Aging and Disease

Once I reached forty, all kinds of niggling little health problems started to make themselves heard. And all my friends reported that it was only going to get worse! “It’s downhill from now on”!

Then I discovered that obesity is one of the major risk factors that cause chronic disease. I’m overweight and I’m giving myself a very harsh sentence in my old age.

• More than one billion adults worldwide are overweight.
• Heart attacks and strokes kill about 12 million people every year and almost another 4 million die of hypertension and other heart conditions.
• About 177 million people have diabetes, the majority being Type 2 Diabetes.
• Chronic disease is now the major cause of death and disability worldwide!
• High cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking and alcohol are the risk factors that cause the majority of the chronic diseases.
• Up to 80% of coronary heart disease cases, 90% of Type 2 diabetes and one third of cancers can be avoided by applying the following commonsense secrets.

Eat more fruit and vegetables, nuts and whole grains.
Eat as much as possible raw fruit and vegetables, don’t eat them together. Avoid eating peanuts as they are highly acidic and contain over 27 yeasts and moulds.

Get daily exercise.
Daily physical activity will help reduce osteoporosis and falls among older people, will help to maintain healthy weight and will reduce depression.

Reduce your intake of saturated animal fats.
Rather use unsaturated vegetable oil-based fats and reduce the amount of red meat you eat.

Maintain a normal body weight
I highly recommend the use of a natural weight loss approach to achieve a Body Mass Index (BMI) range of 18.5 to 24.9.

Stop smoking!
Need I say more? As a rehabilitated smoker who recently celebrated 12 years without a cigarette, I know how difficult it is to give it up, but also how much better you feel. It is never too late to stop!

Lizette le Clus-Fox is an ardent advocate for a holistic approach to health and runs http://www.wellnessthoughts.com and her ezine Wellness Thoughts provides regular in-depth information. To learn more about preventing chronic diseases visit her web site today!

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