Learning about health tends to keep us healthier.
Choose the statements that apply to you and start exploring!
Physical Activity
“I could engage in more physical activity…”
Explore what physical activity can offer you.
- Being physically active means:
- Engaging in structured exercise
- Adding more intentional movements to your daily life
- Immediate benefits include:
- Improved mood (anxiety and depression)
- Increased energy and focus
- Improved blood pressure
- Improved blood sugar control
- Long-term benefits of regular physical activity include:
- Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke by 20-30%
- Reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 25-60%
- Reduced risk of certain cancers
- Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by 40%
- Reduced risk of premature death by 31-50%
- Reduced risk of osteoporosis by slowing the rate of bone loss
- Physical Activity Targets:
- 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week in bouts of at least 10 minutes at a time
- Sit less and move more throughout the day
Every bit counts! Exercise in bouts shorter than 10 minutes still produces health benefits.
Nutrition
“I could be making more nutritious choices…”
Explore what a nutritious diet can offer you.
- Eating well means:
- Giving your body the nutrients it needs to let you move, heal, think, and function properly
- Eating a variety of heathy foods every day
- Plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Whole grain foods
- Protein-rich foods
- Being mindful of your eating habits
- Having regular meals, in the company of others whenever possible
- Limiting foods that are high in fat, sodium and sugar
- Moderating alcohol consumption
- Benefits include:
- Improved sense of well-being
- Increased energy and focus
- Improved ability to fight illness
- Improved blood sugar control
- Improved blood pressure
- Long-term benefits of making nutritious choices include:
- Adding one extra serving of fruit or vegetable every day can lower your risk of a cardiac event by 4%.
- Eating fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy every day can reduce your systolic blood pressure (top number of your blood pressure reading) by 8-14 mmHg.
- Substituting red meat with unsalted nuts, low-fat dairy products, poultry or fish can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by 35%.
- Eating plant-based meals and replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats can reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases.
- Healthy Eating Targets:
- Include 5 servings or more of fruits and vegetables in your meal plan, every day
- Include whole grains in your meal plan to increase your daily fibre intake
- Include beans, peas, lentils, tofu, and other plant-based protein as part of your daily protein sources
Healthy eating is a skill you can learn and pass on to your loved ones. Healthy food can be delicious too!
Tobacco
“I smoke, sometimes or often…”
Explore what being tobacco-free can offer you.
- Becoming tobacco-free means:
- Learning to face relapse as a part of the journey
- Learning to conquer addiction
- Benefits include:
- After 8 hours, oxygen levels in your blood start to rise
- After 2 days, your sense of taste and smell get sharper
- After 6 days, your lung capacity and function improve
- After 3-12 weeks, your blood circulation increases
- Long-term benefits of staying tobacco-free include:
- After 6 months, coughing, congestion and shortness of breath improves
- After 1 year, your risk of developing heart disease is cut in half
- After 5 years, your risk of stroke is reduced to match the risk of a non-smoker
- Add 6 to 10 years to your life expectancy
- After 15 years, your risk of heart attack is roughly the same as non-smokers
- Tobacco Reduction Targets:
- Staying or becoming tobacco-free
- Cutting down is a great first step
For many, it takes 30 or more attempts to quit successfully. Each attempt gets you one step closer!
Stress
“I’d like to better manage the stress in my life…”
Explore what managing stress can offer you.
- Managing stress means:
- Recognizing the stressors in your daily life
- Learning and adopting stress management techniques
- Giving your body opportunities to move
- Giving yourself opportunities to rest
- Benefits include:
- Improved sense of well-being (anxiety and depression)
- Increased energy and focus
- Improved ability to fight illness
- Improved blood sugar control
- Improved blood pressure
- Long-term benefits of effectively managing stress include:
- reduced risk of high blood pressure, and the progression of plaque in your heart’s arteries, leading to a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
- Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
- Reduced risk of premature death
- Stress Management Target Strategies:
- Find ways to reduce or manage your stressors
- You may not be able to change the sources of stress in your life, but you can change the ways that you cope with stress:
- Practice relaxation techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing, yoga to reduce your physical reactions to stress
- Be more active since regular exercise reduces feelings of stress
- Get more sleep since a lack of sleep increases your body’s response to stress
There are many different ways to manage stress. Try different things and find those that work best for you!
Prevention
“I want to learn more about health risk prevention…”
Here are some trusted resources you can explore to get started.
Being Physically Active
- ParticipAction
- Physical Activity Line
- Canadian Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation
- Public Health Agency of Canada
Becoming Smoke-Free
- Heart and Stroke Foundation (search for “smoke free”) or call 1-888-473-4636
- Health Canada or call 1-800-622-0632
- Smokers Help Line or call 1-877-513-5333
- CAMH – Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Moderating Alcohol
- The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
- Alcohol and Health in Canada: A Summary of Evidence and Guidelines for Low-Risk Drinking
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Healthy Eating
- Cardiac College
- Canada’s Food Guide
- Eat Right Ontario
- Sodium 101
- Dietitian Services at HealthLink BC
Understanding Health Risks
- Prevention in Hand
- Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone
- Cancer Care Ontario – My Cancer IQ
- Heart and Stroke Foundation Risk Assessment
- Cardiovascular Risk Profile
- Heart and Stroke Foundation Healthy Weight Action Plan
- Heart Stress Risk
Keep learning and exploring. Ask questions. Learning is good for your health too!