Topic 5: Principles of primary health care
A person who is healthy will be happy because he/she will have perfect physical and psychological health. If we want to be a healthy person, we have to know how to take good care of our body by regularly performing the right hygiene practices, so that it becomes a habit.
The 6 principles of primary health care
1. Eating
2. Resting
3. Exercising
4. Managing emotions
5. Excreting
6. Having an annual health check
1. Eating
Choosing the food to be eaten must be based on the common 5 food groups. Scientific tests and calculations have proven that each food group provides a variety of nutrients; its suitable proportions are governed by recommended daily intake (RDI). The principle of consumption for a good healthy diet of Thai people is called “The food based dietary guideline” which recommends daily consumption.
(1) Eat every meal based on the common 5 food groups, where each group contains a variety of food stuffs.
(2) Eat staple food and alternate with starchy foods during some meals.
(3) Regularly eat a lot of vegetables and fruits.
(4) Regularly eat fish, lean meat, eggs and beans.
(5) Drink good portions of milk.
(6) Eat the right amount of fat.
(7) Avoid eating over-seasoned food.
(8) Eat clean food free of contamination.
(9) Avoid or reduce drinking alcoholic beverages.
2. Resting
Having sufficient sleep for at least 6 hours a day will relax body and mind, heart and other organs will not be overworking which prolongs the individual’s life span. When a person has enough sleep, he/she will be fresh, healthy and ready to start the day.
3. Exercise
Regular exercises will build a good healthy lifestyle. In daily life, activities such as housework and walking up and down the stair will help the body to burn its excessive energy. You should exercise regularly, 3 days per week for 30 minutes to maintain a good health. The advantages of exercise are
(1) Helps maintaining the body's immunity
(2) Maintains the normality of the heart, muscles and bones.
(3) Helps reducing blood pressure.
(4) Helps reducing cholesterol and controls the body weight.
(5) Help reducing stress, improving the blood circulation and sleep quality.
4. Emotionand stress management
Always being aware of emotional levels by avoiding situations which can build anxiety, fear, depression, and sadness will help the body’s systems to perform normally. Thus, we should always be cheerful, optimistic and humorous and try to enjoy the routine work. This will allow us to be able to adapt ourselves to happily live in the current situation.
5. Excreting
Excreting regularly everyday will help to prevent constipation and hemorrhoids. One should consume vegetables and fruits everyday and drink at least 6-8 glasses water per day. Excreting everyday will build a good physical and mental health.
6. The annual health check
Having annual health check regularly at least 1-2 times a year to find abnormalities in the body. When abnormalities are found, we should seek medical advice on the matter and follow the recommendation of the doctor strictly.
