Hispanics

According to Zonacaballeros, Hispanics are at a higher risk of numerous medical conditions; as such, people of this ethnicity need to ensure they are aware of the risks and understand how to stay healthy, which can help to lower their risk of developing these illnesses.


If you want to improve your health, you need to check out our 7 tips on how Hispanics can stay healthy.


1. Hispanic Health

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1 in 6 Hispanics lived in the U.S. in 2015, which was about 57 million.

The death rate for Hispanics is 24% lower than it is for non-Hispanic whites, however, Hispanics are 50% more likely to die from diabetes or liver disease than whites.

The results showed that the overall health of Hispanics is generally healthier and that people of this ethnicity live longer than non-Hispanic whites. However, to ensure your health is good, there are a number of things you can implement into your daily life.


2. Drink less

The CDC study found that Hispanics are less likely to drink as regularly as whites; however, when they do drink, they have higher rates of binge drinking. If you are guilty of overindulging, cut back on what you drink, as high volumes of alcohol can harm your liver, even if you don’t drink that often.

The best way to drink less is to set yourself a limit on how many drinks you can have and intersperse drinking alcohol with drinking water.


3. Consume a healthy diet

Eating a healthy diet is one of the best ways to stay healthy. This means that you need to get plenty of fruit and vegetables in your daily diet, as these are rich in nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, which are suitable for your body.

Try to cut down on your salt intake and reduce the amount of fat and carbohydrates that you consume in a day. Start making healthy choices by switching junk food to fresh vegetables and home-cooked meals.


4. Sleep better

A common reason why people get ill is because they don’t sleep enough or because their sleep quality is poor. Make sure you are getting at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night, and try to keep a sleeping schedule.

Did you know the majority of smartphone users sleep with their phones? To get a better night’s sleep, make sure your room is dark and quiet with no distractions, i.e. leave your phone in a different room as the light and noise from it can be distracting.


5. Get plenty of exercise

Getting plenty of exercise perfectly complements eating a healthy diet, and the two work together to lower your risk of medical conditions such as diabetes. Ensure you are at least doing the recommended amount of exercise each week, which is 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity.

You could try walking or jogging more, joining a fitness class, or going to the gym.


6. Quit smoking

Quitting smoking is a great way you can improve your health. Smoking is known to be dangerous for your body and for those around you. In fact it is thought that Hispanics who smoke a lot, such as Puerto Ricans, have a higher death rate overall among Hispanic groups in the U.S.

7. Get health insurance

A lot of Hispanics don’t have health insurance, which is a big mistake even if you think that you are healthy.

Health insurance can pay for medical treatment and crucial screening tests that may determine early abnormal findings even if you didn’t know about the symptoms. Detecting medical conditions early on dramatically improves the chances of survival rate.


Control existing medical conditions

If you already know that you have a medical condition, such as diabetes, make sure you are seeing your doctor regularly, taking the right medication, and following your doctor's instructions.