Modern day life makes it hard for people to live healthily, with bigger portions for everything we eat, a desk-bound job or a long commute and our busy lives often means our own health is at the bottom of our list of priorities. It is well reported that Asian people are more at risk of preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease than the general population. The new ‘One You’ campaign is helping adults aged 40 and over to take control of their health to enjoy significant benefits now, and later in life. One You gives people the chance to reappraise their lifestyle choices, put themselves first and do something about their own health before it’s too late. GP and Broadcaster, Dr Radha Modgil is encouraging people to take a moment to ask themselves an important question we rarely have time to consider seriously: ‘How Are You?’, and help people make healthy changes by taking the new ‘How Are You’ online health quiz. Dr Radha Modgil, GP and Broadcaster said: “The ‘How Are You’ quiz can help you take control of your health now. It’s so important to take time to look after yourself as not only will you feel the benefits but so will your family. I’m pleased to be supporting One You, it’s a fantastic campaign which empowers people to make simple changes that can benefit their health and wellbeing now and in the future. Many diseases that affect Asian people and shorten their active lives can be prevented by making simple healthier choices like being more active, eating well, drinking less alcohol and being smokefree.” Professor Kevin Fenton, National Director, Public Health England said: We want to encourage Asian adults to start by taking the online health quiz called ‘How Are You’. The short quiz asks people simple questions about their habits, health and how they are feeling and then provides a score with personalised tips and free tools to help them take action to improve their health.” The ‘How Are You’ quiz is completely free and provides personalised recommendations based on your results and directs you to tools and advice to help you take action where it’s most needed – search ‘One You’ online now or visit www.nhs.uk/oneyou/hay. Azra Bashir’s story Azra Bashir from Birmingham knows too well the importance of taking control of your health. In July 2013 she was left devastated by a photo of herself on a family holiday, and was then diagnosed with gallstones, which doctors said they’d be unable to operate on until she lost weight. An embarrassed Azra signed up in secret to her local Slimming World group. She says: “I didn’t tell anyone I was going to Slimming World. I suppose I thought it was something that wasn’t necessarily seen as part of our Asian culture. I didn’t think Slimming World would fit with my life, that I could eat Asian food, but it fits so well. The basic concept of Slimming World’s eating plan is making meals from scratch and that’s the Asian way – finding fresh ingredients and putting them all together to make beautiful food. Once I told my husband and my children they were very supportive and now we all eat our favourite meals but in a Slimming World-friendly way – my husband’s lost 5st, too.”
Now just over two years later the secret’s out and not only is she 4st 3lbs lighter, she’s also opened her own Slimming World group and been named the organisation’s Consultant Slimmer of the Year 2016. I thought a lot of Asian people would think the same way that I had about Slimming World, so I wanted to bring it into our community and help as many people as I could to lose weight.”
Azra’s determination led to her dropping from 14st 9½lbs to 10st 6½lbs and a dress size 20 to a 10.Losing weight has changed my life. Before I would sit back and watch my kids play, now I’m an active hands-on mum, and I’ve learned to believe in myself too. Being named Consultant Slimmer of the Year is absolutely amazing, especially to be the first ever Asian woman to win this award.”
It is never too late to start making healthy changes…remember there’s only one you. Promotion Slimming World in partnership with Public Health England is offering free membership when you sign up for 12 weeks for the price of 10 (pay £49.50 on week 1 saving £19.90) between 7 March and 29 May 2016 to tie in with the One You campaign. 5 Top Tips for a healthier you
- You can still enjoy the foods you love, by making some small changes and food swaps like switching from dairy products that are full fat and high in sugar to ones that are low fat and have less sugar.
- To stay healthy it’s recommended you do at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week that gets your heart beating faster and your lungs working harder. This can easily be broken down to five sessions of 30 minutes of aerobic activity such as cycling, fast walking or even dancing to the radio
- Take simple steps to make yourself feel less stressed. Make time for fun and relaxation, and try to do something you enjoy every day. Find a way of being active that you like. Being physically active releases feelgood hormones called endorphins and can help you to sleep better – helping to lower stress levels
- If you’re a smoker, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you see the benefits once you quit. Your breathing and general fitness will improve, your skin will look better and your sense of taste will return. And that’s just the start. Search One You to find out how quitting can change your life
- There are lots of great tools to help you drink less alcohol. Keep an eye on how much you are drinking with our FREE Drinks Tracker app and find out how you can make some simple drink swaps that still taste good
For more information and to take the ‘How Are You’ online quiz click here http://po.st/tF7z9q
