Tips for staying healthy

A healthy lifestyle can help you move forward throughout life. However, choosing healthy options is not always easy. It can be difficult to find the time and energy to exercise regularly or prepare healthy meals. However, your efforts will be beneficial in many ways and for the rest of your life. 

Steps you can take

Be physically active for 30 minutes most days for weeks. If pressed for time, break it into three sessions of 10 minutes each. Tips for healthy life activity can include walking, playing sports, dancing, yoga, running, or other activities you enjoy. 

Eat a balanced, low-fat diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in sugar, salt and total fat. 

Avoid injuries by wearing seat belts and bike helmets, using smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at home, and using Street Smart when riding alone. If you own a gun, recognize the dangers of keeping a gun in your home. Take safety precautions at all times.

Don’t smoke, or quit if you do. Ask your healthcare provider for help. UCSF’s Tobacco Education Center offers smoking cessation classes as well as doctor counselling for those trying to quit. 

If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. Never drink alcohol before driving or during pregnancy. 

If you think you may be addicted to drugs or alcohol, seek help from someone you trust. 

Help prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS by using condoms every time you have sex. Condoms are not 100 percent foolproof, so discuss STI screening with your provider. Birth control methods other than condoms, such as the pill and implants, will not protect you from STIs or HIV. 

Brush your teeth after meals with a soft or medium bristle toothbrush. Also brush your teeth after drinking alcohol and before going to bed. Use dental floss daily.

Stay out of the sun, especially between 10 am and 3 pm. When the sun’s harmful rays are strongest. You are not protected if it is cloudy or you are in water – harmful rays pass through both. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Choose sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of the sun’s rays.

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