Tag: plant based athlete

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Americans are Just Too Fat! *Five Ways to Make Better Life Choices*

It’s your body and it’s your health, yet why are so many American’s afraid to make healthy choices? In February of this year the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a study indicating the prevalence of obesity rose from 30% to a staggering 42% over the past 18 years. Here are just a few figures to consider;

  • The CDC defines an adult as “obese” if Body Mass Index (BMI) is greater than 30
  • The CDC defines an adult as “overweight” in the BMI is over 25
  • Obese Americans incur an average of $1,429 more in medical expense per year
  • Obesity is proven to lead to diabetes, heart disease, stroke and even cancer
  • More than 70 million Americans are obese and more than 100 overweight

It’s Not Education…

            Twenty years ago it would be easy to blame knowledge for obesity. We just didn’t know was an easy excuse, almost like living under a rock. Today however, health and wellness information is everywhere literally at the touch of our smartphones. There are hundreds of apps to support wellness, workouts, diet and exercise.

It’s Not Convenience…

            Fast food drive-thru, snack foods and soft drinks were always the go to excuse for “I didn’t have time to have a healthy meal.  Much like the knowledge aspects above, technology has helped change all of this for the better. Yesterday afternoon I logged into my Amazon Prime account, placed my order, and left the office. By the time I got home and settled in, the delivery guy was dropping everything off at front door. If anything, the new COVID economy has proven just how easy it can be to access almost anything we need from Uber Eats to local produce delivery.

What’s the Reason?

            We just don’t care. Let that sink in for a minute. We have become an instant gratification society of people who want to feel good NOW, and worry about the consequences later. That’s problem number 1. Better yet, there must be a pill to take or something that can help me drop weight later, or feel better when we decide we do care. That’s problem number 2. It is estimated that over 4.5 billion prescriptions will be filled in 2020 as US spending on prescriptions far exceeds any other country in the world. We the worlds most medicated country.

Five Ways to Make Healthy Food Choices

  • Start Simple A good friend gave me advice years ago and it’s always stuck with me. If it was a food 100 years ago, you can eat it! Fruits and Vegetables? Yup, they were here. Chickens, cows, etc.*(if you are a meat eater!)…yup, they were here too! Nacho chips, soft drinks, and other processed foods…sorry, no go!
  • Pick 1 Thing You can’t change your lifestyle overnight or in one day, so start by choosing one thing. You already know what that one this, as you probably thought of it as you were reading this. Instead, replace that one thing with something healthy that you know you already like. Say it out loud and while looking in the mirror! Today I will stop eating Snicker’s bars, and start eating avocado!
  • Self-Esteem You will feel better when you make healthy choices. It won’t be instant, and it’s counter intuitive if you need a quick fix but I promise, every time you make a healthy decision you will feel a little better about it. Resist the urge to step on a scale a week or two after you make these changes. It takes time, but do think about how you feel. Do you have more energy, are you sleeping better, and do have find it easier to concentrate on things? After a while, this kind of healthy behavior starts to become a way of life, and as your health changes, so will your attitude, and your self-esteem, and your total wellness!
  • 1% Better – Remember the expression Rome was not built in a day? Neither was your body. It takes time to make changes but don’t try to set unrealistic goals. If you can be just 1% better today than you were yesterday, that’s progress! Over time, those 1%’s add up and will have a tremendous impact on your wellness.
  • Surround yourself with people who share the same goals – This is important not only for your physical health, but your overall total wellness. Likeminded people will encourage, support, and help each other to make smart decisions which improve their lives. If someone is not supportive of your personal goals, you really need to rethink why that person is in your life. Negativity has no place when it comes to making healthy choices for you! Good luck and stay the course!
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Health and Wellness over Age 50 – Blood Lab Test Results – Part 2

On March 20, 2020 I published the first article about health and wellness and understanding lab test results. This post is a follow-up to that article. No post would be complete without a legal disclaimer; I am not a doctor nor am I giving medical advice – I am simply sharing thoughts from my journey to creating a stronger body and mind!

                In my last article I suggested some of the basic readings your doctor should ask for when sending you for routine blood panels. They included the following;

  • Lipid Panel – Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol), Risk Ratio, HS-CRP (C Reactive Protein)
  • White Blood Cell Count, Red Blood Cell Count, Hemoglobin, Hematocrit
  • Glucose, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Calcium, CO2, BUN, Creatine
  • eGFR, Magnesium, Uric Acid, Protein, Albumin
  • HGBA1C, Insulin, eAG
  • Cortisol, IGF-1, FSH, LSH, Free Testosterone, Estradiol, Progesterone, DHEA
  • Vitamin D, Vitamin B-12, Folate, Ferritin
  • Estrone, PSA

Now let’s do a quick review of why these readings are important and how they can help guide you towards a healthier life!

Lipid Panel

Everyone knows about cholesterol so I won’t harp on this too much. Yes, your total cholesterol should ideally be below 200, but some cholesterol is actually good for you. Your total cholesterol is calculated by adding your HDL plus you LDL, and adding 20% of your triglycerides level. It can act much like a lubricant for your blood, as well as produce Vitamin D. It’s even an important building block for hormones. But yes, too much cholesterol is a bad thing because it leads to the buildup of plaque.

LDL, or low density lipoproteins, are also known as your Bad cholesterol. Ideally your LDL level should be less than 100 mg/dl as elevated levels of LDL will increase the likelihood of clogging in your arteries. Elevated LDL levels are caused by a diet high in saturated fats and trans fats.

HDL, or high density lipoproteins, are also known as your Good cholesterol. Ideally your HDL level should be above 50 mg/dl…and the higher the better! HDL attacks the LDL in your blood and actually helps scrub your artery walls. A plant-based diet has been proven to increase HDL levels, and lower LDL levels and should include foods like avocados, olive oil, fruits, and whole grains.

Triglycerides are another type of fat that is carried in the blood. Ideally your triglyceride level will be under 150mg/dl as increased triglyceride levels have been linked to diabetes and heart disease. If you regularly consume more calories than you burn, your body stores these as triglycerides or fat, to use later for energy. High triglyceride can also lead to heart disease, diabetes, and even a hardening of your artery walls known as arteriosclerosis.

        A Risk Ratio is calculated by dividing your total cholesterol by your HDL number. For example, my total cholesterol was 185 and my HDL was 53, producing a Risk Ratio of 3.49. According to the American Heart Association your risk ratio should be below 5, with an ideal level of 3.5. According to the Framingham study, a report often used by doctors to assess a patient’s risk level for heart disease, men have double the risk of heart disease if their risk level reaches 9.6, and women have double the risk of their level reaches 7.

What can I do to lower my total cholesterol? For sure, diet and exercise are the two most important factors which can have an immediate impact on your heart health. If you smoke, quit. It’s as simple as that. Did you know that one egg has 186 mg of cholesterol? Most people should limit their daily cholesterol intake to 300 mg, and under 200 mg for those at higher risk. In parting, here are a few tips to help lower your cholesterol (and LDL) and increase your HDL. Foods high in antioxidants help lower cholesterol and can be found in blueberries, strawberries, pecans, artichokes, beans, cabbage, kale, spinach and beets. These are just of few of the things you can add to your diet in moderation! Next time, we will continue going through some of the other suggested levels mentioned above. Please follow my blog on my website to learn more as I continue to document my journey to better Health and Wellness Over age 50!