Recipe for Living Healthy

Prescription for a Healthy Life Without doubt the typical American diet is hastening our journey to heaven. Obesity is on the march.  Diabetes is crowding our lifestyles. Stents and grafts are increasingly becoming integral parts of our anatomy. Forget about exercise, we don’t even walk. Our cars take us from the doors of our homes to the steps of our jobs.1 out of 3 among us are obese. 2 out of 3 are overweight. 29 million have diabetes, 7 million of them are unaware they have it. Half a million die from heart disease every year with more and more younger folks becoming its victims. Each one of these sobering stats have their origins within the choices we make for the foods we eat and the activities we pursue. Food, Calories, & Weight Loss So while food is on our minds this month, let us get some basics sorted out. Food provides energy for us to move and function. Energy is measured in calories. The body requires about 700 – 800 calories to sustain its life systems: digestive, respiratory, circulatory, excretory, endocrine etc. With a little extra activity, that energy need quickly doubles or triples. So if there is more activity and not enough food consumed to provide the calories, then we lose weight. The other way around, we gain weight. To lose weight the calories consumed have to be less than the calories produced. Now, what is a simple way to determine our ideal weight? For men it is 105 lb  for the first 5 feet of height,  then add 6 lbs for every inch above it. For women it is 100 lb for the first 5 feet then add 5 lbs for every inch above it. (So for a man 5ft 6inches tall it would mean 105 (5 ft ) + 36 (6×6) = 141lb to be his ideal weight). Next how do we determine our daily calorie needs based on our weight? Two numbers to remember. If we are inactive it is 11 calories per lb/day. If we are active(exercising 4-5 times per week) it is 15 calories per lb/day. So a man weighing 141 lbs would need 2115 cals/day to maintain his weight (141×15= 2115). In order to lose weight his calorie intake would need to be less than 2115. Preventing Heart Disease The case for heart disease is a little different. We need to understand the story of cholesterol. It is a product of animal fats and is the culprit that causes heart attacks by clogging the arteries that nourish our hearts. So the key to a healthy heart is to avoid foods rich in animal fats.  That means no more biryani for breakfast. Ditto for steaks and kababs. Cut out chicken too. Fish is fine. Don’t load up on salt. Switch over to plant based with salads and soy. The greener the better. Transition to brown rice, whole wheat, egg whites and yogurt. Forget the fried foods. Go for grilled stuff. Quit smoking. Get some quiet time. Do some walking. Sugar & Diabetes Prevention Sugar is another big problem. Sugar is a carb and too much of it leads to diabetes. Almond milk and soy milk are low carb, fat free drinks, they are good substitutes for milk. Sweet potatoes and Greek Yogurt are good options too. Stevia is better than Splenda. Shun Cookies and cakes. If you are living in the desert and walking all over, you can eat all the dates you want. Not so in Chicago where you live in your car and your feet barely touch the ground. There you have the recipe for living healthy. It is your prescription for a healthy life. Don’t try to cold turkey the change. Take it slow and be deliberate. Start with the weight, next care for the heart, then overcome the cravings for sugar and salt. Let this Ramadan be the time to start a change to become a healthier you!