Održite zdravlje kože pravilnom prehranom

Uravnotežena prehrana u kombinaciji s odgovornim izlaganjem suncu pomoći će održati vašu kožu zdravom tijekom cijele godine.

Koža je živi organ čije se stanice kontinuirano obnavljaju. Kao i kod svih drugih organa, ono čime hranite tijelo, hranite i svoju kožu. Vaša prehrana također utječe na vaše fizičko i mentalno stanje, stoga je jasno da zdrava hrana i napitci pozitivno djeluju na vaše zdravlje i izgled. Ako vodite aktivan život, važnost zdrave prehrane i dovoljnog unosa tekućine, osobito svježe vode, dodatno raste.

Najbolja hrana za zdravlje kože

Voće i povrće sadrže mnoge vitamine korisne za kožu, ali i za cijelo tijelo. Obratite posebnu pozornost na voće i povrće bogato vitaminima A i C. Vitamin A potiče stvaranje novih stanica kože, dok vitamin C pomaže u stvaranju kolagena.

Minerali cink i jod također doprinose zdravlju kože. Dobar izvor cinka su govedina i janjetina, ali se nalazi i u biljnim izvorima poput leće, graha, orašastih plodova i sjemenki. Jod je prisutan u ribi i mliječnim proizvodima. Također, važno je piti dovoljno vode kako biste spriječili dehidraciju i isušivanje kože. Masna i slatka hrana nije zdrava ni za vašu kožu ni za ostatak tijela.

Koliko sunca treba koži?

Izlaganje gole kože sunčevoj svjetlosti važno je za stvaranje vitamina D. Poznato je da vitamin D doprinosi pravilnoj funkciji imunosnog sustava koji štiti kožu i tijelo od infekcija.

Međutim, potrebno je uspostaviti ravnotežu između dovoljno boravka na suncu zbog vitamina D i zaštite od raka kože uslijed prekomjernog izlaganja UV zračenju. Idealna mjera razlikuje se od osobe do osobe, a ovisi i o lokaciji te dobu dana i godine. Prema Britanskom udruženju za borbu protiv raka, osobama svjetlije puti dovoljno je svega devet minuta dnevno na podnevnom suncu u Velikoj Britaniji za dovoljno vitamina D. Osobe tamnije puti trebaju i do 25 minuta.

Kada sunce nije dostupno

Ako živite u području s manje dnevnog svjetla tijekom zime, vjerojatno imate manjak vitamina D. U tom slučaju preporučuje se konzumacija masne ribe (dobar izvor vitamina D), uzimanje ribljeg ulja ili dodataka prehrani s vitaminom D.

Koji zaštitni faktor koristiti?

Britanski zdravstveni sustav (NHS) preporučuje korištenje kreme za sunčanje sa zaštitnim faktorom (SPF) 15 za većinu ljudi u Britaniji kako bi se smanjila izloženost štetnom UV zračenju. Međutim, kako mnogi često nanose premalo kreme, u praksi je bolje koristiti SPF 30.

Ako tijekom ljeta putujete na jug, prvih nekoliko dana koristite viši zaštitni faktor. Ukoliko imate kremu za sunčanje od prošle godine, zamijenite ju novom ako ste je već djelomično koristili, držali na suncu ili blizu izvora topline, ili je bila bez poklopca duže vrijeme.

Izvor: British Cancer Association, NHS

What is good health?

Body changes in later life call for changes in your diet

Do you have a good lifestyle?

Lifestyle simply means the way in which you live. Health and lifestyle go hand in hand. You might feel you have a good lifestyle if you are physically active, eat healthily and generally experience a sense of wellbeing. Conversely, if you want good health you should also have a good lifestyle.

Physical activity is the major contributor to a good lifestyle, but diet, drugs, stress, sleep and social conditions are also play an important role. Being able to use the body properly to avoid injury also affects lifestyle. Physical activity can also prevent depression and help you to recover more quickly from mental illness, both of which obviously affect your lifestyle.

How does the aging process affect your immune system?

Diet can be a difficult topic for many. Perhaps you eat too much or too little or maybe you find it hard to know what foods to combine to have a balanced diet. It’s also important to eat food that contains important vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, omega-3 and antioxidants. On top of all this, you also need to get enough energy, protein and the correct fatty acids. The requirement for these nutrients changes throughout your life. When you are older you also have different requirements than children and younger adults. Women also have different requirements than men. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers also have special requirements.

When you get older, you lose muscle mass and your body requires less energy and therefore less food. You may lead a less active life than you did before, which is why you require less food. However, your need for minerals, vitamins and other nutrients remains the same. Of course, there are plenty of healthy and active older people, but when you reach 70 to 80 years of age, it’s easier to become ill, especially during flu season.

Some steps you can take to improve your lifestyle and health are to:

eat a healthy and varied diet
stay active
watch your weight
avoid too much alcohol and don’t smoke
get enough sleep
think positive
practise good hygiene

What is good quality of life?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines quality of life as a state where the individual can realise their potential, cope with normal stressful situations, work in a rewarding and positive way, and be able to contribute to others and society.

Quality of life is a wide and somewhat diffuse concept that includes joy in, and a desire for, life. These are values that are rather felt than measured, which in turn are based on personal environment and choices. Quality of life doesn’t necessarily depend on being healthy or sick. It’s the moments between worries, sorrows, problems and ailments that matter. For example, if you have a chronic illness, a feeling of mastery can be important when talking about quality of life.

To sum up, quality of life is a combination of health, lifestyle, networks and social support. It’s about experiencing joy, meaning in life, satisfaction, security and a sense of belonging, as well as being able to use your strengths. It’s also about feeling interest in life, coping with everyday situations and a being committed to something or someone. If you have good quality of life, you will be able to cope better with the inevitable stressful situations in life.