The majority of us could be that little bit healthier than we already are. Whether that means implementing a bit more exercise into your daily routine, changing what we eat or drinking more H₂0; all these relatively small changes can make a drastic difference, long-term to your health.

This week is National Obesity Awareness and this year the focus is all on ‘U’ and how ‘U’ can do something good for ‘U’ this JanUary.

From the 9^th – 15^th of January, we’re going to be sharing tips on how you can improve your health for the better. Remember, small changes can make BIG difference, so stay tuned on our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for handy hints throughout the week.

The Stats

Obesity has been classed as a major public health problem as the main link between diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension) and hyperlipidaemia (high levels of fats in the blood).

All of these are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other cardiovascular related fatalities.

According to the Health Survey for England (HSE) 2014, 58% of women and 65% of men were overweight or obese and is estimated to be the fourth largest risk factor relating to deaths in England.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

A healthy approach to your daily diet is one of the simplest ways to improve our overall health and aiming to keep a well-balanced, varied diet including a balanced mix of the 5 basic food groups is the best way to maintain a healthy diet.

Including fruit and vegetables, starch-rich foods, milk and dairy products, meats and fish, and a small amount of saturated fats is the best way to achieve a healthy diet for you and your family.

By implementing a balanced diet into your lifestyle, you’ll be lowering your risk to contracting coronary heart disease and further reduce your chances of high cholesterol levels, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Feel the Burn

When many people hear the term ‘exercise’ they run – for a short while – away in horror, but healthy living isn’t just about what you put into your body, it’s about how you use your body and exercise is a major contributing factor to leading a healthy lifestyle.

When implementing exercise, you don’t have to run a marathon or stretch so much that even an Olympic gymnast would flinch. Exercise is entirely your choice; you can do what you feel comfortable with, whether that means actually using that gym membership you signed up for last January, or walking 30 minutes every day, every little helps when it comes to exercising.

By exercising you can lower your cholesterol and fat levels. Exercising will also aid your arteries in being flexible which will ensure good blood flow and a regular blood pressure level.

H₂0

Drinking plenty water ensures that the body is hydrated. Being hydrated helps the heart to effectively pump blood through the blood vessels to the muscles.

Water doesn’t just come from a tap or Highland Springs, water is found in various foods; fruits and vegetables contain high percentages of water.

“If you’re well hydrated, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard” John Batson, M.D.

Dehydration can be a serious condition that can lead to many problems. Problems as little as a headache are caused by dehydration as are life-threatening illnesses as heat stroke.

New Year, New You

It’s quite lucky that National Obesity Awareness falls in line with the New Year really as many of our New Year’s Resolution tend to be based around health.

By implementing some of the little changes into your life-style can assist in making all the difference to you and your weight and your heart.

What are ‘U’ doing to get involved with National Obesity Awareness? Are you going to make the little changes to ensure your ticker is still tocking? Why not leave us a comment about your plans for JanUary or alternatively, Tweet us @defibshop and share your thoughts with us.