Every day, as we go about the routine of living, we often face stressful situations that take a toll on our sense of well-being.
The importance of the power of adopting an attitude of today, rather than tomorrow, is the key to our future health profile. What is it that we do today, those little things we sometimes take for granted, that eventually become a habit?
For example, Nene, a 35-year-old real estate broker, was fond of eating sweets, even making a thick slice of chocolate cake her main meal. She would then justify her actions by saying to herself, “Tomorrow, I will eat healthy.”
After one year of “tomorrow promises,” she ended up going to the doctor after experiencing unexplained redness (attributed to stress). She was diagnosed with type II diabetes.
Alex, a 55-year-old banker, never exercised because he didn’t have time. Even after his weight reached an alarming 230 lbs, he stopped being in denial only when he started feeling palpitations. A cardiologist quickly recommended a drastic lifestyle change. Today he religiously devotes 20-30 minutes of his time to a cardiovascular workout, and adopted a diet consisting of 40 percent vegetables, 20 percent carbohydrates and 40 percent protein.
The story’s lesson is simple: Take charge of your health today, not tomorrow.
Cut out the sugar
Diabetes: What’s dangerous about it is not the condition, but the complications.
What to do:
1) Change your eating habits. Eat regular meals at regular times.
2) Cut out the sugar.
3) Add more whole grains like beans and barley (if you aren’t gluten-sensitive) to your food intake. Eat more vegetables and low-sugar fruits.
4) Go monounsaturated fat—take extra virgin olive oil, avocadoes, etc. This improves glucose control.
5) Say no to all sugared drinks—even wine and sodas.
6) Increase vitamin C intake between 1,000 and 8,000 mg.
7) Remove all the whites from your diet—white rice, sugar, bread, pasta/noodles, crackers.
Gout: The disease of over-indulgence is what this condition is called. When you wake up one morning and your foot is swollen, the message is clear—you overdid something.
Don’t blame genes—it’s really about bad habits. Gout is a form of arthritis with the same symptoms: swelling and joint pain. Sharp crystals form and surround your joint when blood levels of uric acid rise.
The causes differ, but oftentimes the culprits are organ meats, red meat, creamy foods and, would you believe, a very low-calorie diet?!
To do:
1) Do not go on a starvation diet—it increases your body’s stress levels.
2) Remove purines from your diet such as liver, beef, lamb, veal, shellfish, anchovies and yeast.
3) Folic acid: This B vitamin can dissolve crystals because it inhibits the body’s production of xanthine oxidase, the enzyme which produces uric acid. Dosage: 10,000-40,000 mcg daily (under medical supervision only).
4) Cherries help. Make this your favorite fruit. It’s expensive but effective. If you cannot get them fresh, canned or dried will do—just watch out for the sugar.
5) Stop drinking all alcoholic beverages.
6) Increase water intake. This helps circulation by flushing out the uric acid crystals.
7) Avoid vitamin C and niacin—both will increase your uric acid levels.
Rescue nutrients
There are nutrients that can come to the rescue, like the following:
Zinc: A deficiency in this mineral can cause weight loss, depression, bulimia and anorexia, eating disorders. Break the cycle of feeling unwell by taking 15 mg of zinc daily. Natural sources: green leafy vegetables, eggs, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin.
Vitamin B fights depression. If you prefer a drug-free approach to chasing the blues away, try 1.5 mg of thiamine from natural sources— brown rice, seafoods, beans, fish, poultry, lean meats.
Potassium and sodium: These are two life-saving nutrients your body needs when you have diarrhea.
Note: For young children, diarrhea shouldn’t last beyond eight hours; and for adults, not more than 12 hours. Eat bland, boiled food, nothing oily or fried. Take a sports drink designed to rehydrate the body. Drink 10-15 glasses of tepid water daily.
Magnesium: When taken with potassium, this combination fights fatigue. Energy levels shoot up almost constantly when you take 200 mg of each mineral daily. This should not be taken, though, if you have kidney problems or diabetes.
(Reference: “Healing with Vitamins,” Prevention Magazine)
This week’s affirmation: “I am a happiness magnet.”
Love and light!
E-mail the columnist: coryquirino1@yahoo.com