Hitoshi Nishimura writes:
Tanaka has a lot of risk factors and problems. First his low density
lipoprotein (LDL) is high. Cholesterol is not all bad. There is good
high density lipoprotein (HDL) and bad low density lipoprotein (LDL).
LDL which forms plaques deposits cholesterol on the artery wall. An LDL
cholesterol level of less than 130 is best. Tanaka's LDL level is
172. It's too high. High levels of LDL in the bloodstream can increase
the risk of heart disease. And to make the matters worse his mother is
currently ill with a critical heart condition and both his grandfather
and father have diabetes. Family history of heart disease and diabetes
are risk factors of heart disease. And Mr Tanaka has been feeling
lots of pressure at work lately, and most recently he finds it hard to
relax even after work. Stress can also be a risk factor of heart
disease. The more risk factors there are, the greater the developing
heart related illness He finds he needs to intake fast food like
hamburgers, cheeseburgers or udon at lunch and dinner. Fast food like
hamburgers has many fats and fatty acid.
So what should he do? First he should lower his LDL cholesterol
level. To Lower the LDL level he should eat healthy food because
eating healthy food can help lower LDL cholesterol level. So he should
eat more fruits, vegetables, broiled or grilled fish and skinless
chicken and less fried meats. He should get minerals which are
important for maintenance of body structures. And minerals like iron
and copper are not made by animal. So we get minerals by eating
plants which get minerals from water or soil or plant. He should
choose lean cuts when he eats beef and pork. Also, he should cut down
the amount of meat he eats. He tells he doesn't know the difference
between carbohydrates and fats. Carbohydrates are the body's main
source of energy and each gram of it gives 4 calories. On the other hand, about 30% of our calories should come from fats. Fats are made up
three of fatty acid. They are saturated monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated. Saturated fats raise cholesterol level so if you want
to protect your heart, you should reduce fat intake. So he should
avoid eating fast foods. Instead of eating them, he should eat
fiberrich foods. Why fiberrich foods are good? There are two kinds of
fiber,one is soluble and the other is insoluble. Soluble fiber seems
to have the ability to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. He tells
he intakes fiber from udon and rice. But they don't have much fiber.
So he should replace eating udon and rice with eating apples, oats,
guar gum, dried beans, and green vegetables because they contain
soluble fiber. And to lower LDL level he should increase
exercise. He tells "a young man needs to exercise to keep his weight
down that's the only reason I do it!". Yes it's true that exercising
can keep weight down but there is another role of it: lower LDL
levels.
It's important to lower LDL level when you want to protect your
body from heart disease. He said he exercises for only about a half an
hour once a week and he thinks it's enough. It's not enough. He should
exercise more. Even if he is busy, he can exercise. For example, walking
to his office and not using elevators can be exercise. He also says
that he relies on vitamin supplements. He thinks that vitamins can
replace food. But vitamins cannot be assimilated without ingesting
food. So he should eat more healthy foods as I said. He tells he takes
with four or five cups of coffee in the morning and colas in the
afternoon. But they contain caffeine which stimulates the central
nervous system so when we take it we become more energetic and
sleepless and restless. If he wants to relax after work, it is a good
idea for him to keep the average intake below three cups of coffee a
day.
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