IT'S that dreaded time of year - the packing away of Christmas decorations, the recycling of the tree and, worst of all, making New Year's resolutions. Like everyone else, I take this annual task of reassessing life goals quite seriously. In fact, I even borrowed a paperback on healthy noshing, "Dr. Shintani's Eat More, Weigh Less Cookbook." Helpful advice on
New Year’s resolutionsBad decision. According to this local nutrition guru, I should avoid fried foods, oil-based dressings, butter, margarine and mayonnaise. I must rarely eat white bread, pasta, bagels, muffins, tortillas and noodles (goodbye, saimin). But I can have unlimited quantities of brown rice, barley, millet, whole oats, buckwheat and wheat berries.
Just take me now, Lord. This is living?
The answer came via a fax from Lila Johnson, chairwoman of the American Cancer Society, Hawaii Pacific Division.
Her three-page communique listed the leading causes of death in the U.S. in 1995: heart disease (738,781), cancer (537,969), stroke (158,061), lung disease (104,756), accidents (89,703), pneumonia and flu (82,523), diabetes (59,085), HIV infection (42,506), suicide (30,893), and chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (24,848).
Despite all the notoriety and fear of AIDS, notice how the number of deaths from the HIV virus is minuscule compared to those caused by heart attacks and cancer cells.
That's why Johnson wanted to share three resolutions that we all should embrace (or at least consider) in 1997 and beyond.
All together now, repeat after me:
1) We will stop puffing. Because tobacco is responsible for 87 percent of lung cancer, 30 percent of cancer in general, and 20 percent of all heart disease, we will stop smoking or get someone we care about to quit.
We will tell ourselves or our loved ones that the greatest threat to a smoker is the risk of a sudden heart attack. But there is hope, even for hard-core inhalers: 20 minutes after quitting, blood pressure drops to normal. When smokers desist, the risk of heart disease and cancer is cut in half. After 10 years, people are 12-25 times less likely to get cancer.
2) We will start huffing. We will be at least moderately active for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week. We promise to incorporate exercise into our daily lifestyles.
3) We will stop stuffing. Shades of Dr. Shintani! The American Cancer Society also recommends that we eat more high-fiber foods such as whole grain cereals and breads, and reduce total fat intake.
Much to the delight of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, we will limit our consumption of alcohol, since heavy drinking increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx, throat, esophagus and liver.
And we will vow to eat five or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day, since this practice is associated with a decreased risk of lung, prostate, bladder, esophagus, colorectal and stomach cancers.
IT'S that dreaded time of year, when the Christmas decorations are back in storage and the tree has turned to mulch, when mere mortals make promises to themselves. More exercise. Better eating habits. No smoking or drinking. This is living? Even better: This is a way to live - or at least upping the chances of not dying prematurely.
Reading Lila Johnson's fax from the American Cancer Society changed my attitude about New Year's resolutions. I'm inspired.
Goodbye, elevator; hello, stairs. Tobacco or alcohol will never pass these lips. And sayonara, saimin; gimme an order of buckwheat noodles instead. Heavy on the vegetables . . .