Keeping Young!

Staying young

Are You at Risk?

17 Nov 2008 at 6:00am

Photo: Martijn Mulder

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of five closely related cardiovascular risk factors. Each is dangerous, but when they occur together, the overall risk is greater than the sum of its parts. The presence of any three is sufficient to establish the diagnosis.

1. Abdominal obesity (waist circumference greater than 40 inches in men and 35 inches for women)
2. Fasting triglyceride levels of 150 mg/dl (a measure of concentration) or higher.
3. HDL "good" cholesterol levels below 40 mg/dl for men and below 50 for women.
4. Blood pressure of 130/85 mm Hg or above.
5. Fasting blood sugar level of 110 mg/dl or above.

Regular exercise is the best way to prevent metabolic syndrome and is also the mainstay of therapy once the problem has developed.

Harvard Men's Health Watch

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Reprinted with permission from Vibrant Life, July/August 2008. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.

Healthy Holidays

14 Nov 2008 at 6:00am

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The holiday season may give you a gift you that you just don't want: weight gain. Several new studies show that the average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Years is one pound—much less than the 5-10 pounds previously reported.1 The problem is, most adults don't loose that one pound. And since the average adult weight gain is one to two pounds a year, much of what we call "mid-life weight gain" happens because of the holidays. The news is worse for those already overweight. They tend to gain the five or more pounds. And when you consider that it takes a week of diligent dietary and exercise habits to lose just one or two pounds, is it worth it?

It's not hard for those extra pounds to sneak up on you. Not only are there those great holiday family meals, there's the office party, the open houses, the baking for school events, and the dessert gifts from friends and neighbors. Before you know it, that sugar cookie and eggnog has turned into fat.

So is there a way to avoid this? Does something as wonderful as the holiday season need to have a lasting negative result? No, it doesn't. With a little bit of planning and careful monitoring, it's possible to weigh the same on January 2 as you did on Thanksgiving Day. Consider these helpful tips:
Focus on family and friends, not food
Let your "taste test" of a dish you're preparing be just that—a "taste"
Don't skip meals or snack while preparing
Have some fruits and vegetables available along with your traditional recipes
Treat holiday meals the same as any other meal during the year
Fill your plate once at meals—don't consider seconds
Remember: there are leftovers. You don't have to eat it all in one meal!
Send some leftovers home with guests to enjoy
Don't go to an evening party hungry—be sure to eat dinner first
Keep up your regular exercise program
Get your sleep
Drink plenty of water If you follow these tips and add your own, you won't gain those excess pounds. And the only things you'll take away from the holidays are the warm memories.

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By Nancy Canwell. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.

1 http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/22/the-skinny-on-holiday-weight-gain/

A Friend a Day

10 Nov 2008 at 6:00am

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You've heard the old saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Now there's evidence to suggest that a good friendship does the same thing.

Results of a nine year study of 7,000 people conducted by Harvard researchers is showing that people who have less-than-wonderful health habits but a loving support system actually live significantly longer than people with good health habits living largely isolated lives. Of course this doesn't mean you can throw your healthy habits out the window just because you're the life of the party. But it does show how important human relationships are.

"A true friend is the most precious of all possessions and the one we take the least thought about acquiring" (La Rochefoucauld). Do you have a true friend? Someone you can always count on to be there for you?

Be Vulnerable

We need good friends with whom we can be real. We need to get past the surface level conversations to true support for each other. To achieve this level of friendship with someone we have to be willing to be vulnerable...to make time to sit and talk...to be genuine...no masks.

How do we develop this kind of friendship? To have friends we must show ourselves to be friendly. Begin by smiling, making good eye contact and using people's names frequently. This creates a certain kind of warmth that people in our high-tech, rush-rush society appreciate. Ask appropriate questions and listen attentively to the answers. Find ways to affirm people. Participate together in fun activities. Do the extra things—like remembering their birthdays and other important events. And be patient—it usually takes a little time to build solid friendships.

In John 15:15 Jesus said, "I have called you friends." That's our true basis for being able to reach out to others in friendship.

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By Brenda Dickerson. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture take from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®.

Royal Beans

7 Nov 2008 at 6:00am

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Beans are often dismissed as peasant food. But for your heart and circulatory system, they're fit for royalty. Eating beans regularly can lower cholesterol, lover the risk of having a heart attack, and influence blood sugar.

One study found that people who ate one serving of beans a day—usually black beans—were nearly 40 percent less likely to have had heart attacks as those who rarely ate beans.

Versatile Food

Full of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and slowly digested carbohydrates, beans make an excellent and versatile food.

They work well as a main course, in soups, as a side dish, or mashed with garlic for a healthy dip or spread.

Go ahead. Eat like a king!

Harvard Health Letter

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Reprinted with permission from Vibrant Life, May/June 2008. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.

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