaten every day and should instead be kept as treats.
How much should I be eating? Choosing one of these op8ons at each meal8me adds up to around 2000 calories in a day to ensure a healthy weight and healthy body.
BREAKFAST OR
OR
Toast with jam and fruit
Rolled oats or tapioca with banana
Banana rolled in bread with peanut butter
LUNCH OR
OR
Fish cooked in lolo with pumpkin and greens
Dhal soup with roti
Wholemeal sandwich
DINNER OR
OR
Lamb curry, rice and green vegetables
SNACKS (PICK TWO)
Chicken, rice and vegetables
Fish, root crops and vegetables
DRINKS
Corn
Small handful of nuts or seeds
Banana Pineapple
Fresh coconut water/bu
Cup of tea
Water
Healthy hydration It’s so important to stay hydrated under the hot Fijian sun. Fresh water is always the best op8on to keep you hydrated. For a flavour hit, you can try fresh coconut water, or squeeze some delicious moli into your water, or have a cup of tea without the sugar. Our shops are full of sweet fizzy drinks, boIled juices, cordials, flavoured milks and sports drinks – they’re taking over our supermarket aisles, liIering our beaches, ruining our budgets and wreaking havoc on our health. Sugar-‐sweetened beverages are a major cause of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and tooth decay in Fiji. Some of us are drinking more than our body weight in sugar each year.
We should be having fewer than six teaspoons of added sugar a day. Do you know how much sugar you’re drinking?
60
40
17
10
13
Fresh Five For good health, we need at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables a day (which is around five servings). We’ve broken this down into two servings of fruit and three of vegetables for the Wellness Challenge, but don’t be afraid to mix them up. Just remember to get a minimum of five servings a day!
10
27
This is 400 grams or five servings!
Balancing calories Balancing our ‘calories in’ from food and drink, with our ‘calories out’ from physical ac8vity and living is the best way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Many Fijians are losing this balance, leading to high rates of obesity. Each day, most adults require around 2000 calories plus at least 30 minutes of moderate-‐intensity physical ac8vity to achieve that balance. So what does 2000 calories look like? That’s up to you!
The amount of fat, sugar, protein and carbohydrates that foods contain determines how many calories they have. Foods like fruits and vegetables are generally lower in calories while fried foods are generally much higher. If we serve sensible por8on sizes and load half our plate with vegetables, we can s8ll enjoy the foods we love while keeping our calorie intake at a healthy level. Looking for more informa*on? Visit www.healthy.gov.g or visit your nearest health center. You’ll find resources like the Fiji Ministry of Health’s Khana Kakana cookbook and Sit Less, Move More ac8vity guide. For more nutri8on resources you can also visit the Na*onal Food and Nutri*on Centre’s website at www.nutri8on.gov.g
Burning calories When we get into the habit of ea8ng too many calories, our body starts to store the extras around our waist. For a healthy bodyweight, it’s important to balance the calories you eat and drink with the calories you burn through physical ac8vity and daily living.
What does 100 calories look like? LOW CALORIE HEALTH FOODS 3 whole cucumbers
4 teaspoons sugar
100 grams of steamed fish
2.5 cups of
2 coconuts worth of coconut water (bu)
watermelon
Half of a roti
Half a cup of rice
2 tablespoons lolo
2 teaspoons oil
40 grams of fried fish
1 cup of soft drink or juice
10 crisps
How much walking does it take to burn off the calories in these snacks? One packet of instant noodles =Takes 5 km (1 hour of brisk walking) to burn off
One serving of fish and chips =Takes 13 km (2 hours and 45 minutes of brisk walking) to burn off
To burn 100 calories takes approximately: • 2 km or 20 minutes of walking • 20 minutes of dancing • 15 minutes of volleyball
• 10 minutes of jogging • 10 minutes of swimming • 10 minutes of rugby/ touch/netball
Burning just 100 calories more per day through physical ac8vity (or ea8ng 100 fewer calories) can help you lose over a kilogram a year!
Smart swaps
Choose healthy low-sugar drinks
Save up to 100 calories and seven teaspoons of sugar per glass Get your sweet fix from fruit Save up to 450 calories and four teaspoons of sugar per 100 g Swap fried, oily foods for healthier options that are baked, steamed, boiled or grilled Save up to 130 calories and two teaspoons of fat per 100 g Fill at least half of your plate with healthy foods like pumpkin and green vegetables Save around 200 calories for each cup of rice replaced with vegetables Swap low-quality energy foods like white bread, noodles and crackers for nutritious foods like wholemeal bread, oats, peas, beans, lentils and dhal These are lower in salt and much higher in fibre to keep you full
Heart friendly flavours
Why do some people have high blood pressure? There are lots of factors including family history, smoking, lack of physical ac8vity and trans fats. Ea8ng too much sodium (salt) is also considered to be a big culprit in high blood pressure. Around 40% of our salt intake comes from what we add ourselves with the salt-‐ shaker, while 60% comes from processed and packaged foods. We should be having no more than 1 teaspoon (that’s 5 g of salt or 2000 mg of sodium) a day, with half that amount for children. Yet many of us are ea8ng between 2 and 4 teaspoons a day! Just look at how much salt is in some of our favourite foods:
We should have no more than 1 teaspoon of salt a day! That’s 5 g of salt or 2000 mg of
sodium. Whether its table salt, rock salt or sea salt, they all have the same amount of sodium.
Use natural Fijian flavours
The more salt you eat, the less you can taste it. Cut down on salt gradually over a few weeks. You probably won’t even taste the difference!
Sit less, move more
Get up! Move! Physical ac8vity can be done anywhere, any8me, and doesn’t have to require special clothes or equipment. It could be going for a stroll, cleaning the house, gardening or playing volleyball. To protect our health we should be ge_ng at least 30 minutes of physical ac*vity five *mes a week. Mix it up with some cardio ac8vi8es like walking, swimming or jogging to get your heart pumping, and some resistance ac8vi8es like push-‐ups, sit-‐ups and weights to strengthen those muscles. Ge_ng your 30 minutes of ac*vity a day has loads of benefits: ✓ Promotes a healthy body image
✓ Reduces body fat and builds muscle ✓ Improves strength and stamina ✓ Clears your mind
✓ Builds strong bones
✓ Improves sleep quality
✓ Lowers blood pressure ✓ Lowers stress
Are you si_ng too much? Some of us are spending over 10 hours a day sipng as we move from one type of seat to the other. So step out of your comfort zone or chair and grab every opportunity to move ‒ take the stairs, walk home, walk to town for lunch, ban the remote… the list goes on!
✓ Helps prevent heart disease, diabetes and some cancers
Five week beginners physical activity program Try out the beginners physical ac8vity program below to get you started. This is taken from the Ministry of Health’s Sit Less, Move More pocket guide. Week one Two days ‒ brisk walking or other cardio ac8vity, 20 minutes goal each; one resistance training session Week two Three days ‒ brisk walking, or other cardio ac8vity (jogging, goal swimming, cycling), 25 minutes each; two resistance training sessions Week three goal
Four days ‒ brisk walking, or other cardio ac8vity, 35 minutes each; two resistance training sessions
Week four Four days ‒ brisk walking, or other cardio ac8vity, 35 minutes goal each; three resistance training sessions Week five Five days ‒ brisk walking, or other cardio ac8vity, 45 minutes goal each; three resistance training sessions Resistance training ‒ builds your strength, tones muscles and boosts stamina. Resistance training ac8vi8es include push-‐ups, stomach crunches, pull-‐ups, sit-‐ups, weights, squats, lunges and jumps. Cardio ac*vity ‒ gets you breathing harder and strengthens your heart as it increases your body’s use of oxygen. Cardio ac8vi8es include netball, volleyball, cycling, rugby, soccer, swimming, running, dancing, and brisk walking.
Mental well-being No maIer our wealth, age, gender, family or educa8on, mental health challenges affect us all. As many as one in four people in Fiji may be experiencing mental health problems. This simple test was developed by the World Health Organiza8on as a quick check of your well-‐being. Ask yourself which of the following was true for you during the past two weeks, on a scale of 5 to O; As many as one in four people may be somewhere between all the 8me (5) and never (0). experiencing mental health problems in Fiji No8ce that higher numbers mean beIer well-‐being. Example: If you have felt cheerful and in good spirits more than half of the Eme during the last two weeks, circle number 3 for the first statement.
Over the last two All of the time Most of the More than half Less than half Some of the weeks time of the time of the time time I have felt cheerful and in good spirits I have felt calm and relaxed I have felt active and vigorous I woke up feeling fresh and rested
At no time
5
4
3
2
1
0
5
4
3
2
1
0
5
4
3
2
1
0
5
4
3
2
1
0
5
4
3
2
1
0
My daily life has been filled with things that interest me Total
How did you score? There is evidence that a score of less than 13 indicates that, at the moment, you might have some depression or considerable stressors in your life. It’s important to reach out and seek help from loved ones or professional services. For a list of services that can help visit the ‘Mental Health’ page at www.health.gov.g. The Empower Pacific helpline is available by calling 5626. Children can also call the confiden8al toll-‐ free Child Helpline at 1325 for free counselling, advice and referrals.
Mental well-being
It’s just as important to take care of our mental health as it is to keep up our physical health. OJen by taking care of one, we automa8cally take care of the other. For example, if we start walking regularly, our happy hormones get buzzing, boos8ng our mental health. Being physically ac8ve helps our heart, body and mind. Here are ten simple steps to help you boost your mental health. • Talk about your feelings. This will help you deal with issues and emo8ons as they arise rather than boIling them up inside • Eat well. A healthy diet can help ensure a healthy mind, while an unhealthy diet can leave your hormones confused and play havoc with your mood • Keep connected. Friends and family can make you feel included and cared for. They can also help you feel grounded and understood • Take a break. A change of scene and pace can be a good form of stress relief. Try to get a few minutes outside to get some fresh air to clear your head • Accept who you are. We’re all different. We all have different strengths and weaknesses and trying to be something we’re not can create a lot of stress and emo8onal turmoil. Accept you for you. Celebrate your differences • Keep ac*ve. Physical ac8vity releases your happy hormones and can boost self-‐ esteem, help you concentrate, ensure a good night’s sleep and keep you healthy • Ask for help. We can’t do everything by ourselves, and it’s normal to feel overwhelmed by life at 8mes. If your responsibili8es are piling up or are too much for you, make sure you ask for help • Care for others. Caring for others can help strengthen your rela8onships and give a sense of purpose while bringing you closer to those you love.
Ban the binge
Maybe it’s a glass or two, or maybe it’s a longneck or three. You may enjoy alcohol, but do you really know what’s happening inside your body when you’re drinking? It’s not just the hangover we need to watch out for. Binge drinking can cause abrupt mood swings, resul8ng in violence, injuries, accidents, fights, exaggerated emo8ons, memory loss, impaired judgment, coma, death (at a very high intake) and suicide aIempts. And these are just the short-‐term consequences. Long-‐term binge drinking can lead to heart disease, cancer and reproduc8ve problems. It can also trigger psycho8c disorders. No amount of alcohol intake is safe.
What’s a standard drink?
One standard drink contains 10 g of pure alcohol. We count standard drinks based on the amount of alcohol a drink contains, not by how many glasses you pour. You might be surprised by just how many you’re having!
Breathe in fresh Fiji air vs.
Did you know tobacco kills up to half of all smokers? It’s one of the biggest health threats for Fijians. We can all help address the health risk by giving up smoking ourselves and encouraging those trying to quit. Nico8ne is addic8ve and overcoming any addic8on requires support and determina8on.
Check out the 8meline below. It’s a scary reminder of the harm tobacco smoke can do but also shows all the short-‐ and long-‐term health gains you’ll get by quipng today. 20 minutes after quitting
1 to 2 weeks after quitting
1 year after quitting
10 years after quitting
Heart rate and blood pressure
Circulation and lung function
The risk of getting
drop back to normal levels
improve
coronary heart disease
The risk of dying from lung cancer is half
is half as high as a smoker’s
that of smokers. Risk of getting pancreatic and larynx cancers also decreases.
15 years after quitting
12 hours after quitting
The risk of heart disease
Levels of carbon monoxide in the
is equivalent to that of a
blood drop to normal 1 to 9 weeks after quitting Smoker ‘norms’ (like a constant cough and shortness of breath) become less pronounced. The tiny hairs lining the lungs (cilia) work normally again to clean the lungs and reduce the risk of infection
5 years after quitting
non-smoker’s risk.
The risk of contracting mouth, throat, oesophagus, and bladder cancers is half that of smokers. Risk of cervical cancer and stroke fall too
Source: www.cancer.org
Not only will you experience these health benefits yourself, but you’ll also be saving your family and loved ones from second-‐hand smoke. Breathing in second-‐hand smoke can lead to heart disease, respiratory diseases and cancer. It has been linked to sudden death in infants and can affect healthy pregnancies. Be a healthy role model for a healthy future ‒ help make Fiji Tobacco Free by 2025!
Breath in fresh Fiji air Tips to quit •
Let people know you’re qui_ng – their encouragement can make all the difference
•
Find new ways to relax like walking, music or reading. Keep your hands busy with weaving, drawing, carving, sewing or gardening
•
Watch out for triggers like drinking alcohol. Try to avoid them or come up with strategies like brushing your teeth or chewing gum to help get through them
•
Get rid of everything that supports the habit, like ashtrays and lighters. Find an air freshener or new deodorant to avoid smelly reminders
•
Relapse happens! It is ok if it does, but don’t let one slip-‐ up threaten you and your family’s health
•
Make a “Smoke Save” jar, and place the money you would have spent on cigareIes in there
•
Even mild physical ac*vity helps reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms
•
Ea*ng fruits and vegetables can make cigareIes taste terrible: get your 5 servings a day!
•
Ask your doctor or pharmacist about some nico8ne replacements such as patches or gum to help you get through Just do it
•
WARNING: E-cigarettes E-‐cigareIes (electronic cigareIes) are adver8sed as healthy alterna8ves. There is no evidence for this. Instead they can act as tools to aIract younger people to smoking. They also contain nico8ne, which is very addic8ve and harmful for both the smoker and for bystanders breathing in second-‐hand vapour.
WHAT’S MY HEALTH STATUS? Screening Date: Height: Weight: BMI:
cm kg
Waist circumference
(males aim for less than 102 cm, females 88 cm)
Waist to hip ratio (males aim for less than 1, females less than 0.85)
Total cholesterol
(aim for less than 5.2 mmol/L)
Fasting blood sugar
(aim for between ≤6 mmol/L)
Blood pressure:
(aim for less than 140/90 mm Hg)
Risk of having a cardiovascular event in the next 10 years:
%
Live healthy, stay healthy
Less sugar, more fruit
Less junk, more vegetables Less soft drink, more water Less sitting, more walking Less salt, more natural flavours Less smoke, more fresh air Less alcohol, more family time Less worry, more good sleep
Less talk, more action