Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle means taking care of your physical and mental well-being. A healthy lifestyle gives you more energy, helps you manage stress better, and promotes a more positive outlook on life.
Healthy choices can reduce the risk of diabetes, heart problems, and some types of cancer. Taking care of your body can also improve your mental well-being. And when you feel good about yourself, it's often easier to make healthy choices. Below, you can read how to take good care of your body. The mental health page focuses on improving your mental health.
A healthy lifestyle: taking care of your body
A healthy lifestyle means regular exercise, healthy and varied eating, sufficient hydration, enough sleep, good hygiene, good dental care, and protecting your skin from the sun.
Exercise regularly. This helps keep your lungs, heart, and blood vessels healthy. Engage in at least 3 hours per week of moderately intensive movement, such as a brisk walk, swimming, cycling, dancing, gardening, or household chores. Additionally, do something that strengthens your muscles and bones at least twice a week, such as running, weightlifting, or exercising with resistance bands. Activities like climbing stairs, carrying groceries, or lifting a child also count.
Maintain a healthy weight. You can check if you have a healthy weight by calculating your BMI (Body Mass Index) or measuring your waist circumference. To maintain a healthy weight, consume roughly the same amount of calories per day as your body expends. On average, this is 2000 calories for women and 2500 calories for men, but it varies per person. The amount you need depends on your physique, your genes, and how active you are.
Eat healthy and varied, meaning food from each of the five food groups: 1) vegetables, fruit, 2) grains, potatoes, legumes, 3) dairy, meat, fish, eggs, meat substitutes, 4) fat, oil, 5) drinks. This prevents a deficiency in nutrients or vitamins. In case of a vitamin deficiency, your doctor may recommend taking supplements.
Avoid excessive exposure to the full sun, especially in the middle of the day. Use a sunscreen (at least factor 30) and wear protective clothing.
Visit the dentist every six months.
Stop smoking (if you smoke) and avoid places where people smoke (cigarettes, vapes, cigars, and pipes). Your GP (general practitioner) can assist you with this.
Drink no or little alcohol, certainly no more than one glass per day. If you want to quit, your GP can help you.
Do not use drugs. If you want to quit, your GP can refer you to an addiction care facility.
Use as little salt as possible and definitely no more than 6 grams per day (about one teaspoon). Remember that processed foods often contain a lot of salt.
Drink 1.5 to 2 liters of fluid per day. Water is the healthiest, but you can also have tea or coffee without sugar.
Sleep 7 to 9 hours per night.
Avoid loud noises to prevent hearing damage and wear well-fitting hearing protection at concerts, parties, or during certain work activities.
Practice safe sex and use a well-fitting condom to prevent an STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection).
Vaccinations: Check with your parent(s) to see if you have received all the vaccinations from the national vaccination program.
A healthy lifestyle helps prevent health problems, even for people who haven't had cancer. But because some cancer treatments can increase the risk of health problems, a healthy lifestyle is especially important after childhood cancer.
You can see in your treatment summary whether you have an increased risk of health problems. If you don't have a summary, you can contact the LATER clinic or the hospital where you were treated.
Health problems don't always have to be caused by the treatment. There can also be other causes.
The advice is to:
Regularly calculate your BMI and measure your waist circumference using an online tool.
Up to age 18: every year.
For ages 19 and older: every five years.
Have your blood pressure checked at least every five years. If you have an increased risk of being overweight or obese and/or have high blood pressure, you may be advised to have this done more often.
If you don't know how to improve your lifestyle or if you can't manage it yourself, you can ask your GP or LATER doctor for advice. Your doctor can work with you to determine what changes need to be made and, if necessary, refer you to a:
Physiotherapist or occupational therapist
Dietitian
Lifestyle coach
Psychologist
They will discuss the various options for improving your lifestyle with you and can also help you with these.
Changing your lifestyle doesn't happen overnight; it takes time. Small changes can already have a positive impact on your physical and mental well-being. For example, you could:
Walk or cycle short distances instead of taking the car or public transportation.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator if possible.
Eat a fruit or vegetable snack instead of something unhealthy.
Take a walk after dinner.
Allow yourself an unhealthy snack only on weekends.
Read a book before bed instead of checking your phone.
You can change your lifestyle more easily with activities that suit you.
Choose a sport or activity you enjoy. By trying different things, you're sure to find something you like.
Ask someone to join you for a walk, bike ride, or workout. It's easier to stick with it together.
Set small, achievable goals. Achieving something, no matter how small, gives you the confidence that you can do it and the energy to keep going.
Don't go on a strict diet. Losing weight slowly is healthier and ultimately makes it easier to maintain your weight. You can often lose a few pounds just by making healthy choices.
Don't be too hard on yourself. It's okay to have the occasional piece of cake or soda, as long as you eat healthily otherwise.
If you have any questions after reading this information, please contact your doctor or LATER doctor.