A healthy lifestyle

      To ensure a healthy lifestyle, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends eating lots of fruits and vegetables, reducing fat, sugar and salt intake and exercising.  Here are 12 steps to healthy lifestyle:

1. Eat a nutritious diet based on a variety of foods originating mainly from plants, rather than animals.
2. Eat bread, whole grains, pasta, rice or potatoes several times per day.
3. Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits, preferably fresh and local, several times per day (at least 400g per day).
4. Maintain body weight between the recommended limits (a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 18.5–25) by taking moderate to vigorous levels of physical activity, preferably daily.
5. Control fat intake (not more than 30% of daily energy) and replace most saturated fats with unsaturated fats.
6. Replace fatty meat and meat products with beans, legumes, lentils, fish, poultry or lean meat.Use milk and dairy products (kefir, sour milk, yoghurt and cheese) that are low in both fat and salt.
7. Select foods that are low in sugar, and eat free sugars sparingly, limiting the frequency of sugary drinks and sweets.
8. Choose a low-salt diet. Total salt intake should not be more than one teaspoon (5g) per day, including the salt in bread and processed, cured and preserved foods. (Salt iodization should be universal where iodine deficiency is a problem).
9. There is evidence showing the ideal solution for health is not to drink alcohol at all, and so less is better.
10. Prepare food in a safe and hygienic way. 
11. Steam, bake, boil or microwave to help reduce the amount of added fat.
12. Promote exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months and the introduction of safe and adequate complementary foods from the age of about 6 months. Promote the continuation of breastfeeding during the first 2 years of life.