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Living Well Today
“Living well is the best revenge”. This quote suggests that an appreciation of
the finer things of life is an end in itself. But what is the significance in
today’s health world where people are battling obesity and its health related
outcomes of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and cancer?
Living well
encompasses several things. The first involves taking time to appreciate the
cultural richness around us and to establish and maintain interpersonal
relationships. Healthy cultural interactions are less about visiting a museum
and more tuned to taking part in a neighbourhood group or joining a hobby club.
Social isolation is a major health risk for those who live in a culture that is
increasingly individual. We commute to work alone in cars instead of taking
publish transport, we order from the Internet instead of shopping in stores.
This limits our day-to-day interaction with other humans.
A cornerstone
of living well is diet. Food is a fundamental part of our traditional and
social celebrations. Now, we have a virtually unlimited range of foods to
choose from, and they are available without the requirement of knowing how to
cook. Choosing wisely from what is offered is a major factor in living well.
Prepared food
is available everywhere. The temptation to eat is huge, but making the choice
to eat well can be done. When it comes to fast food, regard it as an
indulgence, not a meal. If the calorie and saturated fat count of a meal has
digits you usually only see on your mortgage statement, its probably best not to
eat it regularly. Fast foods, preserved foods, and baked goods are the real
culprits since they contain transfats. Saturated fats are less harmful. Why do
we love these fatty things? Because fat is a molecule that, while it has little
taste value itself, is very efficient at carrying taste. The fat molecule within
the cellular makeup of our bodies is a highly efficient messenger and the
chemical component of many hormones. Fat is designed as a messenger molecule
and is also necessary for the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and
K. A little fat, whether in the form of olive oil in a salad dressing or deep
fry fat in French fries, carries seasoning and taste. Deep-frying is a very
simple and cheap way to impart taste to food. There is beneficial fat that
brings the Mediterranean diet to mind. Almost universally acclaimed to be the
healthiest diet, it is comprised of fresh fruits, and vegetables, fish, less
meat, cheese, and olive oil used not for frying but for dressing foods.
One diet that
continues to confound nutritionists is the French diet. This is a diet high in
meat, cheese and dairy products. However, it is a diet that is also based on
two fundaments, freshness and moderation.
Underlying
every concept of a living well diet is fresh foods. The preservatives used in
canning and freezing foods are things the human body just doesn’t need. The
added salt and sugar and other flavour enhancers used in prepared and preserved
foods are a weight gain waiting to happen. The nutritional content of preserved
food is a fraction of its fresh counterpart.
The concept of living well offered here is one of proper nutrition and
appreciation of fresh foods, most certainly not of diet and depravation.
Certainly Big Macs are to be enjoyed, just not confused with food. Food is the
essential fuel for your body that results in energy and mental clarity. This is
to be enjoyed equally with exercise.
Exercise,
especially involving the large motor groups surrounding the trunk and lower
body, raises metabolic levels and burns calories. It also releases chemicals
that promote well being and good sleep, not to mention appetite. This exercise
by-product must be monitored carefully. Basically, when keeping your caloric
intake at the same level, exercise will burn calories, increase metabolism,
replace fat cells with muscle and promote well being. The basics of living well
are to enjoy food, exercise and companionship in equal amounts.
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