There are lots of factors that influence your health and wellbeing and they are all really important areas to address. There are some simple things you can do to help keep healthy and feeling well.
Weight Management
Excess weight impacts directly on your joints. For example, being 10 pounds overweight will increase the force on your knees by 30-60 pounds with each step.
You can check your BMI using the BMI calculator (www.nhs.uk/bmi).
The food you eat helps to feed the healthy bacteria in your gut which have a large effect on your immune system. Your immune system helps fight infection and illness and is part of the ‘pain system’. To help your gut, try to eat a diet where you aim to eat non-processed natural foods free from additives, colourings and added sugars.
If you need any further advice with your weight or diet, there are options for referral to weight management groups locally. Please speak to your health care professional for further information. There are also some on- line resources to try at home, such as:
www.nhs.uk/caloriecount
www.nhs.uk/weightloss
www.nhs.uk/100-calorie-snacks
Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is another important area to aid wellbeing. Everyone is different in terms of how much sleep they need, with many studies showing this can range from 4 hours to 10 or more. Simple changes, such as reducing your caffeine and alcohol intake and considering room temperature/ noise levels/ avoiding using your phone before bed can all make a difference.
Further advice can be found on-line: The Good Sleep Guide, from the CSP (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy), www.csp.org.uk or on the NHS webite
The Wellbeing Service also have lots of advice about relaxation techniques and improving your sleep, www.wellbeingnands.co.uk tel: 0300 123 1503
Smoking Cessation
Smoking has lots of effects on the body these include:
· Lungs and breathing
· Bone density
· Increased risk of serious health conditions such as cancer
Stopping smoking can be very difficult and it is important to make sure you get the right advice and support.
For people living in Suffolk, you can contact One Life Suffolk for support, email: onelifesuffolk@nhs.net website: https://onelifesuffolk.co.uk Tel: 01473 718193.
Norfolk residents can contact Smokefree Norfolk which is run by East Coast Community Healthcare by emailing: ecch.stopsmoking@nhs.net website: http://www.smokefreenorfolk.nhs.uk/ Tel: 0800 0854113
Emotional Support
If you are feeling, low, stressed or worried you can always speak to any health care professional. Information can also be found on the NHS website https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/
You can access the NHS Wellbeing service via self referral on this link. https://www.wellbeingnands.co.uk/
Other contacts can be found in the useful links section