Your physical health

Healthy eating

Having a healthy diet is a key factor in maintaining physical health and preventing many diseases. But what is a healthy diet?

A healthy diet is one that contains all of the nutrients your body needs in order to stay healthy and have enough energy each day. A healthy diet is a balanced diet – this means that it should include a variety of different foods from different food groups (for example, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, bread, eggs, and also plenty of water).

By eating a healthy, balanced diet, your body gets the vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly, to stay fit and healthy, and to grow and develop.

The Eatwell Guide defines government recommendations on eating a healthy and balanced diet. This guidance states that a healthy diet should include:

• At least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day
• Meals based on starchy foods, such as bread, rice, pasta and potatoes
• Some dairy foods (or alternatives), such as milk, cheese and yoghurt
• Sources of protein, such as fish, eggs, meat and pulses
• At least two portions of fish every week (one of which should be oily, such as salmon or mackerel)
• Only small amounts of unsaturated oils and spreads
• Only small amounts of foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar
• Plenty of fluids (6-8 glasses a day)

Good hydration

According to the Eatwell Guide, the government recommends that we drink 6-8 cups/glasses a day.

Water, low-fat dairy drinks, tea, coffee and low-fat/sugar-free drinks all count towards this 6-8 cups/glasses a day target. Fruit juices and smoothies can also count, but they should be limited to one glass (150ml) per day, as they contain a lot of sugar.

Your body needs water or other fluids to perform many essential functions – for example, it helps to remove toxins and waste from the body, it helps to maintain healthy blood circulation, it helps to regulate body temperature and it helps to prevent dehydration. Your body loses water naturally every day, through the process of sweating, urinating and breathing…so it’s important to replace this water by making sure you drink enough water (or other fluids) throughout the day.

Getting enough sleep

Getting enough sleep also plays an important part in helping you to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. Teenagers need between 8 and 10 hours’ good quality sleep every night.

If you don’t get enough sleep:

• You can become moody and short-tempered, which can have a negative effect on your relationships with friends and family
• You can struggle to deal with certain emotions – problems seem so much worse when you are tired
• You will feel tired and find it difficult to focus on tasks during the day, such as school work
• You can become more prone to illness, as your body is tired and less able to fight off infections
• Your body fat can increase – this is because the hormones linked to your appetite are regulated when you sleep

Here are some tips for getting enough sleep…

• Have a sleep routine – try to go to bed at around the same time every evening, and wake up at the same time every morning.
• Doing some exercise each day will help with your sleep routine – it will use up your energy and make you feel more tired and ready for sleep.
• Relax before bedtime – perhaps read a book or listen to some music.
• Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks in the evening – the caffeine is a stimulant and will make you feel wide awake!
• Avoid any screen time before you go to sleep – the light that is given off by screens on our tablets and phones can affect our body’s ability to shut off and go to sleep.

Active lifestyles

Another factor that can have a positive impact on your health is having an active lifestyle.

An active lifestyle helps to support strong physical and mental health. Regular physical activity can also help to reduce the risk of developing certain diseases, such as cancer, type 2 diabetes and obesity. It is important to be active at every age, in order to stay fit and healthy throughout life.

For most people, the easiest way to get moving is to make activity a part of their everyday life, like walking or cycling instead of using the car or bus to get around.

The benefits of exercise

• It helps you to sleep better.
• It helps to make you feel good and gives you a sense of achievement.
• It increases your stamina, which is all about being able to keep going for longer periods of time without being out of breath (this is because exercise helps to strengthen your lungs and keep them healthy).
• It strengthens your muscles and keeps them toned.
• It helps you to become more flexible.
• It helps to keep your bones strong.
• It keeps your heart healthy.
• It burns calories contained in the food you eat – this can help to control your weight, or help you to lose weight if you need to.
• It helps your body to release endorphins (which are chemicals in your brain that help to relieve pain and stress, and boost feelings of happiness) – this can have a positive impact on mental and emotional wellbeing.

The National Health Service (NHS) sets out guidelines for the amount of physical activity that we should aim to do each week. You can click here to find out more about these guidelines.

How does your current level of physical activity compare to the guidelines for your age group?

Personal hygiene

Good personal hygiene is important, in order to keep your body clean and to help prevent illness/infection.

Many illnesses and infections can be caused by poor hygiene – these include:

• Food poisoning (caused by bacteria such as E.coli or salmonella)
• Gastroenteritis
• Diarrhoea
• Pneumonia
• Skin infections
• Fungal infections (such as athlete’s foot)
• Coughs, colds and flu
• Scabies
• Head lice

Here are some hints and tips for good personal hygiene:

• Hand hygiene: Keeping your hands clean by washing them regularly is one of the best ways of protecting yourself from illnesses and preventing the spread of infection. For example, you should always wash your hands after using the toilet, after wiping or blowing your nose, after any contact with blood or bodily fluids (e.g. vomit), after handling pets, after changing a baby’s nappy, before preparing/handling any food and immediately after touching raw food (such as chicken or meat).
• Hair hygiene: Your hair will become dirty and greasy, if it isn’t washed regularly. Poor hair hygiene can cause dandruff (dead skin on the scalp, which falls off in tiny white flakes) and skin infections. You should take care to wash your hair regularly (at least twice weekly, but preferably once every other day). Bear in mind that head lice can occur in any hair (clean or dirty), so it’s important to check hair regularly (especially in children of school age).
• Skin care: It’s important to have a shower or a bath regularly, to keep our skin clean and remove any bacteria that could cause body odour. It’s also particularly important to take care of the skin on our face, especially for young people who may experience skin problems such as acne during puberty. You should wash your face regularly, with soap or a facewash that is suitable for your type of skin – this will help to remove excess oil from the skin and prevent the growth of bacteria (which can cause spots).

Avoid harmful substances

There are certain substances that pose a risk to your health – these include tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs.

• Tobacco: Tobacco is found in cigarettes and, when you smoke a cigarette, tobacco smoke is produced (which is inhaled by the smoker, and also those around them). Tobacco smoke contains many harmful substances, such as carbon monoxide, tar and toxic chemicals such as benzene, arsenic and formaldehyde (many of these chemicals are known to cause cancer). Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths and illness in the UK; around 80,000 deaths each year are linked to smoking.
• Alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol can lead to health problems. The government guidelines around alcohol recommend a weekly limit of 14 units – if a person regularly drinks more than 14 units of alcohol a week, they risk damaging their health. 14 units equates to around 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of wine. The type of health risks associated with drinking too much include increased risk of certain cancers (including throat cancer and breast cancer), stroke, heart disease and brain damage.
• Illegal drugs: It is against the law to own, sell and use these drugs and they are considered to be highly damaging to your health. Use of illegal drugs can be harmful to your health in the short-term and the long-term, and can also lead to addiction and a risk of fatal overdose. You can click here to read more about different types of drugs and the effects they can have on your health.