Tag Archives: Healthy Eating

Stopping a Pandemic

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“Cardiovascular disease kills more people each year than COVID-19 at its worst. We know how to prevent it. We just need the political will.” Tom Frieden

Although COVID-19 is the most aggressively reported pandemic of our lifetime, it is neither the deadliest nor the most preventable.

That distinction goes to cardiovascular disease (CVD), a pandemic so common it is invisible, so routinely lethal it seems normal, and so ingrained in the fabric of modern society it seems natural.

Every year, cardiovascular disease kills twice as many people, at a younger average age, as COVID-19 has at its worst, and since 2020, there’s been a surge in fatalities from heart disease and stroke in the U.S. And, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of lower life expectancy among African Americans.

Some basics facts…in the first two years of the pandemic, COVID-19 killed nearly 900,000 people in the U.S., says Tom Frieden, M.D., chief executive, Resolve to Save Lives.

In those same years, heart attacks and strokes killed more than 1.6 million. Globally, COVID-19 killed more than 10 million people in the first two years of the pandemic; in the same two years, cardiovascular disease killed more than 35 million globally.

The leading drivers of cardiovascular disease related heart attacks and strokes are:

  • Tobacco use,
  • Hypertension,
  • Artificial trans fats consumption, and
  • Air pollution,

and all are preventable.

Related medical costs and productivity losses approach $450 billion annually, and inflation-adjusted direct medical costs are projected to triple over the next two decades if present trends continue.

Cardiovascular disease can be prevented

Tobacco

Tackling these killers—tobacco use, hypertension, artificial trans fat, and air pollution—doesn’t require making radical changes in society. Americans still very much lived in the same country after we reduced the number of fatal car crashes by outlawing drunken driving, promoted child development by eliminating lead in paint and gasoline, and prevented food poisoning through regulations making food safer. But it does mean regulating companies that sell tobacco and unhealthy foods and cause air pollution so that they are forced to share some of the costs of the enormous harms they cause.

The first priority is to end the epidemic of tobacco use. Once people start, especially those who start young, the addictiveness of nicotine in tobacco makes it extraordinarily difficult to stop. Although smoking rates are now at the lowest level ever measured in the U.S., more than 35 million adults still smoke tobacco, each day 1,600 kids try their first cigarette, and tobacco kills nearly 500,000 Americans every year.

The way to reduce smoking is to rally our collective will to do something about the problem. Increasing taxes on tobacco can save millions of lives by using high prices to suppress demand. Rigorous studies have proved that tobacco has a negative price elasticity: For every 10% increase in price, consumption declines by about 4% and by about 8% for children and lower-income groups. About half of that decrease is from people quitting and the other half from people cutting down on the number of cigarettes they smoke.

Sodium and Hypertension

The most important single step to prevent high blood pressure is to reduce your sodium consumption

Kaiser Permanente’s research has shown that it is possible to achieve 90% blood pressure control. Closely related, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends consuming no more than 2 g of sodium per day (5 g/d salt). Unfortunately, the average salt intake globally is between 9 and 12 g/d.10. High sodium intake is the leading cause of hypertension and is responsible for 2.3 million deaths per year.

Reducing sodium intake reduces blood pressure which in turn lowers cardiovascular disease risk.

Artificial trans fats

Artificial trans fat is a harmful compound that increases the risk of heart attack and death. It can be eliminated and replaced with healthier alternatives without altering taste or increasing cost.

Artificial trans fat is estimated to cause 540,000 deaths every year, globally. Elimination of artificial trans fat has substantial health benefits. Eliminating the use of artificial trans fat in foods in Denmark reduced deaths from cardiovascular disease. In New York State, people living in counties with artificial trans fat restrictions were 6% less likely to be admitted to the hospital after suffering a heart attack or stroke.

Air pollution

Cardiovascular disease stubbornly remains the leading cause of preventable death in America and globally. Political will to combat this silent pandemic and public education are the two best remedies.

References:

  1. https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMp1110421
  2. https://www.wsj.com/articles/stopping-a-pandemic-deadlier-than-covid-11648220259
  3. https://www.ahrq.gov/workingforquality/about/agency-specific-quality-strategic-plans/nqs2.html

Small Rewards Work Best for Exercise

Micro rewards increase gym visits by 16%. Combine a few successful strategies, such as:

  • Set a reasonable workout schedule
  • Add reminders on your phone
  • Plan small rewards for keeping to your schedule and also for going back to the gym if you miss a plan workout.

One in Sixty Rule — It means that for every 1 degree an aircraft veers off its intended course, it misses its target destination by 1 mile for every 60 miles it flies. Further you go, further away from your goal or destination you get. It is true in life too.

Your Health is an Investment

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Your health is an investment, not an expense.

The health of Americans is on a bad trajectory, it is declining. Things such as: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and like health epidemics are growing at a feverish pace.

Healthcare — both preventive and reactive — is becoming harder to obtain. And, unfortunately, the industry focuses more on reactive approaches to disease and pushing pharmaceuticals than preventative approaches to treating diseases.

It’s important to know think proactively about all of the things you spend money on. Some things are critical to living such as food, a roof over your head, and clothes to wear.

However, as a whole, many people tend to spend money on some things that are unnecessary like a new luxury vehicle or a glamorous vacation, and then think that they don’t have enough money to invest in our health.

The biggest and most obvious reason that you should invest in your health is that you only get one body, mind and life! If you fail to take care of your body and mind, sooner or later you will suffer the consequences and they will fail you at a great cost at a later date and time. Thus, you must regularly invest in your health. The several types of investments to make regularly are:

  • Sleep – 7-8 hrs/night
  • Food – 50-70% good fats, 20-30% healthy proteins and less than 20% carbohydrates from organic, non-gmo, non-processed and non-added sugar sources
  • Hydration – Half your body weight in ounces per day, no more than 3 quarts
  • Exercise – 30 minutes per day of some type of exercise/movement
  • Stress – Daily stress-reducing and relaxation techniques
  • Gratitude– Being grateful for your daily blessings and the joy in your life
  • Spiritual/Mindfulness – Spending time nurturing your faith daily

If you’re not, then you’re spending time regularly neglecting your health.

  • You’re either getting quality sleep or you’re not.
  • You’re either eating foods that will nourish and fuel your body or you’re not.
  • You’re either properly hydrating on a regular basis, or not.
  • You’re either exercising in some way daily, or you’re not.
  • You’re either working to reduce stress on a daily basis or you’re not.
  • You’re either focusing on all of the good in your life and working towards your goals, or not.

You should do something daily to invest back in your health. If not, some day you’re going to wish you had made different choices along the way.

Optimal health is not something you can buy; however, it might just be the most valuable investment you can ever make.

Today be thankful and think of how rich you really are. Your family and friends are priceless, your time is gold, and your health is wealth.

References:

  1. https://kellyshockley.com/your-health-is-an-investment-not-an-expense/
  2. https://thetakeawaybypokk.wordpress.com/2017/12/18/your-health-is-an-investment-not-and-expense/

February is American Heart Month

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February is American Heart Month, an opportunity to raise awareness to the fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S.

American Heart Month is observed to raise awareness on the importance of a healthy heart and to encourage healthy habits that help reduce the risk of heart disease. It is an ideal time to remind Americans to focus on their heart health and encourage them to get their families, friends and communities involved.

Heart disease affects all ages, genders, and ethnicities.

Despite the significant progress researchers have made in understanding of heart disease risk factors. (such as high blood pressure, bad cholesterol, smoking, being overweight or obese, and type 2 diabetes), heart disease affects all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Moreover, heart disease continues to exact a heartbreaking toll — a burden disproportionately carried by Black and Brown Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and people who live in rural communities.  

Every year, 1 in 4 deaths in the U.S. is attributable to heart disease, and the vast majority of those deaths can be prevented. By taking preventive measures, you can lower your risk of developing heart disease and also improve your overall health and well-being. 

Heart Disease, Stroke and other Cardiovascular Diseases

The human heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout our body, supplying oxygen and nutrients and removing toxins and waste. Weighing between 8 and 12 ounces, the heart is a mighty organ divided into four chambers that work together to pump blood in and out. The heart gets oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it throughout the rest of the body.

Heart disease occurs when the arteries leading to the heart become clogged. Although heart disease has been around for thousands of years, health experts do know that many aspects of modern life exacerbate risk factors and make people more prone to heart disease and heart failure. Heart disease can affect everyone, but taking stock of your prior health risks, activities and diet can help you reduce your risk.

Even in a pandemic, Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, and mortality rates are on the rise among younger demographic within the population. For example:

  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD), listed as the underlying cause of death, accounted for 874,613 deaths in the United States in calendar year 2019.
  • CVD claim more lives each year in the United States than all forms of cancer and Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease (CLRD) combined.
  • In 2015 to 2018 in the United States, 58.8% of non-Hispanic (NH) Black females and 60.1% of NH Black males had some form of CVD. This race category had the highest prevalence of CVD.
  • CVD accounted for approximately 19.05 million global deaths in 2020

Heart disease can often be prevented when you make healthy choices and manage your health conditions. The warning signs for heart disease have been known to appear when people are as young as 18. Red flags such as high blood pressure should be taken seriously and healthy habits should be adopted.

You can take steps to protect your heart. Additionally, you can work with your doctor to make a plan and your doctor can help by:

  • Checking your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers — and teaching you how to check your numbers at home
  • Sharing advice for healthy eating and physical activity
  • Supporting you in other heart-healthy changes, like quitting smoking
  • Connecting you with specialists to treat heart problems and other conditions
  • Prescribing medicines if you need them

If you haven’t been keeping up with regular doctor visits, you’re not alone. Many people have postponed doctor visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. But now’s the time to get back on track! Don’t wait — schedule an appointment today.

Heart Healthy Steps

Engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet and weight, managing stress, avoiding smoking and vaping, and getting quality sleep each night can all reduce the risk of heart disease and help people live longer, healthier lives.  

While it is essential to see a health care professional if you have symptoms or risk factors related to heart disease, research shows that taking a little time each day to promote a healthy lifestyle can help improve your long-term heart health.

Subsequently, you can prevent heart disease and stroke by taking small, healthy steps like moving your body and eating healthy.

  • Simple Ways to Get Active – Physical activity is key to a healthy heart. And when you’re active, it’s easier to keep doing all the things you love — like traveling, seeing friends, and walking around the neighborhood.
  • Tips for Healthy Eating – Small changes in your eating habits make a big difference in your heart health — and there’s no one right way to eat healthy! You can find healthy eating habits that work for you.
  • Heart-Health Role Model – Kids love to imitate their parents — so show your family how you’re taking steps to protect your heart.

Continuing the fight against cardiovascular disease is crucial to improving the Americans health.  During American Heart Month, we must recommit ourselves to ensuring a healthier future for all Americans.

How to observe American Heart Month:

  1. Take up a heart-healthy habit — Staying active, eating healthy, and watching our weight are all important parts of maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system. Pick a new heart-healthy habit like jogging or substituting sodas with water and try to stick to it for a whole month.
  2. Educate yourself — Learn about the risk factors for heart disease, the ways you can prevent them, and the lifestyle choices that can help you stay healthy.
  3. Get your cholesterol tested — If you’re worried you might be at risk for heart disease, ask your doctor to perform a simple cholesterol test to let you know if you’re at risk and should make adjustments to your diet.

References:

  1. https://nationaltoday.com/american-heart-month/
  2. https://www.nationalforum.org/heart-month-2022/
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/index.htm
  4. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/01/31/a-proclamation-on-american-heart-month-2022/

Healthy Aging and Eating

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“Making a plan to eat healthy can keep you healthy and active for longer.” National Institute on Health

“Aging—not cancer or heart disease—is the world’s leading cause of death and suffering. In spite of this, we accept the aging process as inevitable”, writes Dr. Andrew Steel, longevity expert and author of “Ageless: The new science of getting older without getting old“.

Dr. Steel suggest a list of proven life-extenders, such as don’t smoke, exercise, get vaccinated, take care of your teeth.

Strauss Zelnick, author of Becoming Ageless, and who successfully rejuvenated his metabolic health believes that, “You can eat to be younger.” He implores his readers to focus on what He calls “Forever Fuel.” He suggests that you do not have to forego eating your favorite foods; you’re just getting the best versions of them.

  • Unlimited Foods—Lean Protein, Salads, and Vegetables—eat as much as you want. I love bison, light tuna, chicken, eggs, grass-fed beef.
  • Limited Foods—Some fruits and dried fruits, nuts, and cheese—in moderation.
  • Highly restricted foods—no processed foods, fried foods, or added sugars. Processed foods account for 70% of the calories that Americans take in. They don’t just make you fat; they age you.

While humans wither and become frail after a mere seven or so decades, capturing the trait known as ‘negligible senescence ‘ has become the holy grail of aging research. A 2015 study, published by the Mayo Clinic, found that using a combination of existing drugs reversed a number of signs of aging, including improving heart function”, according to the Guardian.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN, adds that, “During medical school we were taught that aging is a natural process and that people can simply die of old age. The thinking was that age wasn’t just a turning of the clock but an accumulation of mutations, cancer, arthritis, heart disease and dementia. Have you ever wondered, however, if it was possible to address those diseases not just individually, but collectively, by addressing the underlying process of aging itself.”

The role of carbs and added sugars

When you have sugar molecules in your system, they bombard the body’s cells like a meteor ­shower—glomming onto fats and proteins in a process known as glycation. This forms advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which cause protein fibers to become stiff and malformed. The connective-tissue damage and chronic inflammation resulting from sustained high blood sugar can lead to debilitating conditions, such as cataracts, Alzheimer’s, vascular tightening, and diseases of the pancreas and liver.

From a dietary standpoint, forswearing white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup—which studies have shown increases the rate of glycation by 10 times, compared with glucose—and simple carbs is a no-brainer. “Even though all carbs get converted into sugar, when you eat the good ones, like brown rice and whole-grain bread, you get less glucose, and you get it more slowly,” Karcher says.

Carbohydrates (Carbs) — like fiber, starches, and sugars — are important for your health. They are your body’s main source of energy and are a basic nutrient your body turns into glucose, or blood sugar, to make energy for your body to work. But eating too many carbs can cause your body to store the excess as fat.

The fruit, vegetables, dairy, and grain food groups all contain carbohydrates. Sweeteners like sugar, honey, and syrup and foods with added sugars like candy, soft drinks, and cookies also contain carbohydrates.

You should try to get most of your carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, dairy, and whole grains rather than added sugars or refined grains.

Nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and fats can help you stay healthy as you age.

Many foods with carbohydrates also supply fiber. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body cannot digest. It is found in many foods that come from plants, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains. Eating food with fiber can help prevent stomach or intestinal problems, such as constipation. It might also help lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

A very low-carb diet, like keto, triggers your body into nutritional ketosis. This stored energy is released in the form of chemicals called ketones. Your liver starts to make ketones — a fuel that kicks in when your body uses up glucose and glycogen, and doesn’t have enough sugar to run on. It does this by breaking down the energy reserves stored in fat. 

These chemicals, ketones, help cells—especially brain cells—keep working at full capacity. Some researchers think that because ketones are a more efficient energy source than glucose, they may protect against aging-related decline in the central nervous system that might cause dementia and other disorders.

Ketones also may inhibit the development of cancer because malignant cells cannot effectively obtain energy from ketones. In addition, studies show that ketones may help protect against inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. Ketones also reduce the level of insulin in the blood, which could protect against type 2 diabetes.

But too many ketones in the blood can have harmful health effects.

While there’s insufficient evidence to recommend any type of calorie-restriction or fasting diet. A lot more needs to be learned about their effectiveness and safety, especially in older adults. In the meanwhile, there’s plenty of evidence for other actions you can take to stay healthy as you age:

  • Eat a balanced diet with nutritious food in moderate amounts. Avoid or limit consuming refined sugars and carbs, and processed foods.
  • Engage in regular physical exercise (150 minutes per week).
  • Drink alcohol in moderation or not at all.
  • Don’t smoke or take illegal drugs.
  • Maintain an active social lifestyle and build close relationships.
  • Get a good night’s sleep.

Finally, older adults may have different vitamin and mineral needs than younger adults. Find recommended amounts and information on calcium, sodium, vitamin D, and more.

“People are living longer, staying healthier longer and accomplishing things late in life that once seemed possible only at younger ages.” –David Brooks, The New York Times

The American Heart Association recommends no more than six teaspoons of added sugar a day. The sugar found in whole foods like fruits and veggies, says Kimber Stanhope, PhD, a nutritional biologist at the University of California, Davis. “These naturally occurring sugars come packaged with good-for-you vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients.” Eliminating or reducing your intake of added sugar and carbs can result in you gaining some significant healthy aging benefits, according to the American Heart Association.

References:

  1. https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-what-happens-when-you-stop-eating-carbs
  2. https://andrewsteele.co.uk/ageless/
  3. https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Ageless-Secrets-Looking-Feeling/dp/1940358175/ref=nodl_
  4. https://www.dexafit.com/blog2/10-ways-to-improve-your-metabolic-health
  5. https://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/tips/a2471/sugar-aging-how-to-fight-glycation-614621/
  6. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/calorie-restriction-and-fasting-diets-what-do-we-know
  7. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/important-nutrients-know-proteins-carbohydrates-and-fats
  8. https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/scientist-reveals-tips-for-slowing-down-the-aging-process/ar-BB1fWqe4
  9. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jan/03/observer-magazine-do-we-have-to-age-biologist-andrew-steele
  10. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/carbohydrates

Avoid 5 Foods that Weaken Memory and Focus

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We are what we eat!

Across America, people are struggling with mental health issues. Nearly one in five Americans are living with a mental health condition, and the number of people seeking help for anxiety and depression is skyrocketing, reports Mental Health America. According to the organization’s 2021 State of Mental Health in America Report, “suicidal thoughts are increasing among both adults and children, and 9.7 percent of youth is experiencing severe major depression compared to 9.2 percent last year”.

Accumulating scientific research shows that a standard American diet rich in refined sugar and highly processed foods may increase the risk of developing or worsening various mental health conditions. But a nutrient-based diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables; omega-3 fatty acids; nuts, seeds and legumes; whole grains, fresh herbs and spices; fish and olive oil, may help to support and enhance mental health.

Source: https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america

A Harvard nutritionist and brain expert implores Americans to avoid 5 foods that ‘weaken memory and focus’, and increase the likelihood of depression and mental health issues. Dr. Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist, brain expert, and faculty member at Harvard Medical School, studied how gut bacteria can trigger metabolic processes and brain inflammation that impact memory.

In her book “This Is Your Brain on Food”, Dr. Naidoo explains which food contributes to our mental health and “how a sound diet can help treat and prevent a wide range of psychological and cognitive health issues, from ADHD to anxiety, depression, OCD, and others”.

Refined sugar is well known for creating chronic inflammation in the body which can cause dysfunction of the immune system.

Existing studies indicate that you “may be able to reduce the possibility of dementia by avoiding foods that can compromise our gut bacteria and weaken your memory and focus”.

The standard American diet (SAD) foods “to avoid or cut back on to fight inflammation and promote brain health, sharp thinking and good decision-making” are:

  1. Refined sugars – a high-sugar or ‘high fructose corn syrup’ diet can lead to excess glucose in the brain, which studies have linked to memory impairments and less plasticity of the hippocampus — the part of the brain controlling memory. Consuming unhealthy processed foods like baked goods and soda floods the brain with too much glucose. And, be aware that refined sugar is “secretly added” to many popular food items like fast food french fries. Furthermore, sugar consumption triggers a cascade of chemical reactions in the body that promote chronic inflammation, according to Psychology Today. A little inflammation can be a good thing, since it can increase immune activity and blood flow to a wound. But in the long term, inflammation is a big problem. It disrupts the normal functioning of the immune system, and wreaks havoc on the brain.
  2. High-glycemic-load carbohydrates – your body processes high-glycemic-load carbohydrates in much the same way it does with refined or high fructose sugar. That means they can also raise your risk for depression. “Better-quality” carbohydrates were defined as whole grains, foods high in fiber, and those ranked low on the glycemic index (GI). The GI is a measure of how quickly foods convert to glucose when broken down during digestion; the faster a food turns into glucose in the body, the higher its GI ranking. Researchers discovered that people who were eating better-quality carbs, were 30% less likely to develop depression than those who were eating high-GI carbs. Low-GI carbs include green vegetables, most fruits, raw carrots, kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils.
  3. Fried foods – for brain health, it pays to reduce the amount of fried foods you eat. In fact, one study found that a diet high in fried foods was linked to lower scores in learning and memory. The likely reason is that fried foods can cause inflammation, which can damage the blood vessels that supply the brain with blood. Another study found that those who consumed more fried foods were more likely to develop depression in their lifetime. If you’re eating fried foods, try enjoying them just once a month.
  4. Alcohol – Archana Singh-Manoux, a research professor and director at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research, and her colleagues reported in the British Medical Journal that “people who had abstained from alcohol completely or who consumed more than 14 drinks per week had a higher risk of dementia compared to those who drank alcohol in moderation”. Thus, the key is moderation.
  5. Nitrates – nitrates are used as a preservative and to enhance color in deli slices and cured meats like bacon, salami and sausage. Nitrates may be also connected with depression.

What you eat does matter. Thus, by avoiding or eliminating these 5 foods from your diet, and by serving healthier, nutrient-rich food options, you can help to alleviate anxiety and depression, stabilize mood and promote mental health and wellness.

“The gut/brain connection helps us understand the food/mood connection,” explains Dr. Naidoo. “The enteric nervous system—that is, the nerves supplying the gastrointestinal tract—totals over 100 million neurons and communicates directly with the brain, or central nervous system, by way of the vagus nerve, which is responsible for our ‘rest-and-digest’ response. 

“It’s also vital to note that the gut contains the highest number of serotonin receptors, and the gut itself produces all the neurotransmitters that are also made in the brain, including serotonin, often called the happiness hormone. In turn, these neurotransmitters are implicated in sound mental health or potential problems when they are deficient.”

Bottomline, cleaning up your diet and eating healthier, nutrient-rich food, in most cases, will only help your mental health and emotional well-being.

Healthy diet, exercise, mindfulness, gratitude and sleep are all holistically important for your brain and mental health.

  1. https://www.nachicago.com/2021/10/29/372020/eat-well-to-feel-well-thanksgiving-fare-that-boosts-mental-health
  2. https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america
  3. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-depression-cure/200907/dietary-sugar-and-mental-illness-surprising-link
  4. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/28/a-harvard-nutritionist-and-brain-expert-avoids-these-5-foods-that-weaken-memory-and-focus.html
  5. https://umanaidoomd.com

Your Health…a Long Term Investment

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Your health is an investment, not an expense. John Quelch

What would you call an investment that involves little to no risk, requires little money or capital to start, is available equally to every American, grows more valuable every year, is a proven career booster and can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars of extra savings over a lifetime?

It’s called good health.

August is National Wellness Month and a great opportunity to make an investment in your overall health and wellness, so you can do more of the activities you love now, and remain healthy enough to do the activities you enjoy in the future. Thus, it is essential that you view your physical, mental and emotional health as a long term investment, not an expense.

Think about all of the things you spend money on. Some things are critical to living such as food, a roof over your head, and clothes to wear. However, as a whole, you tend to spend money on some things that are unnecessary, and then think that you don’t have enough money to invest in and to manage your health.

Invest in your health for ‘health is wealth’

The biggest and most obvious reason that you should invest in your health is that you only get one body and mind in your lifetime. This means that keeping your body and mind. healthy should be your top priority.

Another great reason to take care of your body today is that you may not have taken the best care of it in the past. Whether it was all the process foods and sugary snacks you ate as a kid, or the one too many beers you had in college, most Americans could stand to make up for an unhealthy lifestyle in their past. The other reason you should invest in your health today is that the investment will pay off and compound in the long term. To paraphrase an adage…the best time to invest in your health was ten years ago and the second best time is today.

The best investment you can ever make is in your own health.

More than ever you must not only protect, but focus on improving your mental, emotional and physical health. It’s important that you find ways of improving your well-being and taking care of your health because it is an investment worth making.

One way to emphasize your health is to manage and measure your health.

Healthy aging

So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health. A. J. Reb Materi

The bottom line is that you should be spending at least as much time educating yourself and dedicating yourself to healthy lifestyles, exercise and diets as you do to maximizing your returns on investment.

References:

  1. http://yourqualitycareassociates.com/your-health-is-an-investment-not-an-expense/
  2. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/health-investment_b_909015

Celebrating American Heart Month

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#1 cause of death in the U.S. is HEART DISEASE!

Heart disease is a catch-all phrase for a variety of conditions that affect the heart’s structure and function. Coronary heart disease is a type of heart disease that develops when the arteries of the heart cannot deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

Despite the devastating toll of COVID-19, heart disease remains the most costly and leading cause of death in the United States. Specifically, myocardial infarction (MI) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are the leading causes of death in the U.S. and other Western societies.

Coronary heart disease is often caused by the buildup of plaque, a waxy substance, inside the lining of larger coronary arteries. This buildup can partially or totally block blood flow in the large arteries of the heart.

Some types of this condition may be caused by disease or injury affecting how the arteries work in the heart. Coronary microvascular disease is another type of coronary heart disease. It occurs when the heart’s tiny blood vessels do not work normally.

The death rate from heart attacks has risen dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic because people are delaying or not seeking care after experiencing mild symptoms. And, symptoms of coronary heart disease differ from person to person even if they have the same type of coronary heart disease. However, because many Americans have no symptoms, they do not know they have coronary heart disease until they have chest pain, a heart attack, or sudden cardiac arrest.

Protect yourself…

90% of heart disease and stroke is preventable through lifestyle changes and risk factor modification. During Heart Month, it is critical to recommit to fighting this disease by promoting better health, wellness, and prevention awareness in your homes and communities.

There’s a lot you can do to prevent heart disease. You and your friends and family can begin by working together to meet your heart health goals. Move more, work on your weight and salt intake, quit smoking—it’s all easier when you have social support.

Motivating Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles to prevent heart disease is the goal of Heart Month. Focusing on your heart health has never been more important. People with poor cardiovascular health are also at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Let’s celebrate American Heart month by incorporating heart-healthy cardio activity into your day today:

  • Get Moving (exercise)
  • Quit Smoking (No More Excuses)
  • Lose Weight (Your weight matters)
  • Eat Heart Healthy Foods (talk to a doctor or a nutritionist)
  • Don’t Overeat
  • Don’t Stress

Make heart health a regular part of your self-care routine.

Wish all a Happy Valentine’s Day, and to remind you to take care of your heart

References

  1. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/american-heart-month/about
  2. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-month/help-prevent-heart-disease

Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets to Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever

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Don’t try to overhaul your life overnight. Instead, focus on making one small change at a time. Over time, those small changes will add up to big transformation. Don’t give up!”

A reporter once asked Albert Einstein what’s man’s greatest invention was, and the scientist, after a long pause, simply replied: “Compound interest.”

Compounding—the idea of something gaining value exponentially into the future through better decisions made in the present—is one of the greatest lessons any human being can ever learn.

In Becoming Ageless, “it is never too late to reverse how you look and feel, and to develop the mindset of how you do it. Day in and day out, if you want to live longer and live better, you need a clear and basic understanding that the outcome of your journey is the sum of its steps.”

There are no guarantees with your physical or emotional health, just as there are no guarantees with your wealth. But, you can stack the odds in your favor by making sacrifices today that are worth the gains in the long term.

And with the principles explained in Becoming Ageless, you’ll be living longer—and with greater clarity of thought, mobility, and freedom from pain. Ultimately, you can take the tactical insights about daily living and the strategic insight into the larger quest to live longer and better. After all, you can be living proof that if you’re willing to consistently and incrementally implement small changes—while keeping your eye on the larger goal at all times—you’ll boost your chances of living longer and living happier than you ever imagined.

You can have the mind, body, and spirit of someone half your age, and add more years to your life. Or, you can have people stare in disbelief when they discover how old you really are. You can become…ageless?  You can. It’s possible.

Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets to Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever is the result of years of research into the science of longevity. It is about looking and feeling eternal. It has worked, and it will work for you. On this effective plan, you’ll:

  • Lose stubborn belly fat and watch the pounds melt away.
  • Enjoy amazing meals, workouts, and a sense of community.
  • Look and feel noticeabley younger—for life!
  • The strategies contained inside Becoming Ageless, you’ll discover:
    • An easy and effective program for everyone that will help you flatten your gut and become healthier than you ever thought possible.
    • Delicious, healthy, and easy-to-make recipes including hearty breakfasts, easy-to-make lunches, filling dinners, and even desserts.
    • A full workout plan that will sculpt your body and help you prevent back pain and sleep better.
    • A holistic mind/body approach that really works. Look and feel better than ever without deprivation dieting, counting calories—or ever feeling hungry!

    Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets to Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever, explains exactly what it takes to be fit and healthy at any age with all the research to support it.

    The three most interesting things Zelnick learned about keeping the mind and body young.

    1. Try the less-is-more approach.

    When it comes to staying youthful and increasing longevity, deliberately plodding along can actually be more effective than going all out. A 2015 study looked at more than 1,000 runners and found that those who jogged slowly had lower mortality rates than those who ran faster. “I was a terrible runner, so a few years ago I worked with a coach,” says Zelnick. Even though they suggested brisk, one-hour sessions, Zelnick insisted on 45-minute jogs. “That was just at the brink of what I could live with before saying, ‘I hate this so much, I’ll never do it again,’” he says. “Taking it slow and steady was my strategy.”

    2. Stay adventurous.

    Research from the University of Texas at Dallas found that trying new, cognitively demanding activities improves memory function in older adulthood. “It’s just not true that we lose the ability to learn or improve our performance after the age of 25,” says Zelnick. “I picked up skiing in my 30s, cycling in my 40s, boxing in my 50s, and I’m picking up gymnastics and squash now.” Not only is it possible to learn new skills as you age, but doing so can keep your body and brain young.

    3. Accept the learning process.

    Study upon study shows the importance of grit in predicting success, and Zelnick believes it also keeps you young. You probably won’t pull off a world-class performance the first, even the 10th time you try something. “Don’t be afraid of failure or slow progress,” he says. “There are days when I play squash and I do really badly. And yes, I might get frustrated with myself but then I realize, you know what? I showed up, I did the best I could, I’ll do better the next time—or I won’t. But I’m still going to keep going.”

    With Becoming Ageless, you’ll feel fitter, sharper, and more energized than ever before—with the body of someone half your age! Boost your metabolism and enjoy all-day energy. Feel younger for life. All you have to do is follow the four secrets in the book.

    – Ageless Secret #1 You’ll Indulge in Delicious Foods 
    It’s true: You can eat to be younger. Most people associate eating for health or weight loss with a “diet”—It’s important to break that association. Diets fail. Instead, focus on “Forever Fuel.” It doesn’t mean you can’t eat your favorite foods; you’re just getting the best versions of them. On the Becoming Ageless plan, enjoy the following and lose 20+ pounds:

    • Unlimited Foods—Lean Protein, Salads, and Vegetables—eat as much as you want. bison, light tuna, chicken, eggs, grass-fed beef.
    • Limited Foods—Some fruits and dried fruits, nuts, and cheese—in moderation.
    • Highly restricted foods—no processed foods, fried foods, or added sugars. Processed foods account for 70% of the calories that Americans take in. They don’t just make you fat; they age you. Research has linked ultraprocessed foods to a higher risk for obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Intriguing new work even suggests that they may actually encourage overeating, possibly because their particular mashup of ingredients disrupts the hormones that control hunger, or it scrambles the gut-brain signals that tell us how much to eat.
    • Commit yourself to eating sensibly and eating yourself healthy.

    The book is packed with a ton of easy-to-make recipes that will help you get your best body ever. It’s true—even with a busy schedule, you can cook, because they’re that simple. And if you cook just three meals a week, you’ll live a decade longer, studies show.

    – Ageless Secret #2: You’ll Unlock Your Inner Strength
    Fitness is the foundation for so much success in many individuals lives—it improved their moods, shrunk their belly, got them out with colleagues (which led to promotions) and you don’t have to run an ultra-marathon or climb Mt. Everest. Just commit and be consistent. Get moving a little every day.

    Work out every morning and some evenings. Some moves take just minutes to do. Here’s a few ways to do it right:

    • Start slow—incorporate regular walks or body weight exercises to feel the burn.
    • Workout when you’re working—like with a stressball or a hand grip strengthener
    • Incorporate a complete exercise plan for building muscle. Use it and you’ll avoid back pain and get injured less.

    – Ageless Secret #3: You’ll Bulletproof Your Body
    You can’t feel younger if you’re sick all the time.  You want to turn your body into a disease-fighting machine. That’s why you should include:

    • Preventative measures—a complete checklist of all the tests you need, and when you should have them.
    • A guide to better sleep, so you can have a more peaceful rest.
    • Cover mental health too…favorite tip to boost confidence is to ditch the scale. Measure success by what you see in the mirror and how you look and feel. If you like what you see, what the scale reads isn’t important. That was a game-changer. Little changes mean big results.

    – Ageless Secret #4: You’ll Discover a Deeper Connection
    People who focus solely on the body and not the mind are shortchanging themselves. For lasting success, it’s essential to construct a support system that will hold you accountable—and provide incentives for you to succeed. Consider texting a friend after every workout, and revel in the virtual high-five; better yet, join a workout class. You’ll strengthen bonds with friends and loved ones and elevate your mood and productivity.

    It’s a benefit in embracing my spiritual side. For quiet reflection, personally integrate morning prayer. It’s life-changing, and feeds into personal success on every level. To help you focus, meditate, do yoga, and find a community that supports your new lifestyle.

    By following the pillars in Becoming Ageless, you’ll be happier and healthier; stave off disease; enhance your spiritual connections; and lose fat from where it matters most. That’s something you want at any age. It works.

    Start by asking yourself an important question: “What do I want?” That answer will drive every decision you make. It will also make the how easier to pinpoint and, eventually, accomplish. Here are a few answers to that question: You May want to . . .

    • Live as long and healthily as possible while being cogent and mobile.
    • Be fit and strong.
    • Perform my job at my highest level.
    • Have warm and meaningful relationships with my family and friends.
    • Push my limits both mentally and physically.
    • Look good in and out of clothes.
    • Feel youthful, happy, satisfied, and as stress-free as possible.
    • Be spiritually connected.
    • Help others achieve their goals.

    You don’t want is to be limited or defined by your age. Yet sometimes, we forget that, while there’s no stopping the passage of time, we can control how well we age. Because the notion that you’ll get too old to run marathons, too weak for century rides, too fragile to ski or snowboard, or too fatigued to keep up with your grandchildren at a park is just plain wrong.

    It doesn’t matter if you’re a millennial or a centenarian: Right now, you have all the resources you need to make changes to obtain or reclaim the life you want. That’s if you know what you want. So think about what you want. Be honest and don’t edit your thoughts. Contemplate it for a week if you need to. Then write down five to 10 goals. Write them right now.

    About the Author

    Strauss Zelnick is founder of the private equity firm Zelnick Media Capital and president and CEO of Take-Two Interactive, the company behind blockbuster video games such as Grand Theft Auto and NBA2K.

    “Live your truth!”

    Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life | Consumers Reports

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    Eating a healthy diet can fix several common health concerns as you age like energy level, mood and balance.

    A healthy diet is key to the healthy aging of your body and mind, according to Consumer Reports on Health. Additionally, it can help you ward off chronic diseases such as hearth disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

    Improving energy levels and mood

    A healthy diet can help remedy numerous conditions (many of which become more common with age)—such as your balance and mood.

    When the weather turns cold and days get shorter, we often turn to comfort foods which tend to be made mostly of refined carbohydrates, sugar, and fat. That combination may leave us feeling physically tired and emotionally cranky.

    “When you eat simple, refined carbs, you get a quick increase of energy for about 20 or 30 minutes, and then a quick decrease,” says Lauri Wright, PhD, associate professor of nutrition at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. “Those spikes and dips in energy are also bad for your mood because when your energy comes crashing down, your mood can crash too.”

    Whole grains, such as brown rice and quinoa, work in the opposite way. “They release energy gradually and then gradually decrease over the course of 3 to 4 hours,” Wright says.

    Getting adequate vitamin D may also be helpful for boosting your mood. Older adults may be prone to a defi­ciency, in part because the ability to produce D from sunlight declines with age. A 2018 study of almost 4,000 adults 50 and older in Ireland found that those with vitamin D deficiency (defined in this study as blood levels lower than 30 nanomoles per liter) were more likely to develop depression.

    Improving balance

    Your balance tends to get worse as you age, but one common cause is sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss). You can help your muscles stay strong by getting enough protein.

    “The proteins in your muscles are constantly being broken down,” says Roger Fielding, PhD, associate director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. “If you aren’t consuming enough protein in your diet, the breakdown exceeds synthesis and you have a loss of muscle mass.” And without strong muscles to support your joints, your balance may suffer, leaving you at greater risk of falling.

    On average, older adults should aim for at least 0.6 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day—about 90 grams for someone who weighs 150 pounds. Make sure to spread it evenly among meals. “It’s important to deliver protein to your muscles throughout the day,” Fielding says. And be sure to get a mix of animal (lean meats, fish, dairy) and plant (beans, nuts, soy) sources.

    Plant foods also contain antioxidants and polyphenols that can help reduce inflammation. “Increases in inflammatory compounds can have potent effects on muscle loss,” Fielding says. In one study in The Journal of Nutrition, older men and women with adequate blood levels of antioxidant vitamin C had an average of 1.6 percent and 3.4 percent greater muscle mass, respectively, than those with lower levels.

    Healthy eating

    Eating lots of high-quality plant foods and eating low amounts of animal-based foods, refined grains, added sugars, processed foods and ­unhealthy fats is good for your heart health. A plant-based diet can improve cholesterol and lower blood pressure. It also helps to protect against oxidative damage and to reduce inflammation.

    Research has linked ultra processed foods to a higher risk for obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Some processing is relatively benign and even enhances healthy properties. But generally speaking, the farther your food gets from its original “whole” version, the more process and less good it becomes for you.

    Healthy eating plan

    What matters most is following a healthy eating plan. In one 2018 study involv­ing more than 81,000 women, those whose diets most closely matched one of three heart-healthy eating patterns—alternate Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and 2010 Alter­native Healthy Eating Index—had a lower risk of developing chronic diseases over the 22-year study period.

    To make it simple, at each meal fill half your plate with fruits and veggies (but limit starchy ones, such as potatoes). The other half should be made up of whole grains and plant-based protein, such as tofu, lentils, or nuts, most days, with modest amounts of fish, lean meat, and poultry less often.

    References:

    1. https://www.consumerreports.org/healthy-eating/anti-aging-diet-moves/?EXTKEY=YSOCIAL_FB&fbclid=IwAR0LIDLQ73gonTqiiBcqMigeysuA1otE9VwXMvvrysCDHoJuIyelJuky0e4
    2. https://www.consumerreports.org/nutrition-healthy-eating/what-is-a-processed-food/
    3. https://www.consumerreports.org/packaged-processed-foods/processed-foods-are-bad-for-weight-loss/
    4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29071481/

    Healthy Aging and Lifestyle: Whole Foods, Plant Based Diet | Consumers Report

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    “It’s never too early or too late to embrace a healthier lifestyle.” Robert Ostfeld, M.D., director of Preventive Cardiology and founder and director of the Cardiac Wellness Program at Montefiore Medical Center in New York

    A strong body of research supports the idea that a whole foods, plant-based diet can boost your health, decreasing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, and helping you stay at a healthy weight. It can even lengthen your life, according to a recent study in JAMA Internal Medicine that tracked more than 70,000 people.

    Scientific research highlighted in the landmark book The China Study shows that a whole food, plant-based diet can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer, and other major illnesses. Many people also reported bigger fitness payoffs, more energy, reduced inflammation, and better health outcomes after making the switch.

    You can eat to be younger

    Whole Foods, plant-based diets are also full of phytochemicals, compounds that help keep many of your body’s systems running smoothly, Rachel Meltzer Warren, M.S., R.D., a frequent contributor to Consumers Report, wrote. For instance, the anthocyanins in berries help protect vision; carotenoids in carrots and cantaloupe, and the isothiocyanates in brussels sprouts neutralize the free radicals that cause cell damage; and flavonoids in apples help control inflammation.

    A whole-food, plant-based diet is based on the following principles, according to ForksOverKnives:

    • Whole food describes natural foods that are not heavily processed. That means whole, unrefined, or minimally refined ingredients.
    • Plant-based means food that comes from plants and doesn’t include animal ingredients such as meat, milk, eggs, or honey.

    A “less meat, more plants” style of eating can also help improve the quality of your life

    Research shows in one recent preliminary study of more than 450,000 adults, those who followed a whole food, plant-based diet that was 70 percent plants had a 20 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease or stroke than those whose diets centered on meat and dairy. A Harvard study that tracked more than 120,000 people for 30 years found that those who ate the most red meat tended to die younger during the study period but that swapping just one daily serving of beef for nuts could cut the risk of dying early by as much as 19 percent.

    One possible reason for those benefits is that a whole food, plant-based diet can improve blood lipid levels. Making the change from a standard American diet to a whole food, plant based (including some meat) or vegetarian one was associated with a 10 to 15 percent decrease in total and LDL “bad” cholesterol, according to a review of 27 studies in the American Journal of Cardiology. Shifting to a vegan diet led to even more dramatic change.

    A “less meat, more plants” style of eating can also help improve the quality of your life. In addition, it’s associated with higher levels of short-chain fatty acids in the gut, and research suggests that it lowers the risk of heart disease, inflammatory diseases, and type 2 diabetes.

    Wake up and go to work on yourself before you go to work for anyone else

    Changing your diet after age 50 can make a difference, according to experts. “It’s never too early or too late to embrace a healthier lifestyle,” Robert Ostfeld, M.D., director of Preventive Cardiology and founder and director of the Cardiac Wellness Program at Montefiore Medical Center in New York says, which includes a healthy whole food, plant based diet, aerobic and resistance exercises and good nights sleep. “The benefits come quickly and continue to accrue with time.” In one study, women in that age group who ate a mostly plant diet were 34 percent more likely to be free of chronic diseases, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, 15 years later than women whose diets included more meat.

    Essentially, a whole-food, plant-based diet is good for your heart, your body, and it may even be good for your soul.

    References:

    1. https://www.consumerreports.org/diet-plans/plant-based-diet/
    2. https://www.forksoverknives.com/how-tos/plant-based-primer-beginners-guide-starting-plant-based-diet/
    3. https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/patient-lost-75-pounds-reduced-nineteen-meds-three/

    Healthy Plant Based Diet, Aerobic and Resistance Exercises and Restful Sleep