Prevention is the Best Policy

I ran into an article on Time.com this week entitled “How Not to Get Sick: A User’s Guide to Good Health at Every Age.” It’s all about one of my favorite topics – preventive health. Although I disagreed with some of the advice (statin drugs for 8 year olds?!), I thought there were several gems worthy of sharing. Here are a few to whet your appetite. For the whole article, visit http://tinyurl.com/l6bz8z

-It’s never too early (or too late for that matter) to start eating healthy. A child’s diet should be high in whole grains, fruits and veggies, and be low in saturated and trans fats, added sugar, and salt.

-One third of American teens are overweight or obese. It takes a whole-family approach to combat obesity, since kids generally don’t do their own grocery shopping. If unhealthy foods are available, it isn’t reasonable to restrict only some family members from eating them, so just don’t buy them.

-Single-ingredient foods are a healthier option than processed foods. For a snack at work or school, try some dried fruit and almonds instead of vending machine food.

-Regular exercise at all ages is a key ingredient to health and longevity. Dr. David Katz from Yale’s Prevention Research Center, said “Exercise shouldn't be something that we're "making time" for. It should be a daily given, like sleep or eating.” Picking an activity that you enjoy and having a partner to do it with will help you to make exercise a part of your life. This tip is dedicated to my wife, who I’ve been married to for 3 years this week. I’ve been attending the gym regularly with her for 2.5 of those 3 years, and I’m healthier and happier because of it. Thank you, Melanye, and happy anniversary!

Note: In case you’re curious about the statins comment I made at the top of the page, here’s an eye-opening article on cholesterol-lowering drugs: http://tinyurl.com/2spawz