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Bodytalk
Question: What are some easily made lifestyle changes that would help me and my family to be healthier? Lifestyle changes
can be madeAnswer: Let's start with what I think is the No. 1 reason there is so much heart disease in this country.
People eat far too much red meat and pork. Both are chock full of saturated fat and cholesterol, which are major risk factors in heart disease. So ... eat less meat, no more than 3 or 4 ounces a day. Better yet, substitute fish and beans several times per week.
Next, throw out all your cooking oil unless it's olive or canola oil. These oils are the healthiest. But even heart-healthy oils consist of pure fat, so use them in moderation.
I recommend people eat 2-3 servings of carbohydrate-rich whole grain foods every day. A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet may be okay in the short term (unless you're active), but long-term, it's hazardous to your health.
Whole grains supply us with heaps of nutrition and should be a part of anyone's diet who cares about long-term good health.
Ignore the tofu scare that swept our state some months back. The study was flawed. Add soy foods, including tofu, to your diet. An increasingly popular choice is whole soybeans in the pod, or edamame; they're available frozen, ready to boil and eat with a meal or as a snack. Soy foods contain the family of phytochemicals called isoflavones, which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Drink eight glasses of water every day. Fat burns off more efficiently, muscles contract more effectively and our brains think better in the presence of water. And we have more energy when our bodies aren't thirsty.
Eat some nuts a few times a week. In addition to protein, nuts are full of heart-healthy fat, vitamins, and minerals. Moderation is again the key.
Eat as many vegetables as you can. Eat only low-fat or non-fat dairy foods. Have fruit as a snack in place of sweets.
Stop, or at least cut back on eating hydrogenated fats (trans fats). These fats are found in almost all commercial baked goods and many packaged foods, even Wheaties.
Trans fats have the same effect on our bodies as saturated fat does. They make us fat and clog our arteries.
Take a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement.
Exercise, and exercise often. Whatever you choose to do, just do it.
If you're able to make even some of these changes, I guarantee you'll look and feel better, and you'll have more energy.
Health Events
Stephenie Karony is a certified health
and fitness instructor, a personal trainer and the author of
"Body Shaping with Free Weights." Send questions to her at
P.O. Box 262, Wailuku Hi. Her column appears on Wednesdays.