WHO’s tips on how to ensure good health and safe living conditions

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April 15, 2021

The World Health Organisation keeps sharing any new discoveries, findings, learnings, study reports etc pertaining to the Health sector that it finds worthy of noting. You may find WHO also sharing information on commemorative Health Days or on issues of regular care of Health. Here is what WHO says about 12 basic mantras (principles) that we must take care of to stay healthy.

WHO’s 12 Tips to be Healthy:

Eat a Healthy Diet: We are, after all, what we eat. If what we eat is deficient in nutrition, our body will be like the malnourished army asked to go fight an enemy – vulnerable and weak in crucial spots. Eating right will keep us healthy and fitter to combat infections and day to day grind.
Be physically active, every day, your way: The COVID-19 pandemic means that many of us are staying at home and sitting down more than we usually do. It’s hard for a lot of us to do the sort of exercise we normally do. It’s even harder for people who don’t usually do a lot of physical exercises. But at a time like this, it’s very important for people of all ages and abilities to be as active as possible. WHO’s Be Active campaign aims to help you do just that – and to have some fun at the same time. Remember – Just taking a short break from sitting, by doing 3-4 minutes of light intensity physical movement, such as walking or stretching, will help ease your muscles and improve blood circulation and muscle activity.
Get vaccinated: All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in India have been shown to be safe and effective at preventing COVID-19. Learn more about the different COVID-19 vaccines. All COVID-19 vaccines that are in development are being carefully evaluated in clinical trials and will be authorised or approved only if they make it substantially less likely you will get COVID-19. Based on what we know about vaccines for other diseases and early data from clinical trials, experts believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine also helps keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19. Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
Do not use any form of tobacco: One cannot give more ‘gyaan‘ on how bad tobacco is for health. To get motivated to quit smoking, you need a powerful, personal reason to quit. It may be to protect your family from secondhand smoke. Or lower your chance of getting lung cancer, heart disease, or other conditions. Or to look and feel younger. Choose a reason that is strong enough to outweigh the urge to light up. Kick the cigarette butt out of your life.
Avoid or minimise the use of alcohol: Make a plan. Before you start drinking, set a limit on how much you’re going to drink. Also, set a budget to spend only a fixed amount of money on alcohol. If you let your friends and family know you’re cutting down and that it’s important to you, you could get support from them. Cut down a little each day.
Manage stress for your physical and mental health: One can be overwhelmed once in a while juggling work, family, and other commitments. You need to set time aside to unwind or your mental and physical health can suffer. Working out, eating well, stretching and relaxing, breathing exercises, slowing down – de-stressing is a combination of things.
Practice good hygiene: Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. This eliminates germs including viruses that may be on your hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and infect you. Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately into a closed bin and wash your hands. By following good ‘respiratory hygiene’, you protect the people around you from viruses, which cause colds, flu and COVID-19. Clean and disinfect surfaces frequently especially those which are regularly touched, such as door handles, faucets and phone screens.
Don’t speed or drink-and-drive: Not only is getting behind the wheels of any vehicle when you are intoxicated – a legal crime, it is also irresponsible social and moral ethics. Any amount of alcohol in your bloodstream can impact your driving ability. You putting yourself and others at risk for causing an accident or highway injury. Safe driving requires the ability to concentrate, make good judgements and quickly react to situations. However, alcohol affects these skills, putting yourself and others in danger.
Wear a seat belt when driving and a helmet when cycling: Seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about half, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The simple act of wearing a seat belt is the single most effective way to reduce the risk of fatality in a crash.
Practice safe sex: According to Hopkins Medicine Dot Org, one must limit one’s sexual activity to only one partner who is having sex only with you to reduce exposure to disease-causing organisms. Follow these guidelines, which may provide for safer sex: Think twice before beginning sexual relations with a new partner. First, discuss past partners, history of STIs, and drug use. Use condoms every time you have sex. Choose a male condom made of latex or polyurethane–not natural materials.
Regularly check your health: A regular check-up can help in recovering your body from any health concerns. Increases life span – by doing a regular check-up of your body and health, you can be assured of how healthy you are. You can increase your lifespan by catching an illness in the bud. Or averting a developing condition from taking over your body.
Breastfeeding best for babies: Breast milk is nature’s perfect baby food and it also helps the mother-baby bond to strengthen. It contains immunity-boosting antibodies and healthy enzymes that scientists have yet to replicate. Breastfeeding protects babies against allergies and eczema. It causes the baby fewer stomach upset, diarrhoea, and constipation than formula makes vaccines (to baby) more effective and reduces the risk of viruses, urinary tract infections, inflammatory bowel disease, gastroenteritis, ear infections, and respiratory infection.