Shingo Kumadaki writes:
Mr. and Mrs. Mine have some common problems, since both of them work hard, but neither of them are careful about what they eat. The first problem is there meal time. They usually skip breakfast and eat late at night. Since breakfast is the source for starting to work in the daytime, skipping breakfast prevents them from working at their best. So they should not skip breakfast. But eating fried food when they have time to eat breakfast, is equally bad. This is bad not only from the aspect of cholesterol, but also from the aspect of the activity of digestive organs. Since there have been only a few hours after waking up, the digestive organs do not work actively at breakfast time, and oily foods are not well absorbed. On the other hand, eating late at night (or eating before sleep) as Mr. and Mrs. Mine often do makes it easier for them to become fat. Eating meals only two times in a day (due to the fact that they skip breakfast) also has the same effect. A second problem is the foods they usually eat. They tend to eat food that is high in cholesterol and low in nutrition. For example, they eat fried (fast) foods at breakfast if they eat it at all, and Mrs. M eats simple meals and sweet desserts, and Mr. M eats junk food at lunch. Both of them share fast food late at night.
And another problem is that they both don't do regular exercise.
The biggest problem for Mr. M is his eating habit. First, it is often said that we should eat more than 30 or 40 kinds of foods, but he usually eats just a few kinds of foods, so he doesn't seem to intake enough nutrition. More specifically, he is lacking in fruits and vegetables which contain many vitamins and minerals. Secondly, he tends to eat oily foods (high cholesterol/high calorie food). The foods which he usually eats, like hamburgers, fried things or fast food, are cooked with oil and contain high amounts of cholesterol and calories, so they contribute Mr. M's risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and so on. Additionally, his lack of regular exercise is also a risk for these disease. Not to mention, his smoking puts him at great risk for heart disease or cancer. So my first and biggest suggestion for him is to quit smoking. Additionally, he should intake more and more fruits and fresh vegetables. Vitamin C, which is contained in these foods, can reduce the harm due to smoking.
On the other hand, although most of the problems for Mrs. M are similar to those for Mr. M, eating few vegetables and fruits, eating much oily food, skipping breakfast, and not doing regular exercise, there are points of difference from Mr.M. The biggest differences are that Mrs. M is a woman, she is overweight, and she has relatives who have suffered from cancer. These points indicate she has high risks for breast cancer. Also, she likes to eat sweets and snacks with cheese or eggs. Although her HDL level is high and cheese and eggs contain much calcium and protein, these foods are very high in cholesterol and fat (contributing to her high LDL level and also raising her risk for heart disease and other problems).
I suggest she take skim milk or low-fat milk instead of cheese or other sweets. Low-fat and skim milk contain low fatty acid, and a lot of calcium. The calcium intake can reduce her stress, and lower the risk for osteoporosis in the future, which is a typical risk for post-menopausal women. In addition, I also suggest she eat regularly, three times a day, and not to eat sweets, and to reduce her weight, since low sugar levels caused by her eating only two meals are regarded as a kind of starvation of the brain, and so the body tries to save energy from sweets, etc. as a fatty acid.
Consequently, here are my suggestions, for both of them. First of all, they should pay more attention to what they eat. They should eat more fruits, vegetables, eat (fresh, raw) fish instead of meat, and eat less oil. Fruit contains a lot of good vitamins and minerals, for example, vitamin C for Mr. M, or fiber for Mrs. M. Furthermore, raw fish also contains a lot of minerals, and HDL or EDTA, which are not contained in meat. Secondly, they should do more exercise, at least 20 minutes per a day, three times per a week. Recently, some research shows any kind of exercise, like just doing house chores, can keep us stay healthy and reduce the risks for heart disease, diabetes and so on. So they should pay attention to moving around and exercising more, for example, walking instead of using a bus or train, running up the stairs instead of using an elevator. These exercises can lower LDL levels, reduce weight , and decrease the risks for many kinds of diseases. Since they are still young and there is so much time to implore, I am sure that they can live healthily and longer if these points are followed.
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