Greetings readers! Today I wanted to write about the increasing rates of deaths due to NCDs such as diabetes, heart disease, preventable cancers, mental health issues and the list goes on.

There are now growing statistics of people under the age of 30, 40 and 50 dying from NCDs which is on the rise in Fiji, and it is very much preventable. I fully understand people passing away in unavoidable circumstances like injuries, certain cancers and other ailments, but NCDs are within our control.

Many NCDs can certainly be prevented by reducing common risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, physical inactivity and also eating unhealthy diets.

In today’s lifestyle where the emphasis is to be stuck on your mobile phones as opposed to getting out more and playing sports and where we are more accustomed to eating fast food and fizzy drinks than having a fresh homemade meal with fruits and vegetables.

We are increasing our dependency on alcohol and smoking, whereas in other countries across Europe and America this trend is on the decrease and smoking especially is almost nonexistent in some parts of Europe.

The message to change our lifestyle choices has been put out there and any number of experts, consultants or reports on this issue may not make much of a difference now as Fiji has one of the highest rates of NCDs in the world and the number of diabetic patients we see is out of control.

It is not any one’s fault in particular as to how we managed to get ourselves into this situation, but we are here now and the time has come to start getting ourselves out of this mess which is putting pressure on our already stretched health services and has led to so many social problems and tension within family households.

Quite simply, what are we going to do and what is the way forward.

Maybe what we can do immediately is to take control of our own destiny and look within as to whether we have the mental fortitude to make the changes in our lives that are needed to lead a healthy and productive life.

This is the key question, do we want to live a healthy lifestyle, and do we want to make the sacrifices that come with living this way of life.

Also do we want to live beyond 50 years old and continue to live a healthy life going forward. Judging from what we are seeing today for the majority the clear answer is no.

For those who are living a bad lifestyle or are uncertain of change or those who are already on the path to healthy living here are a few tips that you might find helpful going forward:

• Eating a healthy diet which includes fresh local fruits and vegetables which are found in your markets and roadside stalls Fiji-wide. There is a large variety to choose from and this with dhals and mixed local fruit will certainly add to you being able to lead a productive life. Also on the healthy list is fish and lean meat, which adds to your balanced diet.

• When preparing food and drinks, you may want to consider using less salt, sugar, fat and oil as this will help tremendously towards your balanced meal plan.

• We all get hungry between meals, and this is where we can blow it sometimes, so you should try and endeavor to eat a healthy snack instead of processed food.

• Exercise, you will be surprised to know that you don’t have to be a marathon runner or fitness fanatic to get enough exercise on a daily basis. In fact a brisk walk of 30 to 60 minutes a day is all you need to get a good moderate workout for your body and don’t forget exercise also stimulates your mind.

• While on the subject of exercise, you may want to target working towards a healthy weight. A healthy weight is not a size 0, a healthy weight is where you feel comfortable and can feel good about yourself.

• Smoking is an absolute no, as it can lead to so many fatal diseases from respiratory problems to cancer and the list goes on.

• A moderate alcohol intake is fine and in some studies it has shown a glass of red wine a day can actually improve your health, but consuming large amounts of alcohol will only lead to your health decline rapidly .

• In the same category as alcohol is kava and once again an occasional bowl is fine, but drinking kava all night is only going to add to your health problems.

These are just a few tips we can all try out on our path towards living a good, healthy and fulfilling life. I am mindful that mentally and physically it’s hard to begin this journey, so go day by day, week by week and month by month.

This is not a 100 metre race, it is a way of life, and you can ease your way into it on your own terms, but most importantly you must convince yourself that you want to do this and begin your new journey.

Finally, I believe we should all try and encourage our friends and loved ones to plot this new course towards a cleaner, healthier and happy life. Good Luck and see you next week.

• AJAY BHAI AMRIT is a founding member of The People’s Alliance party and is also a freelance writer. The views expressed in this article are his and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.