NCD prevention

Prevention refers to actions aimed at avoiding the manifestation of a disease. There are three prevention types of NCD prevention which are, having proper nutrition, involve in adequate physical activities, and reducing stress levels.

Nutrition- Eat a Healthy Diet

Eat quality meals at regular intervals evenly spread throughout the day to maintain good health. Food should be eaten in adequate quantities to maintain the ideal weight.

Eat Healthy/ Natural foods

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Fish and chicken
• Starch products such as Green gram, Gram, Cowpea, Red rice, Whole wheat flour (ate), Soya, Uludu, kurakkan etc.

Nuts and seeds

Avoid Refined/ Processed foods

-Foods high in salt
– Food and beverages high in sugar
– Foods high in fat and trans-fats
– Foods which contain toxic or harmful
additives
– Ultra processed foods

Be physically active

Physical activity is an essential correlate of the healthy diet, when we consider the development of NCDs. Therefore, along with the correction of dietary habits, it is of vital importance that physical activity is also improved.

Reduce Stress

Stress results from an unhappy state of mind. You can follow the below tips to reduce stress;

Accept change
Try to be happy with your lot
Discuss problem and get relief
Parental or peer support
Think positively
Let go of sad thought
If unable to cope seek medical help

Abstain from Alcohol

People who use alcohol regularly tend to gradually increase their intake (amount of alcohol) with time, due to the addictive quality of alcohol. Therefore abstinence from alcohol is the healthiest option. If total abstinence is not realistic, alcohol consumption should strictly be limited as follows.

Men should consume no more than two drinks per day.
Women should consume no more than one drink per day.
*A drink is defined as 1 glass (240 ml) of beer, 100 ml of wine, or 25 ml of spirits.
People who drink alcohol should increase their intake of water or other liquids to avoid dehydration as alcohol has a diuretic effect (Dietary guidelines for Sri Lankans).

Quit Smoking

Nicotine contained in tobacco is highly addictive and tobacco use is a major risk factor for cardiovascular, respiratory diseases, cancer, and many other debilitating health conditions. Therefore it is important to reduce initiation of smoking, decrease exposure to smoke, and increase cessation.

Reduce Air Pollution

Avoid the following means of indoor and outdoor air pollutants as much as possible