Yoshimasa Kishi writes:
Mr. Tanaka has many problems. Both his grandfather and father
have diabetes. His mother is currently ill with a critical heart
condition. He has narrowing of the arteries that comes in the form of a
thick, fatty substance called plaque. The buildup of plaque narrows
the arteries and makes it increasingly difficult for blood to make its
way through them. This can create a condition called atherosclerosis.
There may be no signs or symptoms of atherosclerosis until a heart
attack or stroke occurs.
From the above, he has some risk factors
for disease. For example, now he doesn't suffer from heart disease,
but there is quite a possibility that he will suffer from heart
disease. And he tends to suffer from diabetes.I think he may tend to
suffer from disease which may also cause diabetes. He should reduce
risk factors. So he should avoid fatty sweet foods, and eat more
fiber-rich food such as vegetables.Dietary fiber may help lower your
cholesterol, and prevent heart disease. In addition to fiber has been
shown in studies to help reduce the rates of some forms of cancer,
namely colon and breast cancer. Certain kinds of fiber have been found
to lower levels of cholesterol in the blood. Dietary fiber is good for
health.All fruits, vegetables, and grains provide some fiber. To get a
good daily dose (25 to 30 grams) of fiber, eat oatmeal, bran cereal,
or whole-grain bread, and plenty of fruits, vegetables, and dried
beans.
Mr Tanaka's LDL level is measured at 172. It is said that a
high level like that is in the highest risk group. (Less than 130 is a
good or desirable level, 130 to 159 is border line to high risk, 160
or above is high risk.) Cholesterol is not all bad. In fact, there is
good high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and bad low-density
lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. High levels of LDL in the bloodstream
are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. High levels of
HDL appear to prevent the disease; low levels seem to encourage it.
The lower your total and LDL cholesterol levels and the higher your
HDL level, the better off you are.Dietary fiber helps lower
cholesterol. So to increase the fiber in his diet, he can eat apples,
berries, prunes, carrots, lettuce. you had better do exercise every
day, because exercise may increase "good" cholesterol levels, which is
believed to remove excess cholesterol from the body.
Now,I want to
answer his questions. First, recommended daily amounts (RDA) of
vitamins and minerals for a man his age -- I want to tell him how important vitamins and minerals
are. Vitamins help the body turn food into energy and tissues. There
are 13 vitamins in all: vitamin A; the vitamin B complexes, which
includes thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin
B12 pantothenic acid, and biotin; and vitamins C, D, E, and K.
Minerals are needed for growth and maintenance of body structures.
They also help to maintain digestive juices and the fluids found in
and around cells.
The next question is -- "What's the real difference between carbohydrates and
fats?" Carbohydrates include all starches and sugars. They are the
body's main source of energy. Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4
calories. Most foods contain carbohydrates. The main sugar in food is
sucrose, which is everyday white or brown sugar. Other sugars include
lactose (found in milk) and fructose (found in most fruits and many
vegetables). Starches are a more complex form of carbohydrate. They
are more filling and contain more nutrients than foods with lots of
sugars, fats, or oils. Foods containing starches include beans,
breads, cereals, pasta, and potatoes. Fats pack a lot of energy. Each
gram of fat provides 9 calories. There are three kinds of fat:
saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Animal and dairy
fats, which remain solid at room temperature, are saturated fats.
Saturated fat is often called "bad" fat. Unsaturated fats include
vegetable fat and oils; they remain liquid at room temperature.
Another question is -- "I get my fiber from eating udon and rice, and
that's all I need to think about, right?" We must get 25 to 30
grams@of fiber everyday.So,only udon and rice are not enough. All
fruits, vegetables, and grains are rich in fiber.
His next question is -- "...a young man needs to exercise to keep his weight
down -- that's the only reason I do it!"and he says he's
surprised by that measurement since he doesn't eat sweet foods, and he
wants me to tell him what he can do to lower his LDL. Daily and
moderate exercise is recommended, because it helps increase your
HDL-cholesterol level, which is effective to reduce the
LDL-cholesterol level.
Lastly, it is important that he sometimes eat favorite fatty sweet
foods, because they are nutrition for your "heart". Please remember
that the most effective prevention is your correct diet, daily
exercise and how to spend one's life. To do that, I made his plan.
Breakfast: bread, milk, fruit, vegetables.
Lunch: staple food and vegetable juice.
Dinner: staple food (low LDL food), fruit and moderate exercise.
Let's try.
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