The women’s majlis: Healthy living can be many things

Each month, Weekend will pose a different question to be debated on by a series of female Emirati columnists. This week, we ask Mashael Khaled:

What are the best ways to improve the overall health of UAE citizens?

Healthy: does it mean being free of disease? Is it having healthy habits such as exercising, eating healthy food and not smoking? Or is it having a happy social life and being positive? Being healthy is a combination of all of those, or maybe most of them. I might be diabetic, for example, and still be “healthy”.

Diabetes, obesity, hypertension and some other cardiovascular diseases are prevalent within our society. Having a healthy lifestyle will help in reducing the risks of developing those diseases. One of the most important things is to undergo clinical screenings regularly, especially if you have a family history of any type of genetic disease. Screenings help early detection and preventing occurrence of the disease. As we say in Arabic “prevention is better than treatment”.

When it comes to exercise, the most common phrase is “I don’t have time”. We spend half of our day in school, university or work; however, we still should have some time to do some physical exercise. It’s all about time management: half an hour a day will make a difference. Physical exercise has lots of benefits for us, including preventing many diseases, deepening our sleep and releasing tension and negative energy from our bodies, which helps us to feel happy and relaxed. Don’t think about physical exercise as something that you have to do; think of it as something for you. Decide how you do it, where and when. It shouldn’t be in a gym only. You can exercise at home or in any public place: jogging, swimming, cycling or whatever you prefer and enjoy.

We should learn how to eat intelligently and how to make smart choices. Eating healthy food doesn’t mean only fruit and vegetables: you can enjoy your favourite food in a healthy way. You only need to be aware what nutrients and ingredients your food contains, such as the type and amount of fat, sugar, protein, carbohydrates and additives. Reading labels before choosing products can help a lot in switching to a healthier diet. Also, if you’re in a restaurant and choose to eat a burger, for example, Google it and check what it contains before you decide whether you will have that or something else. You can always ask the waitress to make a slight change to your meal to make it healthier, such as using olive oil instead of butter, switching to low-fat cheese or choosing grilled instead of fried.

Smoking is bad for our health and most of us know what harm it can cause to our bodies. Smoking is addictive, but if you think about the benefits you will get from not smoking, you can quit successfully.

An important part of being healthy is your psychological condition, so try to think positively, get a restful sleep and enjoy your life as much as possible.

Mashael Khaled is a health science graduate who is working as a cardiovascular officer at Health Authority Abu Dhabi.

weekend@thenational.ae