SIMPLE STEPS TO HEALTHY LIVING

To live a healthy life, we must first understand why we fall sick.  We must know that illness is not caused by sin, bad karma, evil spirits, Satan, demon possession, witchcraft, wind, obstruction of Qi along the meridians, imbalance between yin and yang, accumulation of toxins, or sheer bad luck!

According to science, the causes of disease are remembered by the mnemonic "VINDICATE": 
 
V – Vascular

I – Infectious/inflammatory

N – Neoplastic

D – Drugs/toxins

I – Intervention/iatrogenic/idiopathic

C – Congenital/developmental

A – Autoimmune/allergic

T – Trauma

E – Endocrine/metabolic

From the above list, we can surmise that some causes of disease are beyond our control.  But, of those that are amenable to risk reduction, I can recommend the following:

1. Eat right.

(a) Reduce calorie intake.
(b) Reduce fat intake.
(c) Reduce salt intake.
(d) Reduce sugar intake.
(e) Healthy food choices include yogurt, nuts, fruits, whole grains, vegetables, fish, chicken breast and plain water.

2. Exercise regularly.

(a) Brisk walk, swim or cycle for 30 to 45 minutes 5 times a week.
(b) Work with weights or isometric exercises 5 times a week.

3. Keep an optimal body weight: body mass index (BMI) of between 18.5 to 23.0 for Asians or 20.0 to 25.0 for non-Asians. BMI = weight in kilogrammes/square of height in metres.

4. Avoid bad habits like smoking, alcohol and unprotected sex.

5. Sleep between 6 to 8 hours nightly.

6. Avoid or reduce stress in your life.

7. Be happy, optimistic and contented in your outlook.

So, there you have it.  Healthy living is quite simple.  The difficult part is sticking to it.  That would require discipline, determination and perseverance.  So, keep at it.  You have my support!