ADOPTING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE
Since Metchnikof's work, much interest has been shown and many scientific studies carried out investigating the prophylactic properties of certain foods and, in contrast, which food contain properties that have the potential to cause disease and early death. We are learning more each year however, we now know enough to choose foods that promote good health. When eaten to the exclusion of less desirable foods, these foods will significantly reduce the risk of premature death or disability from heart disease, cancer and strokes, etc.
Most individuals also know that ingesting saturated fats, highly processed calorie/ additive laced foods, can be bad for your health and contribute to the development of colon cancer and diabetes, for example. It is therefore in everyone's interest (and it is also your personal responsibility) to look at current eating habits and if required, make improvements.
There are some very obvious dietary issues which can easily be addressed and every informed individual knows to cut saturated fats out of the diet; reduce ingestion of high salt/sugar foods; eat fewer processed foods; ingest adequate amounts of soluble and insoluble fibre and so forth. But this advice, as sound as it is, only exposes one small corner of a huge picture. Studies which have specifically looked into the chemical structure of various food materials to find out what exactly they contain, and how our biochemistry uses them, has revealed some fascinating and life saving information.
One of the most revealing findings is that of tissue damage and the high risk of cancer from molecules called Oxygen Free Radicals. (OFRs). These OFRs form either as a result of metabolism or are taken in via polluted air or smoking for example. OFRs play a significant role in the ageing process by permanently damaging body cells. This serious destruction is by no means inevitable, as for every down-side, there's an up-side and the up-side is that the natural defences against OFRs are Antioxidants. (AOs).
The three AOs of major importance are vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene, and for humans vitamin C is the most important, yet most neglected. Humans cannot make the vitamin, which in most other mammals is biosynthesized in the liver from glucose. Therefore we must obtain all our vitamin C requirements from food.
Interestingly, government guidelines indicate that 75mg daily is adequate, despite the evidence that 'hunter gatherer man' ingested around 3000mg daily! Naive purists would have you believe that all our vitamin C requirements can be obtained from food ingested. Manufacturers claim that their 'xy' product is fortified with the vitamin, and so it might be, at the time of manufacture. 75mg daily will prevent the clinical symptoms of scurvy , but is believed to be grossly inadequate for today's environment and pace of life. The purists viewpoint is not entirely without credibility but, in the real world there are so many factors which influence the nutrient values of foods, we have little guarantee that what we eat, does in fact, contain the vitamin in the expected quantity, thus to rely on food for sufficient vitamin C is unwise, particularly since the vitamin is so important to our general health and disease prevention.
Individuals who have the greatest need for vitamin C, (such as smokers, heavy drinkers of alcohol, ' high flyers' grabbing food on the hoof!) also, generally speaking, eat less than ideal diets. We all need to ingest around 1000mg of vitamin C each day, but ironically, the individuals with the greatest need (up to 5000mg) seem to obtain very little of the vitamin. To make things even worse, the little they do ingest is used up rapidly, in an attempt by the body, to cope with the intake of poisons from smoking/drinking and the environment etc. This situation puts a real strain on the biosystems to utilise available beta carotene and vitamin E to deal with OFR and pollutants. It is not surprising that many of these individuals look 60 at the age of 40, are frequently ill, lack stamina and many will die from a heart attack or cancer, even before reaching middle age.
TEN RULES FOR BETTER HEALTH
By following these few rules you will greatly reduce your risk of heart attack and cancer:
1. Quit smoking. It's only as difficult as you make it out to be.
2. Eat fresh vegetables and fruit each day (5 portions is the currently reccommeded amount). In particular, choose vegetables which are very high in colour such as broccoli, carrots and sweet peppers. These foods are rich in beta-carotene. In most fruits, the peel can be eaten, providing a valuable source of fibre, although the skin should be thouroughly washed first.
3. Reduce salt intake.
4. Cut out fatty foods, regardless of the type of fat.
5. Include legumes in the diet regularly.
6. Eat higher calorie carbohydrate foods early in the day only - eat low calorie foods after 13.00 hrs(1pm). In other words, no potatoes, pasta or rice.Eat only vegetables and white meat or fish (or an alternative source of protein if vegetarian)
7. Drink up to 8 pints of fresh, clean water daily.
8. Take a vitamin/mineral supplement daily
9. Supplement daily with antioxidants, particularly Vitamin C.
10. Exercise for a minimum of 20 minutes at least three times weekly. (Get a medical first)
EXTENDING YOUR LIFE EXPECTANCY
Most people eat too much and often, too much of the wrong foods. But evidence now shows that once we have stopped growing, caloric needs are much less than you may think. Furthermore, eminent gerontologists (the study of aging), such as Dr Walford and Dr Weindruch have revealed that extending life expectancy is a reality. According to them, it is now possible to live to 120 years of age and still be active and be in possession of one's faculties. I have been advocating for some years the importance of eating healthily with a balanced exercise programme, and much of my research and writing is based on this philosophy. Eating nutrient rich low calorie foods daily to the exclusion of high calorie 'empty' foods and following the 'Ten commandments for better health' will significantly contribute to living a healthy, purposeful longer life.
One of the great benefits from following this lifestyle is that within six months of beginning most individuals will experience a significant reduction in body fat; a reduction in LDLs (low density lipoproteins = bad cholesterol); an increase in HDLs (high density lipoproteins = good cholesterol); a reduction, or normalising of blood pressure, increased vitality and libido. The investigators also noted that the subjects' cognition improved.
Of great significance is the synergistic contribution of exercise. It is now well established that a sensible level of aerobic and anaerobic exercise performed regularly prevents muscle atrophy and consequential fragility and physical instability associated with ageing, does not occur. Understandably, this provides the potential for a significant improvement in the quality of life as we increase in age. Therefore, frailty, senility and dependence, is not a necessary consequence of ageing. It is in fact, more a result of poor diet, lifestyle and to some extent environment, and therefore largely avoidable.
The fact is, much of what we do, and are involved in, is based on making decisions. We all have choices, to lead a healthy, or unhealthy lifestyle. Health status is therefore, a personal responsibility. But, we can only make wise decisions if we are in possession of the currently available, relevant and credible information.
To understand higher quality life extention and then to set about achieving this goal, we must firstly accept that we and not the physicians are responsible for our wellbeing and that our actions and decisions will have a profound effect on our lives. What is equally significant is that the level of care we take of our bodies will also influence our potential for extended physical and mental ability well into old age. In other words, the goal is to remain younger, functionally.
There is a misconception that to achieve this we must give up 'good' food. This is of course, utter rubbish, but you do have to give up some of the 'bad' food. The retardation of the ageing process has been a preoccupation of humans for centuries, however, the real breakthrough in understanding the biomechanisms of aging started way back in 1941. Since then many studies have been carried out and what has emerged is sound and facinating stuff.
The full picture is acually in two parts:
The first part involves moving the goal posts relating to diseases which kill us. In other words, treating our ills and innoculating ourselves against illness. In doing so we reduce the risk of premature death and/or having to live with a debilitating condition, poor sight, hearing, degrees of immobility, strokes, heart conditions, respiratory problems and so on. Whilst it is desirable to minimise the risks by preventative measures that are likely to improve life quality and reduce premature mortality, disease prevention alone does not necessarily retard aging, nor does it, on it's own, extend our higher, functional life expectancy.
The second part is the dietary regime. Numerous studies and replications of studies clearly show that youthfulness and a younger functional age can be maintained throughout our lives regardless of chronological age.Given the right lifestyle choices,we can stretch out youth and middle age, and usefully add many years to our lives and life to our years.
Copyright - Melvyn John,BHS.IT Dip.Psychol M.Ist.Comp.Med
*All information in this article relates to probiotics generally, and should not be taken as implying medical claims for any specific Vydex products.
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