Healthy Lifestyle: Balance is Key

Healthy eating habits, regular exercise and proper stress management are key to a healthy lifestyle. It is all about striking a balance.

Eating well is not just a joy but also a skill. We get more out of our food if we understand what food is, what good and bad things different foods contain, how much nourishment we need and how to be sure we are getting it. Healthy eating habits include having a balanced diet 5 that comprises a combination of several different food types. The idea of a balanced diet includes eating food in the right proportions to get all the nutrients our body needs. It is not having roughly equal measures of everything. It is about striking a balance, so that there should be a lot of some foods and just a little of others. For example, fats and oils are important

in our diet for various reasons, from absorption of fat-soluble vitamins to providing us with 10 ^s energy. However, we only need a small amount of these compared to fruit and vegetables of which we need a lot, or food with protein which we only need in moderate amounts.

Healthy eating includes ensuring our daily diet contains fibre-rich foods. There are different types of fibre which fall into two categories - insoluble fibre and soluble fibre. Insoluble fibre acts as a bulking agent which helps to regulate our bowel function, prevent constipation and 15 keep our large intestine healthy. Soluble fibre, on the other hand, helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar levels, thus lowering the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Therefore, having both fibre types in our diet is important.

Physical activity is an essential part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle. We usually find time for things we enjoy and which are fun. Unfortunately, for most of us, exercise is not seen as 20 such, so we tend to omit it. Why is exercise important? When we exercise, our heart exercises too as it pumps blood at an increased rate. We are also using up calories to power our muscles, which helps us to lose weight and keep our body trim. Exercise has also been shown to have a positive effect on a range of medical conditions like hypertension, diabetes and lower back pain.

Being physically active ensures we have good mental health which helps us in stress 25 management. Physical or emotional stress comes naturally when we are anxious or depressed.

It should be managed well so that it does not affect our health. Long-term stress increases the body’s requirement for beta-carotene, vitamin B, the 'energy vitamin', vitamin C, the vital nutrient for immunity, and zinc, essential for growth, healthy skin, overall development and immunity. Getting adequate amounts of these nutrients in our diet is necessary in times of 30 stress for our body to regain its healthy state. Calcium and magnesium are beneficial in calming the body and mind to keep us mentally alert. Eating the right balance of foods that are low in fat and high in carbohydrates can help to strengthen our resistance against stress. Steer clear of junk food that is high in simple sugars. This is because they stimulate the release of adrenalin, the stress hormone, and intensify stress reaction. It acts as a sedative which causes us to be 35 sluggish when we really need to be mentally alert. Learn to unwind by having a relaxing hobby, exercising regularly and having lots of rest to help us overcome stress for better health. Above all, learn to laugh for laughter can reduce stress by lowering the production of the stress hormone. At the same time, laughter raises levels of endorphins and other relaxation-inducing hormones.        

Other keys to a healthy lifestyle include maintaining an ideal body weight that corresponds to our height. Having a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 24 is considered ideal, a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight and individuals who fall into the BMI range of 25 to 34.9 are considered to be at especially high risk for health problems. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle also means maintaining one's BMI index within the ideal range. Leading a healthy lifestyle also means 45 leading a life free from the vices such as alcohol consumption, smoking, excessive intake of coffee and keeping late nights. Drinking and smoking have long been documented as harmful to our health. Too much coffee is also not recommended as the caffeine in the beverage can have a negative effect on our health. Getting enough sleep is just as important for maintaining 50 a healthy life. Our body needs sleep to help the tired muscles rest and repair. Insufficient sleep can affect one's work, studies and relationships with people.

In order to have a healthy lifestyle, we may need to make some changes to our present lifestyle to enjoy a healthier, happier and perhaps longer life.

Word Bank

insoluble - tidak larut

omit - tidak dimasukkan

sluggish -lembap

Answer all the questions. You are advised to answer them in the order set.

From paragraph 2:

a. What is a “balanced diet”?

A diet that comprises a combination of different food types.

b. How is a diet considered ‘balanced’?

When the food eaten is in the right proportions to meet the needs of the body.

Why should we eat a lot of fruit and vegetables?

They are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

From the evidence in paragraph 3:

a. Why do we need to eat food which contain insoluble fibre?

They help to regulate our bowel functions, prevent constipation and keep our large intestine healthy.

b. How does soluble fibre contribute to good health?

It helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar levels.

In paragraph 5, the writer mentions the need to get ‘adequate amounts of these nutrients’. What does “these nutrients” refer to?

They refer to beta carotene, vitamins B and C and zinc.

In your own words, explain why we should avoid junk food when we are stressed.

Junk food will stimulate the release of adrenaline which acts as a sedative. It will make us sluggish when we really need to be mentally alert.