Want to Feel Better?

I am sure most of you all have been following Christine Morgan and her great nutrition information.  One of the most important things about nutrition is that the diet alone can significantly reduce most if not all chronic diseases!  I know we don’t walk around with shirts that say, “ I want Diabetes and Heart disease!” or “Give me Strokes and Cancers.” Go for those nutrient-dense foods such as almonds, blueberries, olive oil, and just about any brightly colored fruit and vegetables.

I remember in medical school one of the professors remarked that the oldest people in the world live in Southeast Asia.  What did we learn?  They eat less.  They are all small.  My professor said, “We could live forever starving, or we could die early eating to our delight.”  If we could count calories, we will make big strides in our dieting.  I tell patients to try to knock off 200 to 500 calories a day of their normal intake.  This will help with 1-2 lbs of weight loss a week--a far safer weight loss that won’t bounce back in weight gain.  If you can, try eating until you are sufficient, but not full.

I tell all my patients to walk 30 minutes a day.  We know that the moment we stop all activity, our joints get stiff and painful.  If you cannot walk secondary to obesity or excessive pain, try walking back and forth in a pool.  This takes all the pressure off your joints and body, and still provides great exercise.

I am amazed that most people don’t know what the SPF means.  To simplify, it means how many minutes of protection it has.  So an SPF of 30, should be re-applied every 30 minutes.  An SPF of 50, every 50 minutes should be re-applied.  Good skin feels better.  My favorite moisturizer is Aquaphor by far, but simple products like exfoliators and skin polish can add improvement to the skin. 

A recent NPR show had some great wisdom about sleep.  Daylight revs up our energy by increasing our wakefulness, so to increase sleep hygiene, make sure the environment is dark, and inviting, peaceful and still.  That means no television in the room.  It is also well understood that the same ingredient in apples that curb our appetite, called leptin, is produced in our bodies when we sleep.  What a coincidence.  Sleeping 7-9 hours a night will decrease heart attacks and diabetes’ risks.

Tons of information is available on feeling better, and feeling younger.  Time doesn’t revolve around us, we are servants of time.  Therefore, enjoy life to its fullest, be safe, and live healthy.