Having a Healthy Lifestyle

We all know the phrase 'you are what you eat' but a healthy lifestyle is so much more than just what you have for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It involves elements that you might not even be aware of such as mental wellbeing and stress management.

Physical activity is also important in a healthy lifestyle. According to the Australian Heart Foundation 'the good news is that activity doesn't have to be vigorous - moderate activity, such as brisk walking, is great for your health!' The Heart Foundation and other leading authorities recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on all or most days of the week.
 
Stress is a hard concept to measure, but there is a clear link between people who experience depression, social isolation or a lack of social support and health problems.

So what can we do to lead a healthy lifestyle?

Check out the Heart Foundation's top five tips:

• Small changes to your eating habits can make a big difference.
• Try switching to reduced fat milk instead of full fat milk
• Look for ways to build physical activity into your day.
• Review the changes you’ve made and note how you are feeling.  Changes should be long term.
• Reward yourself – when a change becomes a habit, buy yourself some new clothes, or visit a place you enjoy.
• Keep going with your changes – it’s normal to have days when it all becomes too hard, but don’t worry about it.  Just keep going with your changes the next day.