Health care is all over the news lately and it should be, but for reasons other than universality. While politicians debate the topic of health care, John and Jane Q. Public should be doing everything they can to prevent illness and promote a healthy lifestyle within their own home. We are making choices daily that impact our health, whether it is what you will make for lunch to trimming back on your daily Jane Fonda calisthenics routine.
Authorities have stated that lifestyle choices are more important than genetics are when cancer risk is tabulated. This revelation came from the American Cancer Institute for Research or [AICR]. The information is founded on a completed in multiple Scandinavian countries and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. They are speaking about the most prevalent forms of cancer found throughout the world. There are also numerous other illnesses and disease that are ordinarily being diagnosed globally like diabetes, heart disease among others. The latter pair is more frequently found in western society regardless of status, and are linked directly to lifestyle preferences. Let us look at some health conscious lifestyle options that will get us in shape and keep us in the pink.
1. Quit smoking. We as a society must quit smoking and shun second hand smoke or at best minimize our contact with it. We should do our best to give up smoking and aid in others in doing so as well. Smoking is the number cause of death worldwide. It rates higher than obesity as the number one and two reasons for serious illness and mortality. When it comes to health care insurance, smoking must be adjusted accordingly as an expensive part of health care premiums paid out.
2. We should be eating more nutrient rich foods and balance our food groups as much as we can. We need to be more conscious of what we consume and how it will affect our overall health and if we diet, we need to compensate for healthy eating not just losing weight. By ingesting a diet high in fiber and eating an extensive assortment of non-starchy vegetables and fruits low in sugar becomes one of the most significant things we can do for our long-term health. We should avoid fad diets since they rarely place good health and our immunity system as a priority. There is no such thing as a perfect diet and few of us have the time to focus on food intake religiously, nevertheless, healthful eating will reduce our chances of contracting cancer. The AICR reported that thirty to forty percent of all cancers are associated with the food that we consume.
3. Regular exercise needs to become a habit. We need to turn exercise into a routine portion of our life. Better to have a planned workout regimen that can be practiced daily including strength training, aerobics for your cardiovascular system. Short of that, exercise twenty to thirty minutes three or four times per week in a manner that gets your wind and blood going. Depending on your current health and fitness level, maintaining an exercise routine that makes you sweat on a regular basis is a good thing. Consult with your physician before getting into a high impact exercise routine of any sort. If exercise in the traditional sense is not your cup of tea then you should take a brisk twenty minute walk each day. Exercise aids our immunity and will make a person feel more robust.
4. It is vital that we keep our weight from fluctuating too much. Maintaining a normal weight that is healthy for our body size is important. Medically, the measurement used to determine ideal weight is called BMI or body mass index. BMI calculates our weight based on our height and gives a range that compares to health and illnesses. Your physician can tell you what you should know to accurately determine your weight range.
5. Stress can kill us quickly so it becomes critical that we find a way to control it. Managing our stress in a healthy way is so much better than the alternative. Many people turn to unhealthy measure to “treat” their stress, abusing alcohol, taking drugs, recreational and prescription – and abusing them, also overeating. It is much better to find more healthful outlets to relieve stress in our lives. There is exercising, laughter, meditation or silent sitting, call up a friend a chat about it. It is much better to relieve stress without causing us harm while doing so.
6. Try to get a good night’s sleep. This is not always easy; as we age we tend not to sleep as well or as much as we once did. Still, sleep is critical to staying healthy and revitalizing our body and mind. Most people average 7 hours of sleep each night. Follow some simple sleep habits such as going to bed at a specific time each night. No food or drink three hours prior to sleep. Any sleep before midnight is your best sleep. Avoid caffeine and nicotine in the evenings [three hour rule]. Try and wind down before bedtime, do not exercise, read or watch TV in the bedroom.
7. Try and be cautious of toxins and carcinogens in the food we eat. Pickling foods, smoked foods, charred or barbequed food, primarily meat cooked by flame, all are known to contain carcinogens. Be careful of synthetic items and chemicals we use frequently in our surroundings since they will have an effect on our health and well being.
8. If you do not have a regular physician you should find one. Have the doctor keep an eye on early detection of disease and assist you with preventative health measures. Have regular checkups to maintain your health.
Practice good health and stay in shape so you can live a long and happy life. Whatever your lifestyle is like today, it could mean the difference in how many tomorrows you will be able to enjoy. Practice common sense in how you live your life and with the lifestyle choices you make every day.
Fri, Oct 16, 2009
Health And Aging, Lifestyle