Diets high in carbohydrates and sugar, saturated fats and salt can lead to serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
These diets also tend to have a lot of calories and can cause unhealthy weight gain. If you’re overweight or obese, you have a higher risk for cancer, heart attacks and stroke.
Too busy to make a meal plan from scratch?
Many healthy diets can give you guidance and inspiration. For example, the Mediterranean Diet is rich in healthy fats, fish, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
3. Quit bad lifestyle habits
Cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol intake have been linked to cancer, stroke, and diseases of the lung, heart and kidneys.
It can be hard to quit smoking and drinking, but it’s one of the best decisions you can make for your health. To cope with initial cravings, reach out to support groups or friends who have quit. You can also exercise, meditate, or distract yourself with a new hobby.
4. Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity can protect OFWs from critical illness. It strengthens your heart, muscles, and bones. It improves your mood by releasing endorphins. It also burns calories and helps you stay at a healthy weight.
Physical activity isn’t just limited to “formal” exercise like going to the gym or doing sports. Commuting to work, house chores, walking – or any activity where you’re moving your muscles and burning energy – can contribute to your fitness goals.
Here are some ways OFWs can increase physical activity, even if you don’t have a lot of time or space for large equipment.
- Jumping rope. It strengthens your heart and muscles and can support weight loss – and you can do it anywhere!
- HIIT exercises. HIIT, or high intensity interval training can burn a lot of calories and fat in a short amount of time. You can find free HIIT exercises on YouTube.
- Walking videos. You can still get your 10,000 steps even if you work on a ship, or in a country with extreme weather. YouTube has hundreds of routines where you walk in place to lively music and encouragement from your “coach”.
The key is to get physical activity throughout the day. If you have a sedentary office job, take short walking breaks every 45 minutes. On weekends, combine exercise with recreation, like going hiking with friends. Think of it as “staying active” rather than just “exercising when you have time”.
5. Find positive ways to manage stress
Chronic stress doesn’t just affect your mental health. It can weaken your immune system, disrupt sleep, increase blood pressure, and even prompt your body to store more fat. It affects all the systems of the body and has been linked to serious health problems including heart disease and stroke.
You can’t completely avoid or escape stress. For example, first-time OFWs may have a hard time adjusting to a new job and culture. And everyone experiences challenges and setbacks – it’s just part of life.
However, you can find positive ways of managing stress: meditation, exercise, enjoyable hobbies, spending time with friends, etc. Set aside one hour a day just for doing something that makes you happy. “Me Time” is not a luxury; it’s a healthy habit that can protect OFWs from critical illness.
6. Get enough sleep
Quality sleep is important for your immune system, hormonal balance, tissue healing and cell generation, and other important body functions. Chronic lack of sleep has been linked to a higher risk for hypertension, heart disease, obesity and other critical illnesses.
Unfortunately, many OFWs lack quality sleep because of long work hours or disruptions to the body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel drowsy. If you work in a country that has four seasons, the lack of sunlight during winter lowers melatonin levels. If you use gadgets at night to relax or call your family back home, the blue light emitted from the screens can affect melatonin production.
Try to get between seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid alcohol and caffeine late in the day, and turn off all gadgets at least one hour before bedtime. Rituals like taking a warm bath or listening to music can also create “sleep cues” that help you wind down and prepare for rest.
7. Get an insurance plan that protects OFWs from critical illness costs
Regular check-ups, healthy eating habits, exercise and self-care can lower your risk for serious health problems. However, it’s still important to plan for any unexpected medical emergencies.
Critical Care 100 is a comprehensive life insurance plan that protects you against up to 100 critical illnesses until you’re 100. If you’re diagnosed, you get a cash benefit you can use for medical treatment. You can also use riders to increase benefits if you’re diagnosed with gender-specific cancers or receive a recovery income.
Critical Care 100 also comes with a wellness program that supports your efforts to have a healthier lifestyle. AIA Vitality tracks your health, provides incentives to improve your lifestyle, boosts your plan's benefits and helps you save with our many partner brands. For example, you can get discounts on fitness watches – and even save on international and domestic airline tickets!
To know more about Critical Care 100 and AIA Vitality, visit any BPI branch and speak to a Bancassurance Sales Executive.
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