A healthy, balanced diet is a great way to start 2019 and beyond. The food and drinks we consume can have a significant impact on our bodies’ ability to fight infection, and also how likely we are later in life to develop serious health issues, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

The ingredients that make up a healthy diet depend on a variety of factors, including how old we are and how active we are. It also depends on the types of food available in our communities. There are a few common food tips that can help us live healthier and longer, regardless of our culture.

Variety is the key to a healthy diet.

The human body is incredibly complex. No single food can provide all the nutrients it needs to function at its best. To keep us healthy, our diets should include a variety of nutritious and fresh foods.

Here are some tips on how to eat a balanced meal:

• Aim to include a variety of foods in your diet. Include grains like wheat, maize and rice, legumes such as lentils and beans and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Meat, fish, egg and milk).
• Wholegrains like brown rice, unprocessed oats and wheat, or unprocessed millet are high in fibre, and they can make you feel more satisfied for longer.
• Choose fresh fruit and vegetables as snacks instead of foods high in sugars, fats, or salt.

Salt is a salty food.

Too much sodium can increase blood pressure. This is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease. The majority of people in the world consume too much salt. On average, they consume twice the we recommended limit of 5g (equivalent to one teaspoon) per day.

We should still be aware of the fact that salt is often added to processed foods and drinks in large amounts.

Reduce your salt intake with these tips:

• Use salt sparingly when cooking and preparing food. Also, reduce the use of condiments and sauces that are high in salt (such as soy sauce, fish sauce or stock).
• Choose fresh, healthy snacks instead of processed snacks.
• Choose canned or dried fruits, vegetables and nuts that do not contain added sugars and salt.
• You will enjoy more flavorful food with less sodium if you remove salt from the table. Our taste buds can adjust quickly.
• Choose foods with low sodium levels by checking the label.

Reduce the use of certain oils and fats.

All of us need fats in our diets, but eating too many, especially the wrong types, increases your risk for obesity, heart disease, and stroke. Industrially-produced trans fats are the most hazardous for health. This type of fat can increase heart disease risk by almost 30%.

Tips to reduce fat intake:

• You can replace butter, lard, and ghee by healthier oils like soybean, corn, canola, safflower, and sunflower.
• Trim meat to remove visible fat, and limit consumption of processed meats.
• Instead of frying, try steaming or boiling your food.
• Check labels and always avoid all processed, fast and fried foods that contain industrially-produced trans fat. This trans fat is found in pre-packaged foods, fast food, fried and baked foods, margarine, ghee and other processed foods.

Limit sugar intake.

Sugar is bad for teeth and can cause obesity. It also increases the risk of weight gain, which can lead serious chronic health issues.

It’s also important to be aware of how much sugar is “hidden” in processed foods and drinks. One can of soda, for example, can contain as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar.

Here are some tips on how to reduce your sugar intake.

• Avoid sugary drinks and sweets such as fizzy beverages, fruit juices, juice drinks and liquid concentrates. Also, avoid flavoured waters, energy drinks and sports drinks.
• Healthy fresh snacks are better than processed food.
• Sugary foods should not be given to children. Children under two years old should not have sugar or salt added to their complementary foods.

Alcohol is harmful and hazardous.

In many cultures, heavy drinking is associated with New Year’s festivities. Drinking too much or too often increases the risk of injury and can also have long-term consequences such as liver damage, heart disease, cancer, and mental illness.

Our states that alcohol consumption is not safe at any level. For many people, even moderate alcohol consumption can have serious health consequences.

• It is OK to not drink alcohol.
• If you are pregnant or nursing, if you drive or operate machinery or engage in other activities with risks associated with them, if you have health issues that alcohol may exacerbate or aggravate; if you take medicines that interact directly with alcohol or a combination of both; or unless you can control your drinking.
• Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or psychoactive substances. Your health worker can provide you with guidance or you can contact a specialist service. We also created a Self-Help Guide for people who want to reduce or stop their use.