Yumi Tomura writes:
Behavior problems about diet and exercise cause risk factors for heart
disease and diabetes. So, it's important to have a balanced diet and do
exercise. Let's look at Mr. Tanaka's problems and advise him from various
angles.
First, although he pays much attention to his health by reading many
different magazines and Internet sites to stay current with the latest
information about staying trim, energetic and healthy, he is very
confused about different kinds of information. In the first place, he doesn't
understand carbohydrates, fats, and proteins correctly. Carbohydrates
are the body's main source of energy. Carbohydrates include all
starches and sugars. And foods containing starches include beans,
breads, cereals, pasta, and potatoes. Fat is a valuable energy source
and carries fat-soluble vitamins needed for proper growth and
development. It also contributes important taste and textural
qualities that are part of enjoying food. Proteins are more important
as the body's building materials. Muscle, skin, bone, and hair are
made up largely of proteins. In addition, every cell contains proteins
and the body uses proteins to make antibodies, or disease-fighting
chemicals, and certain hormones. Food provides our body with these
nutrients it needs for energy, growth, repair, and reproduction. So we
have to eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. We need more than 40
different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them
all.
In the second place, he is very confused about what would be the
recommended daily amounts (RDA) of vitamins and minerals for a man his
age. I will teach him RDA of main vitamins and minerals. For example,
RDA of Calcium is 600--700mg, and RDA of iron is 10mg for a man his
age. As to vitamin, RDA of vitamin A is 2000IU, and RDA of vitamin C is
50mg. We have to know RDA of vitamins and minerals for our sex and age
and try to take nutrients based on RDA in order to prevent deficiency.
Since he is busy six and sometimes seven days a week, he
doesn't have time to eat breakfast most mornings, and he also finds he
needs to intake fast food like hamburgers, cheeseburgers or udon at
lunch and dinner. He should eat three meals a
day. That's because eating only two meals often leads to overeating.
In other words, cholesterol rises in body. He
should also have a balanced diet. Although he takes fat, carbohydrates and
protein, he doesn't take vitamin and mineral. Vitamins help the body
turn food into energy and tissues. Minerals are needed for growth and
maintenance of body structures. Some vitamins are antioxidants
chemicals that prevent damaging changes in cells and may help protect
against cancer, heart disease, and aging.
In order to get vitamins and
minerals, he had better to have diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and
whole grains. And, he gets his fiber from eating udon and rice. But, a
number of foods are good sources of fiber, including fruits,
vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. So he had better take
vegetable and grains. He relies on vitamin supplements which he takes
with four or five cups of coffee in the morning and colas in the
afternoon. Coffee and cola drinks contain caffeine. Caffeine
is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system, making he feels
more energetic. There is not a lot of evidence that caffeine causes
any major long-term health effects. But he had better take fewer than
three cups of coffee a day.
Third, Mr Tanaka's LDL level is measured
at 172. Butter, bacon, and cheese for example, are animal products
high in saturated fats. There are also some saturated vegetable fats
that tend to raise the cholesterol level in the blood. These can be
found in solid shortenings, coconut oil, and palm oil. A high blood
cholesterol level is a risk factor for heart disease. Cholesterol is
required for the formation of bile acids which are needed for fat
digestion. Especially Vitamin E prevents LDL from oxidizing. So he
should try to eat green and yellow vegetables like spinach and
carrots.Vegetables like spinach and carrots also prevent LDL from
oxidizing as they contain Vitamin E and carotene. LDLs, are often
referred to as "bad cholesterol" because these lipoproteins carry most
of the cholesterol in the blood. Eating foods that are high in fiber
can help relieve some problems with constipation, hemorrhoids,
diverticulosis and irritable bowel syndrome. Dietary fiber may help
lower his cholesterol. It may also help prevent heart disease,
diabetes and certain types of cancer. Dietary fiber is found in
soybean, adzuki. Fat of fish eaten did not increase a blood
cholesterol but keep blood clean.
In addition, it is important for
Tanaka to exercise like walking, jogging, swimming, because using oxygen
exercise stimulates blood circulation. It activates enzymes that
dissolve triglycerides cause heart disease and
arteriosclerosis. Besides, exercise like jogging rises HDL cholesterol
levels. HDLs are believed to remove excess "bad" cholesterol from the
body; therefore higher levels of HDLs are also believed to be
associated with lower rates of heart disease.
Fourth, both his
grandfather and father have diabetes. His mother is currently ill with
a critical heart condition. His gene is similar to his family's gene,
and his lifestyle, especially diet, is also similar to his family's.
So he has to pay more attention to his lifestyle. Finally, Mr. Tanaka
has been feeling lots of pressure at work lately, and most recently he
finds it hard to relax even after work. Stress leads to high blood
pressure, coagulation and hyperglycemia. These high blood pressure
and hyper glycemia cause diabetes, hyper tension and myocardial
infarction. Therefore he had better reduce his work, do more
exercise and enjoy his hobby in order to relax more.
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