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FIGHTING DISEASE WITH DIET AND EXERCISE

“You are what you eat” – how many times have you heard that?

Yes, it’s an old cliché, but it is true and medical doctors and the medical sciences are beginning to accept it’s truth. The other part of the formula to stay healthy is to add exercise to your daily regime of eating healthy and you can aggressively fight many diseases, including slowing down the aging process and it’s toll on you body.

An increasing amount of evidence indicates that compounds in certain foods help lower the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, osteoporosis and adult-onset diabetes - all the leading killers in our society. The “Food Pyramid” is a good start towards healthy eating, however I would modify it by putting fruits and vegetables on the very bottom row, then make bread, cereal, rice and pasta the next row. Milk, yogurt, cheese, meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts, make up the third level. Fats, oils and sweets reside at the point (or top) of the pyramid.

In other words, the bulk or majority of your diet should be from fresh fruits and vegetables. These are healthiest for us in their raw state, however, if cooked, they should be cooked for a minimal amount of time and should not be fried. Try many different fruits and vegetables and experiment with healthy forms of cooking that do not add sugar, butter, or other forms of fat to the foods. Vary your fruits and vegetables and be sure you include raw, green leafy vegetables in your diet. Try to have at least 4 fruits and 6 different vegetables throughout the day. When you need a snack, it should come from this group.

Bread, cereal, rice and pasta – include 6-10 servings per day, less if trying to lose weight. These need to be whole-grain products, with minimal processing, and minimal sugar and fats added to the products. Cereal should not have sugar listed as an ingredient.

Protein level should be 4-6 servings maximum. This is an area where many Americans greatly exceed the recommended amounts. Focus on beans, lentils, nuts, yogurt and cheese. Limit meat, with most meat being fish rather than “red meat”. Use meat sparingly, as in casseroles rather than serving a large portion of “Chicken Fried Steak” or a large T-bone steak. Soy foods are now recommended to help lower cholesterol. The FDA recommends for optimal health, eating about 25 grams of soy protein a day in the place of meat. Soy products include tofu, soy flour, and soy milk. Soy powder can also be sprinkled on foods and in beverages.

The top of the pyramid is fats, oils & sweets. Limit calories from these, especially if you need to lose weight. Stay away from sugar in any form as much as possible (the natural sugars in the fresh fruit will help you resist the rich, fattening deserts). Limit fat by not frying any foods, and by not eating any meat fat. Leave the gravy and donuts alone, and limit fat rich salad dressings. Use oils sparingly and use olive oil if oil is needed.

Exercise is the other half of the magic formula for being healthy. Being a couch potato is extremely deadly to your heart. You need regular exercise to be healthy. Many people say that they work “hard at work” and are too tired to exercise. We still need to plan and set aside time for a regular exercise regime and stick to it in order to reach our optimum health. Regular aerobic exercise strengthens your cardiovascular system and improves the heart’s ability to function properly. Physical activity can increase levels of protective HDL cholesterol and help keep off excess weight.

As you change your diet and add exercise to your lifestyle, you will gradually have a change in your total health. It does not happen overnight, just as you did not get in your current state of health overnight. Make these as permanent changes and you can turn your life and health around!