Archive for May, 2006
Making a real change in your lifestyle is not easy. Persistence is the key to success over the long haul, and it’s made up of one day at a time. Unfortunately, it’s really easy to skip a day or two and then another, and another…
Here’s a couple articles about it, just so you know you aren’t alone if you are one of us who finds it difficult to stick with the program. From the Pensacola NewsJournal.com is a column by Monica Palmer about what she does to meet the challenge of the healthy lifestyle. And from the other side of the country, in the Folsom CA Folsom Telegraph, Paul Wright talks about not taking shortcuts on the road to the healthy lifestyle.
Yeah, I know. Easy to talk about, hard to do.
May 16th, 2006
There has been a theory that a restricted calorie but nutritionally rich diet can extend your life. Now there’s a little more evidence that this may actually be true. A study reported in The Herald Bulletin finds that monkeys who endured a 30% reduction in calories over a long period of time became less wrinkled, had better coats, did not develop diabetes, and stayed just generally healthier.
There’s some weaker evidence that this may hold true for humans, too. The speculation is that the restricted calorie diet may reduce the inflammatory agents produced by fat cells, thereby improving general health over time. Another theory is that fewer free radicals are produced, thereby reducing genetic damage that may lead to chronic disease.
The research is far from conclusive, and there may be side effects to a very restricted diet. There is some indication that the important quality is the calorie deficit, not just the sheer number of calories, so strenuous exercise might help to achieve the same ends. We will follow this issue over time.
May 15th, 2006
We’ve posted before on the WHI. Remember, it’s the huge study with 48,000 women that was intended to test whether a low fat diet could help with diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The first cut answer was ‘not really.’
Now, more and more knowledgeable writers are pointing out limits and flaws in the study. The upshot is: stick to your low fat diet, and make sure the rest of your healthy lifestyle is in place, too. Check out this article from the well-regarded Berkeley Wellness newsletter for a good review of the WHI and a prescription that would be close to the heart of the most dedicated H3I Healthy Lifestyle practitioner.
By the way, the newsletter makes the point that even with coaching it was hard for the study participants to stick to the nutrition plan. No kidding. That’s always been the rub-it takes work, practice, and determination-and a good plan!
May 5th, 2006
I’m reacting to the article in the San Luis Obispo Tribune yesterday adding to the evidence that the American healthcare system is not producing good results even though it costs more. This is not new news anymore but it is frustrating. The article was about a recent study that compared US and UK health status. It found that even when you compare similar groups of people, the Brits are less likely to get chronic health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and YET America spends way more money on health. Why? The article leaves that up to your imagination.
I don’t know where the answer lies, but the evidence is sure clear that we are not doing a good job on health. Here’s some links to more information about how our healthcare system compares to others, and maybe there’s something in here you can use. First, there’s the 2005 World Health Organization report you can plow through. For a little older WHO data, but nicely summarized, this piece from Maine is a smallish PDF you can print. Finally, here’s a report from the UK perspective showing a ranking of 192 countries–the US is #72 in case you’re wondering.
May 4th, 2006
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