Dear NU Community,
Today we celebrate World Health Day! World Health Day is celebrated every year on the anniversary of the founding day of the World Health Organization. It’s a day to focus on and raise awareness around health issues that affect people all over the globe.
On this day we want to remind you that health is our wealth. This common phrase is used by all of us to emphasize how significant health is in determining our quality of life. We also want to provide you some tips that keep you healthy:
Be physically active
Healthy movement may include walking, sports, dancing, yoga, running or other activities you enjoy. Exercise releases endorphins into your body, boosting your overall mood and wellness. In this way, exercise not just helps you stay physically fit, but also reduces your risk of depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses. Do not forget that we have the Athletic Center on campus where you can enjoy exercising!
Eat a well-balanced diet
Diet has a huge part to play in our health, we all know that. And this is something we should be doing all the time. Eat a well-balanced, low-fat diet with lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Choose a diet that's low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and moderate in sugar, salt and total fat. Kazakhstan has one of the highest-known levels of salt intake in the world. One of the studies showed that salt intake in Kazakhstan stands at about 17 grams per day, which is almost 4 times the WHO-recommended limit, thus cut the salt in your diet and reduce your salt intake.
Stay hydrated
Drinking enough water and staying hydrated is again one of the best ways to stay healthy. Consider keeping a bottle of water at your desk while you study or work. It will remind you to drink more water.
Stay off tobacco
Don't smoke, or quit if you do. Smoking is considered to be the most preventable cause of cancer. 50% of cancers among men are related to smoking.
Manage your stress
You might have heard before that stress is the silent killer. And what people mean by that is that stress has a profound negative impact on our health and well being. In order to stay healthy, we need to manage our stress. We can use stress-relieving tactics like meditation, reading, cooking, dancing, exercising or whatever works best for you. Learn to recognize and manage stress in your life. Signs of stress can include trouble sleeping, frequent headaches and stomach problems; being angry a lot; and turning to food, drugs and alcohol to relieve stress etc. If you feel stressed contact the Health and Wellness Center.
There are many other strategies to keep you healthy. Prevention is always better than cure. Thus, take care of your physical and mental health. Happy World Health Day!
Best wishes,
University Healthcare Department