Aki Ogata writes:
Mr. Tanaka has some problems for his health. His lifestyle (diet, exercise and so on)
causes most of them. Heredity of family
illnesses also makes his problem more complex. It is also a problem
that Mr. Tanaka is in state of confusion about much information concerning his
health.
He is very confused about what would be the recommended daily amounts
(RDA) of vitamins and minerals for a man his age. Vitamins help the
body turn food into energy and tissues. The man who is 65kg needs next
amount. vitamin A (750ug); the vitamin B complex, which includes
thiamin (1.2mg), riboflavin (1.8mg), niacin (20mg), vitamin B6, folic
acid (200ug), vitamin B12 pantothenic acid(2ug) , and biotin; and
vitamins C (30mg), D (2.5ug), E (10ug), and K (140ug). Minerals are
needed for growth and maintenance of body structures. Unlike vitamins,
minerals are not made by plants and animals. Animals get minerals by
eating plants or plant-eating animals. The minerals the body needs in
large amounts include calcium (800mg), chlorine, magnesium (350mg),
phosphorus (800mg), potassium, sodium, and sulfur. Other minerals,
called trace elements, are needed in much smaller amounts. Trace
elements include iron (10mg), copper, fluorine, iodine (150ug),
selenium, zinc (15mg), chromium, cobalt, manganese, and molybdenum.
He is also confused about the 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 sugar include
lactose (found in milk) and fructose (found in most fruits and many
vegetables). Starches are more complex forms of carbohydrate. They are
more filling and contain more nutrients than foods with lots of
sugars, fats, or oils. Foods such as beans, breads, cereals, pasta,
and potatoes contain carbohydrates. On the other hand, there are three
kind of fat: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated.
Saturated fats include animal and dairy fats; they remain solid at
room temperature. Unsaturated fats include vegetable fat and oils;
they remain liquid at room temperature. Each gram of fat provides 9
calories. Carbohydrates and fats are the body's primary energy and
growth. Proteins provide energy at 4 calories per gram, but they are
more important as the body's building materials. For example, muscle,
skin, bone, and hair are made up largely of proteins. Meat, poultry,
fish, dairy products, eggs, cereals, legumes, and nuts are all good
sources of protein. He asked to me If I attention to eating red meat
which has lots of high protein, won't be good enough?î No, it won't be
good enough. If he wants to have proteins, he should take it from
foods contain low cholesterol foods such as nuts and soybeans.
Next, I'lll think about what he can do to lower his LDL. It may solve
another problems of him. The amount of cholesterol in bloodstream
depends on heredity, diet and lifestyle. He has heredity of diabetes.
What is the worse, he doesn't have correct knowledge about
cholesterol. Increase of cholesterol doesn't only depend on eating
sweats foods. He must acquire correct knowledge about it, and control
it. Cholesterol is necessary to the cells and helps the body make
hormones. But too much cholesterol causes critical heart condition.
HDL is good cholesterol but LDL is bad. Mr. Tanaka's LDL level is
high. The more physical activity we have get, the higher our HDL
levels and the lower our LDL levels are likely to be. He doesn't like
exercise and actually he exercise for only about a half an hour once a
week. He is very busy, but He must exercise more. His busy life may
leave much room for improvement. For example, if he use not elevator
but steps or not car but bicycle, it consumes more calories. Stress
also affects one's cholesterol level. He has been feeling lots of
pressure at work lately, and most recently he finds it hard to relax
even after work. It is OK even if the time when he can relax is short.
Doing relax is important. He is very busy but he must search for the
way to relax. Exercising may keep him from stress. There are some
problems about Mr. Tanaka's dietary habits.
First, he doesn't eat
breakfast most mornings. Moreover, his lunch and dinner are fast food
like hamburgers or udon, and they are unbalanced diet. He should have
balanced breakfast rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains every
morning.
Second it is also a problem that he doesn't like vegetables and
he relies on vitamin supplements of which he takes with four or five
cups of coffee in the morning and colas in the afternoon. Vitamins and
minerals can effectively get by eating a varied, balanced diet rich in
fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. So, Mr. Tanaka should take more
fruits or whole grains to make up for vegetables.
Third, He has too
much caffeine. He must reform drinking habits. Caffeine is a drug
stimulates the central nervous system, making one feel more energetic.
Caffeine supply water to the body initially, contain diuretics that
cause the body to lose the water. Water just may be the most important
nutrient because our body is more than half water. Adults should
consume about 2 quarts of water a day. The best way to get this water
is drinking plain water. But other beverages, such as fruits juiced,
milk, and non-caffeine drinks are also good source of water. In his
case, he should take not water but other beverage to make up for his
unbalanced diet.
Finally, he gets fibers from eating udon and rice. It
is good but thinking on the point of whole balance, he should take it
from more variety foods. There are two kinds of fiber; soluble and
insoluble. Though how fiber acts on cholesterol is not fully
understood, only soluble fiber appears to have the ability to lower
cholesterol levels in the blood.
Mr. Tanaka says he is health-conscious. This is good but he must not
be misled by information. If he changes his life style and dietary
habits according to my advice, he may become healthier.
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