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HEALTHY GUIDELINES FOR THE BODY

Compiled by Marcia K. Graham, M.D.

WEIGHT—BMI should be less than 27 and waist circumference at top of hip bones less than 35 inches for females and 40 inches for males (see www.webmd.com or www.realage.com for BMI calculator).

EXERCISE—Exercise 2 ½ hours per week (The target heart rate for moderate exercise is 220 minus your age, times 8. This provides a great workout for 20 minutes 3 times per week.) If your heart rate decreases by 66 points in 2 minutes after exercise your real age is 5 years younger than your stated age.

PREVENTIVE CARE—Tune up the body before it needs fixing.

• 20 and under: Follow the American Academy of Pediatrics well childcare guidelines.
• 20-39: Females should have a breast exam and, if sexually active, a pap every year.
• 40-49: Females should have a pap and mammogram annually. Males should have a prostate exam and blood test. Men and women should have stool tests for colon cancer.
• 50 and over: Need the same as above and colonoscopies every 10 years.
• 65 and over: These individuals can need less screening based on history and risks. Part of screening includes blood tests.

CAUSES OF DEATH:

• Under age 45: The number one cause is accidents.
• Between ages 45 and 65: The number one cause of death is cancer.
  • Women: Breast cancer
  • Men: Prostate (number 1), colon (#2), and lung (#3)
• Over the age of 65: Cardiovascular disease kills more people than the next 14 life-threatening diseases combined!

EATING TO STAY HEALTHY

Nuts—Walnuts (12 per day or one ounce or one handful) decreased heart disease 20-60% in the Iowa Nurse’s study. Walnuts are highest in omega 3 fatty acids.

Olive Oil—Contains monounsaturated fats and increases HDL levels (good cholesterol). One should eat only 20 grams per day of saturated and trans-fatty acids.

Fish—Three portions per week are recommended. Fish (like salmon, cod and bass) is high in omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids reduce triglycerides, blood clotting factors, blood pressure, and irregular heart beats. Eating fish once a week may cut heart attack risk in half.

Flavenoids—31 milligrams per day are recommended. Flavenoids are antioxidants and antiinflammatories including nuts; several cups of green, black or decaf tea; grapes and grape juice; 2-1/2 glasses of cranberry juice; 100% natural orange juice; onions; tomatoes and tomato juice.

(Eating to Stay Healthy taken from YOU: The Owner’s Manual, by Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehemet Oz, M.D.)

DASH DIET—You can find this diet on multiple websites including www.mayoclinic.com and www.webmd.com. It can lower blood pressure by 15 points.

BALANCE—A plate of food should consist of half vegetables, a quarter protein and a quarter carbohydrates.

WEIGHT LOSS—It takes one month to lose 10 pounds. This is a healthy rate of loss. At 2 pounds per week, that equals 3,000 less calories per week. This amounts to 400 calories less per day than you are eating right now consistently. It is difficult to lose weight if you have pre-diabetes or the metabolic syndrome because of high insulin levels. This may need to be treated in conjunction with dieting.

SUPPLEMENTS FOR A HEALTHY HEART (from YOU: The Owner’s Manual)

Aspirin—Take 162 mg per day at 35 years in men, 40 years in women. This can make you 2.3 years younger. Reduces heart attack risk (in one study by 44%).

Multivitamin—The correct one can make your real age six years younger. If you are on a statin drug for cholesterol, decrease Vitamin C and E intake to 100 mg and 100 IU respectively.

Folate—B vitamin, water-soluble. Take 800 mg per day or enough to lower your homocysteine level to 9 (requires a blood test). It is best to take it with B6 and B12. Folate is found in asparagus, artichokes, brussel sprouts, black-eyed peas and sunflower seeds.

Sleep—Not a supplement, but very restorative to the body. Studies show that men need 7-8 hours per night; women 6-7 hours, to increase serotonin. If serotonin is depleted, sense of wellbeing declines and people tend to eat and smoke more.

(For more information, see www.youtheownersmanual.com and www.realage.com.)

ANTIOXIDANT STARS (from articles on www.webmd.com)

• Vegetables:
  • Red beans—13K
  • Kidney beans—13K
  • Pinto beans—11K
  • Black beans—4K
  • Artichoke hearts—8K
  • Baked potatoes—4.6K
  • Raw spinach—1K
  • Baked sweet potato—1K
  • Eggplant—1K
• Fruit:
  • Berries/wild blueberries—13K
  • Cultured blueberries—9K
  • Cranberries—9K
  • Blackberries— 7K
  • Apples—5K
  • Peaches, mangos, melons—1K
• Tea: Black and green tea have equal amounts of polyphenols, a type of antioxidant which is 10 times that found in fruits and vegetables. Two cups per day contribute to less heart disease and strokes, and decreases LDL and total cholesterol.

OPTIMAL BLOOD PRESSURE: 115/76

• Nine years younger than your stated age to be at ideal.
• Five points higher on top increases your age by one ear.
• Seven points higher on bottom increases your age by one year.

OPTIMAL BLOOD SUGAR FASTING: much less than 100!

• 126 is diabetes.
• 100 is pre-diabetes.

OPTIMAL CHOLESTEROL: Total less or equal to 200

• Triglycerides: less or equal to 180 (100 better)
• LDL: less or equal to 100
• HDL: greater than 50 in females, 45 in males. Greater than 60 is protective.

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