Health
If we are what we eat, who wants to be a muffin?
KAREN HOURTOVENKO
Fall 2008 |
We don’t have to just sit back and await our fate. It is time to make changes in lifestyle. No more excuses, the time is now, invest in health so the golden years are worth it. It is amazing how many want to be healthy and seem not to be able to achieve it. Many go on diets to get the perfect body, only to fail. Others work out at a gym for a while, then quit. So why do we struggle?
Many feel it is because they do not have the willpower. Well, for one thing, thinking this way will certainly will bring it to fruition. The choices we make, determine what follows; therefore, the food we eat plays a major role in what we do next.
We are what we eat, and for many it is a bagel or low fat muffin. Sadly, these “healthy choices” are stored as fat, because of the sugar response after eating.
Many diet foods promise awesome results,but are actually making us sicker as a nation. We have more diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, depression, and attention deficit disorder than ever before. Our lifestyles are all about fast food and busy schedules.
So what is happening and how can we change it? There is much that can be done, but we have to understand the how before the why.
Sugar is the culprit. Eating sugar, specifically refined sugar sets off a cascade of events, by means of the hormone insulin, that supports weight gain, elevated blood pressure, cholesterol production and inflammation (plus a lot more). This is happening because much of the food we eat contains or is broken down into sugar. Sugar is found in carbohydrates. That means fruits, vegetables, grains, and starches (snack foods/packaged foods/low-fat cookies and muffins) all have sugar, yes even broccoli!
This does not mean they are all bad for us. However for many of us, these choices are about 80 percent of what we eat. To get healthy, we have to get back to the basics: eat our fruits and vegetables, add some protein (fist size), and eat nuts and olive (good fats). We need to start to decrease the amount of boxed, processed foods. Not only are they laden with sugar, they contain transfats.
We cannot talk about health without adding water to our day. We need water to keep our cells hydrated and flushing toxins from our bodies. Eight glasses each day are required.
Protein is also essential because it supports muscles. Muscles are like our engine, burning off the fuel we eat. Our body is like a well tuned engine. Get out and get moving. There is no holy grail to health and wellness. Common sense goes a long way.
There is no more time for excuses. People who want to enjoy retirement have to invest now and make lifestyle changes a habit.
Karen Hourtovenko is a health and wellness consultant.
