It’s never too late to make a change, so celebrate June by turning over a new leaf and focusing on what your health really needs, says Karen Fittall. When it comes to your wellbeing later is better than never.
June’s halfway mark on the calendar is the perfect opportunity to make 2021 the year your wellbeing resolutions stick. If you committed to get healthy and concentrate on your wellbeing in January but it somehow went by the wayside don’t despair and don’t wait until the New Year for action. Mid-year is the perfect time to take stock and focus on what really matters to your health and wellbeing. But with so much, often conflicting, health advice floating around it can be difficult to know which bits to prioritise and what you can overlook.
So after digging into the latest research and talking to the experts, here are the mid-year must dos for the next six months that will make a big difference to your wellbeing.
Do it daily
Floss your teeth
Brushing your teeth twice a day is vital but, according to the Australian Dental Association, it won’t prevent dental decay and gum disease on its own – you need to clean between your teeth as well.
BONUS BENEFIT Protect against dementia: US scientists have found that gum disease is a risk factor for dementia. If you develop gum disease before turning 35, you quadruple your risk of Alzheimer’s later in life.
DO IT: Use a gentle sawing motion, so that you rub against the sides of your teeth. And if you haven’t flossed for a while, don’t worry if your gums bleed slightly to start with.
Get the right amount of sleep
It’ll keep your memory fighting fit, regulate hunger hormones and could help you live longer.
BONUS BENEFIT Protect your relationship: Researchers in Arizona found fighting with your partner during the day tended to lead to a bad night’s sleep and that, as part of a vicious cycle, your poor sleep quality could then lead to more conflict the next day.
DO IT Late last year, California researchers revealed that older women who get between five and six-and-a-half hours of sleep a night live longer than those who get too little or too much sleep. It backs up an earlier study that found sleeping for more than eight hours or less than four on average was bad news for longevity.
Eat breakfast
People who eat breakfast are more successful at maintaining a healthy weight. Dietitian Alison Graham explains: “Not only do people who eat breakfast tend to have better eating habits and more nutritious diets, because they start the day with quality fuel, they’re also less likely to snack during the day.”
BONUS BENEFIT Help prevent diabetes and heart disease: “Compared to those who ate breakfast both as a child and an adult,” says Kylie Smith, lead author of a University of Tasmania study investigating the importance of breakfast, “those who skipped breakfast on both occasions had a larger waist circumference, and had higher fasting insulin, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, which are all risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.” DO IT: Put eggs on the menu first thing. American researchers say that for people actively trying to lose weight, eating two eggs for breakfast rather than bagels with the same kilojoule count, resulted in 65 per cent more weight loss.
Limit how much saturated fat you eat
It’s the saturated fat, not the cholesterol in foods, that’s the real culprit for raising blood cholesterol, which is a risk factor for heart disease – the number one killer of Australian women.
BONUS BENEFIT Decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s: Curtin University researchers have linked diets high in saturated fat with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. Saturated fat damages the ‘blood-brain barrier’, allowing more amyloid – a protein that causes cell death and is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease – to be deposited from the blood to the brain.
DO IT While foods low in saturated fat shouldn’t contain more than 1.58 per 100g serve, for good health don’t consume more than 20g of saturated fat each day. Worryingly, statistics show that the average Australian eats more than double that amount of saturated fat daily.
Do it weekly
Eat fish at least twice
But three times is best. Fish contains long chain omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, reports the Heart Foundation. They’ve also been shown to help lower the risk of depression.
BONUS BENEFIT Protect your eyesight: US researchers confirmed a link between omega-3s and protection against macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Australia.
DO IT One serving of fish is about 150g, roughly the size of the palm of your hand; and different types of fish deliver different amounts of omega-3. Choose oily fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel and tuna to maximise intake.
Exercise for at least 3.5 hours
This means finding 30 minutes a day to be physically active – the bare minimum we need for good health. But if you’re trying to avoid weight gain, you should double that figure. While Australia doesn’t have any guidelines about exercising for weight loss, the US does, and they recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity daily – or seven hours a week.
BONUS BENEFIT Fight the ageing process: Researchers believe exercise encourages the release of a particular enzyme that prolongs the life expectancy of cells.
DO IT You don’t have to do it all at once – while you should aim for at least 10 minutes of exercise per session, it all adds up. And include a mix of cardio and weight-bearing exercises to strengthen your bones. “Weight Bearing exercise includes activities like skipping, hopping or jumping,” says Osteoporosis Australia’s medical director Professor Peter Ebeling.
Eat lean red meat three times
As many as 36 per cent of Australian women are iron deficient, which leaves you feeling tired and lacking energy. “It’s also involved in immunity,” says dietitian Geraldine Georgeou. “Not enough iron and the body’s immune response doesn’t kick in like it should.”
BONUS BENEFIT Protect your fertility: In a US study, a lower intake of iron was found to be among the factors that contributed to an increased risk of ovarian failure-related infertility. DO IT While many foods contain iron, haem iron from meat sources is best because it’s more easily absorbed. “So even with a ‘healthy diet full of green, leafy vegetables, people are potentially fooling themselves into believing they’re eating enough iron,” says Georgeou. For example, a 100g steak and 1/2 cup of cooked spinach contain the same amount of iron, but you’ll absorb 0.66g of iron from the meat and only 0.15g from the greens.
Weigh yourself
A review of 12 studies revealed that people who weigh themselves once a week are more likely to prevent weight gain or even lose some, if that’s the goal, compared to people who don’t weigh themselves.
BONUS BENEFIT: Keep your appetite in check: Maintaining a healthy weight plays a role in regulating food intake thanks to leptin, a hormone produced by the body’s fat cells to tell the brain when you’re full. Carry too much weight and more leptin is produced, until the brain eventually loses its sensitivity to the ‘I’m full’ message.
DO IT: “Remember that weight fluctuates quite a bit throughout the day, so weigh yourself at a similar time each day,” says Tania Ferraretto, spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia.
Do it every six months
Visit the dentist
Along with good oral hygiene and a healthy, low-sugar diet, regular visits to the dentist can reduce the risk of tooth decay, gum disease and tooth loss.
BONUS BENEFIT Reduce your risk of having a stroke: It seems that the more of your own teeth you keep as you age, the better it is for your health. Studies in Japan have found that people who have fewer than 24 of their own teeth are 60 per cent more likely to have a stroke.
DO IT: A recent survey showed that 57 per cent of Australian adults hadn’t visited a dentist in the past 12 months because they were too scared, too time poor, or because they only make an appointment when there’s a problem. Australians are advised to visit a dentist for a preventative check-up once every six months.
Check your skin, twice
Research shows that 50 percent of melanoma lesions are detected by the person themselves, and the Cancer Council recommends performing a ‘self skin check’ every three months. Forty per cent of men and 36 percent of women admit that they don’t check their skin even once yearly.
BONUS BENEFIT Protect against other cancers: Another reason to catch skin changes early according to a study, having had melanoma puts you at risk of other skin cancers, and can increase the risk of secondary cancers, including breast and prostate cancers.
DO IT Dermatologists advise getting your partner involved, saying that 30 percent of melanoma lesions are initially found by a person’s spouse. For more information on how to perform a skin check, visit www. cancercouncil.com.au, click Preventing cancer’ and visit ‘Check-ups and screening’.
You can forget about…
Drinking eight glasses of water a day: Scientists at the US’s Dartmouth Medical School have debunked this as a myth, saying that the eight-glass-a-day rule lacks scientific proof. Hot weather and strenuous exercise are exceptions, but because a wide variety of foods and drinks contribute to fluid intake, slavishly drinking eight glasses of water is probably unnecessary.
Limiting how many eggs you eat each week: Old advice recommended cutting back on eggs for a healthy heart, but today eggs carry the Heart Foundation Tick of approval and you can eat up to six a week as part of a healthy, balanced diet. While eggs contain about 5g of fat, it’s mostly good fat.
Taking aspirin daily to prevent a heart attack if you’re healthy: “In patients with a history of heart disease, there’s no doubt that aspirin is beneficial” says Dr James Shaw, cardiologist and senior researcher at the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute. “But for otherwise healthy people, there doesn’t appear to be any significant benefit to adding aspirin.”
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