How Healthy Are You?

How Healthy

Are You?

by Constance Borglow

January 7, 2018

Two years ago, though I knew better, I ate whatever I wanted, in what I called moderation.  Because of my busy lifestyle, I rarely ate a good home-cooked meal, and I’m convinced I was personally responsible for the increase in sales at a local burger joint.  Out of the blue, suddenly, I lost my energy level and in a matter of days I couldn’t walk from my bedroom to my bathroom without being out of breath.

Two days later, I was admitted to the hospital and discovered my body had just given out because I wasn’t taking good care of it.  My blood was so low I needed two blood transfusions.  I now call it “Nutritional Failure”.  I was lucky.  A very active friend, who had the same lifestyle as I, had a stroke at the age of 35 and is now paralyzed/

I was down for the count for three weeks, but after my health rebound, I learned the good news is that we can all be healthy if we apply ourselves.   The formula is simple. Daily exercise, good eating practices and “junk food” indulgences in moderation only, will give your body everything it needs to be healthier, and keep everything working good on the inside.  Here’s how I became a picture of good health.

Exercise

Just Ten minutes a day will help keep the doctor away.  If you’re too busy or too lazy for a health club or gym environment, it is important to understand the need for cardiovascular stimulation.  Your body must have a physical workout.  Example:  50-100 jumping jacks (the ones you used to do in school gymnastics) can get you off to a great start.  Buy yourself a jump rope and jump 500 times in your living room.  Not only will you give your body a great workout, but your energy level will take on new heights.  This exercise followed by a warm sudsy shower will put you in an energetic state that is guaranteed to last all day and way into the night.

Healthy Eating

Cholesterol is one of the primary causes of heart disease, especially among African-American women.  These foods are designed to keep your cholesterol intake down and your digestive system in good working order.  Choose lean meats only (chicken, turkey, and non-fatty cuts of beef with excess fat trimmed.)  Fresh or frozen fish, canned fish packaged in water and limit use of one serving of lobster, crab, shrimp or oysters to one of these per week.  All meats and fish should be broiled, pan-fried or oven baked.  One dark green vegetable or one deep yellow vegetable is recommended daily.  Broccoli, green beans, squash, etc.  Cauliflower, celery and potato skins are recommended for their fiber content.

• Dried peas or beans are good protein substitutes for bread and meat.
• If you like nuts, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds are better for you.  Almonds, walnuts and peanuts are high in fat content.  Include high fiber grain cereals in your diet.  Oat and wheat are high in fiber content.
• Don’t eat rice or pasta and bread on the same day.  That would put too much starch in your diet.  Use sugar substitutes and skim milk instead of whole milk and sugar.  Use soft margarine (not stick) or vegetable oils high in polyunsaturated fats.  Use olive oil as much as you can in cooking.  No need to say anything about butter.  It’s well known for its high fat content.
• Desserts and snacks should be water, sherbet, ice milk, gelatin flavored with sugar substitute and unbuttered popcorn.
• Beverages.  Fresh fruit juices, herbal teas, soft drinks with sugar substitutes and lots and lots of water.

If you follow this diet and exercise plan, and don’t over-indulge in the foods to limit column, you can enjoy yourself once a week on your favorite taste treat and be healthier than ever before.

Foods to Limit To Once A Week:  Candy, chocolate, cookies and sugar.

Note:  If you eat a bag of potato chips on Tuesday, wait until the next week to eat a candy bar or a slice of cake.