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Baby Steps
By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Medicine Bulletin
It happens every year – those birthdays I used to love. Now I try harder each year to ignore these milestones. Of course, my body likes to remind me that I just can’t get away with all those bad habits I enjoyed during my youth. Ice cream sundaes seem to pack on the pounds almost instantly. Junk food gives me heartburn. And a weekend hike brings on aches and pains in places I didn’t even know existed!
So, is there anything I can do to turn back the clock? Well, not exactly. But, according to a new study by researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina, people who don’t lead a healthy lifestyle until they reach middle age can still benefit – as long as they change their ways.
Boomer Benefits
The aim of the SC study was to see how the health of more than 15,000 middle-age adults was affected when they adopted a healthy lifestyle that including eating five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy body weight and not smoking.
Over the next four years, the people who switched to a healthy lifestyle were 11.7 percent less likely to die than those who didn’t make any changes. They were also 16.5 percent less likely to develop heart disease.
While this study seems to provide proof positive that adopting these four healthy habits considerably lowers the risk of heart disease and death, the good news is that you don’t have to suddenly turn into a marathon runner or live on celery sticks. Small changes can go a long way toward staying healthy.
Food For Thought
The first step is easy – really easy. Next time you’re in the grocery store, pick up some healthy convenience foods. A good place to start is in the produce aisle. Look for packaged fruits and veggies that are washed, sliced and ready to go. Yes, they are usually more expensive. But having packaged produce in the fridge can mean the difference between a healthy or not-so-healthy meal.
If you’re really pressed for time, check out the freezer section for healthy frozen meals. Look for organic meals containing whole grains, soy and plenty of vegetables.
Enjoying a “home-cooked” meal instead of eating out will save both cash and calories.
Exercise Your Options
Exercise. We all know that it’s incredibly good for you, but who has the time? Surprisingly, you do! The trick is to schedule your exercise and make it nonnegotiable.
Start with a 15 minute workout at the same time every day and increase it until you are exercising for an hour a day. Not only will it improve your physical health, help you handle stress and even make you more productive, you’ll find that you miss it on the days when you just can’t fit a workout in.
What about those times when you are traveling? No sweat! Just make sure you never travel without your workout clothes. Taking your workout clothes on a trip means that, if the weather cooperates and the area is safe, you can head out for a morning walk or run. If the weather won’t cooperate, most hotels are equipped with a gym for their guests.
One Last Thing . . .
Most of us dread stepping on a scale. But research shows that people who weigh themselves regularly are more likely to be at a healthy weight. I weigh myself just about every morning so that I can get on top of a two- or three-pound weight gain. If three pounds turns into five or more, it becomes overwhelming. Another trick? Use the scale at the same time every day for consistency (and besides, you weigh less in the morning!).
We all have strategies that work for us. The trick is incorporating those small steps into your daily life. Once they become routine, people might just start accusing you of being one of those people who are naturally fit and healthy.
This Just In . . .
Is milk making you sick? If so, you may be lactose intolerant. You’re not alone – 30 to 50 million Americans produce insufficient amounts of the enzyme needed to digest lactose, the naturally occurring sugar in milk. Rather than being broken down and absorbed, lactose gets trapped in the digestive tract. This can trigger nausea, gas and diarrhea – usually within 30 minutes to two hours of eating.
Avoiding milk will spare you the unpleasant effects of undigested lactose; however, by doing so you’re also eliminating foods rich in calcium and vitamin D. These nutrients are essential to good health and strong bones, so it’s important to get enough of them from non-dairy sources.
Fortunately, you have a lot of options. You can drink Lactaid, which is “regular” cow’s milk with lactase added. Or try “milks” made from soy, rice or almonds. Choose those fortified with 25 to 30 percent of the daily value for both calcium and vitamin D per cup.
Eating more of nondairy foods that supply good amounts of vitamin D and calcium (think fish, kale, almonds, etc.) will also help you meet your needs for these nutrients. Still suspect you may be falling short? Fill in the gap with supplements. An optimum dose for calcium is 1,200 to 1,500 mg. per day and 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily.
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References:
King DE, Mainous III AG, Geesey ME. “Turning back the clock: adopting a healthy lifestyle in middle age.” The American Journal of Medicine. Published online April, 2007.
“Lactose Intolerance.” National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Zhang Y, Ojima T, Murata C. “Calcium intake pattern among Japanese women across five stages of health behavior change.” Journal of Epidemiology. 2007;17:45-53. |
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Advanced Natural Medicine Bulletin |
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