Posts Tagged ‘diet’
Secrets to a long life
So, what is the secret to old age? Well, nobody really knows. Health experts are continually pushing on the exercise, eat a balanced meal, don’t smoke, and only drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. And, of course, The Healthy Blogger advocates all of this. Yet, it is not the magic prescription, for people still die at young ages from many different causes. On the other hand, some may live to be over 100 and never followed this advice.
When we hear of someone reaching the 3-digit mark, we make general assumptions about that person based on where they come from. These general assumptions are always about food – you know, “Oh, it must be…
1.) …the olive oil“: if they are from the Mediterranean area.
2.) …the fish”: if they are on an island.
3.) …the rice”: if they are from the Orient.
And the list goes on.
But what do the centenarians really attribute it to? The answers can be rather funny at times. Most of them also attribute it to food, but some just say it is healthy habits, such as exercise and not smoking. Of course, we’ve all heard some of them make jokes, such as quitting smoking about 5 years previously. As for food, again, we hear some extreme tales that can be hard to prove or disprove. According to the BBC Magazine page, some claim their longevity is due to things such as custard, salt, and donkey’s milk. I heard someone once say they had 4 eggs a day.
Of course, we have to take all this with a “grain of salt“. Maybe it is true that these unusual dietary habits did sustain these people. But, we need to be careful not to assume that it will work for us. There is no one special secret to old age. Each of us require a different formula and only some of us are fortunate enough to discover that formula.
Rise in diabetes worldwide
If mass stays constant, and people are gaining weight in the UK and US, where are they losing it? It doesn’t seem that human mass stays constant with the rise in obesity worldwide (not to mention the population boom). This obesity has led to an increase in the incidence of diabetes. And diabetes will lead to further health problems.
Though many can treat and control their diabetes with a strict regimen of diet and exercise to lose weight, this does not work for all. Those who go on to full-blown diabetes will find that with time, the condition gets harder to treat. Even as they use diet to modify their disease state, it creates other problems. Complications will develop whether the diabetes is controlled or not.
This, however, should not give diabetics the sense that it is completely out of their control; therefore, they should not be duly concerned about their blood sugars. In fact, they need to be extra careful. That is because good control of diabetes will slow the progression to complications, even if it can’t prevent it. No one wants to have a heart attack or stroke at a young age. It may be normal to think of elderly people suffering those, but uncontrolled diabetics will be prone to them at a young age. Kidney dialysis is another end-point that is rather unpleasant. Once on dialysis, especially hemodialysis, your lifespan will be shortened.
It is a gloomy thought and once given a diagnosis of diabetes, it may be very unnerving. I know, because my mother was a diabetic and I’m constantly worried about if and when I will get it. Diabetes, especially the Type II, does run in families. The best way to prevent it, though, is good diet and exercise. It seems the world has not been listening as it turns to junk food and TV/computer, while it puts on more weight. Now, you have a tremendous increase in diabetes, which will cost billions in medical care in the future.
While treating diabetics is important, emphasis needs to be placed on educating young children on healthy eating and exercise. Genetics has played its part, the environment now needs to take a role.
Diet and recession 2
OK. So, how can you survive this recession without becoming a bloated fattened pig? If healthy foods cost so much, how can we overcome the cost and eat right?
Well, you really don’t have to sacrifice health. Although fast food restaurants are making good profits due to their cheap menu options and fast service, we need to slow down and think about what we are doing. Maybe you’d rather pay $1 for that burger than $5 for the salad. It only stands to reason that if you are short on cash, that is the best option. However, don’t put yourself in that situation.
Rather than grabbing a quick bite to eat when you are on the run, consider packing yourself a nutritious lunch. Buying a loaf of bread, some deli meat, cheese and whatever toppings you like, to provide lunch-time sandwiches for at least an entire week will work out to be cheaper than always running to the local McDonald’s. And it won’t clog your arteries. Side dishes such as fruits and vegetables, yoghurts, etc., will help to fill you up, as a substitute for those greasy fries.
When shopping, you can always find cheap alternatives in the generic brands. If fresh fruits and vegetables are too high-priced, used the frozen or tinned ones for now. They keep longer as well. Just be careful of the salt and fat content in some tinned foods, especially pre-made meals in cans.
Some good foods to eat: cucumbers, eggs, skim milk, tuna, nuts. Snacking on cucumbers is a good way to lose weight as they contain practically no calories and you burn more when you eat them. Having a salad, with greens and cucumber and a low-fat dressing will fill you up and prevent you from eating too large a portion of other foods. You can turn the salad into a meal by adding some boiled or grilled chicken, or tuna, or eggs. Milk is nutritious; however, it can be high in fat. So the recommendation is to use skim milk. Fish is always a good alternative to high-fat meats, as it contains some beneficial oils/fats. Tuna is high in protein, has essential oils, relatively cheap when tinned, and is tasty. Nuts are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein. Though people are turned off by their high fat content, the fats in most nuts (with the exception of palm nuts and coconuts) are unsaturated, which makes them healthy.
During times of stress, many people turn to food as “comfort”. This becomes an extremely bad habit with dire consequences. Finding other outlets for the stress, such as exercise, relaxation techniques, etc., will keep your thoughts away from food.
So, there are ways to combat recession and obesity at the same time. We just need to be smarter in the way we approach food and meals.
Diet and recession
It does not take an expert to see that as the recession worsens, people will be inclined to spend less on their shopping. This decrease in spending is most profound in their food selection. Unfortunately, when they opt for less expensive food items, they are also more likely to be choosing more unhealthy foods.
Traditionally, healthy foods, especially organic foods, are much higher priced. Despite all the teachings on nutritious eating, it is practically impossible for the common person to make the move to healthy foods when they are prohibitively expensive. This is most especially true for the lower class and the elderly, whose income is not supplemented by governmental support.
Poor eating habits in these people lead to malnutrition. They may become obese from eating extremely fatty foods and have high blood pressure due to high sodium intake, but their nutritional profile will show that they have deficiencies. It is hard to correct for this without causing other problems. But one of the biggest obstacles is the cost of the healthier foods.
If food manufacturers could make the healthy alternatives much cheaper, people could eat better, preserving their health during hard economic times. Not only that, these people would be spending their money in the right direction, which could help the manufacturer out. In turn, the economy could improve.
It is hard to convince people that during this financially difficult time, they should stop eating at fast food restaurants and buy healthy foods for home consumption and packed lunches when fast food prices are so cheap. The recession may make people spend less, but they do not eat less.
Dig in to those healthy eggs
I’m glad to hear that doctors have now decided eggs are not that dangerous to your health. In fact, they are recommending it as part of a healthy, balanced diet. What a relief!
I love eggs but have always been scared of the high cholesterol content. We used to buy the healthy alternatives, like the low-cholesterol eggs, or even eggbeaters, containing only egg whites. When I was a kid, I wouldn’t have minded just eating the whites. I hated the yolk. But as I got older, I acquired a taste for the yolk as well, and I hated waste. So, I felt guilty either way. For a while, we did not even eat much eggs. Now, I can relax.
Scientists now say that cutting down on eggs does not significantly reduce your blood cholesterol level, as that is mostly determined by your own body’s production of cholesterol. I have always known your body makes cholesterol, because it is a necessary component in the body’s daily functioning. It is the oil that keeps the body’s machinery going. But scientists also warn that the high saturated fat content of foods, like fatty meats and those delicious pastries and sweets, are still dangerous. That’s because the body uses the fat to produce cholesterol. Eggs have relatively small amounts of cholesterol compared to these foods. Eggs also have many other nutrients, which are important for the body. Therefore, the benefits of eggs outweigh the risks.
The emphasis, these days, is on reducing the intake of saturated fats. Cutting down on those sweets is going to be even tougher than cutting out the eggs.
