My close friend Yusuf Subaşı died last Saturday, August 13, 2016, during a coronary by-pass operation. Apparently, 3 of his arteries had severe plaque build-up and his doctor suggested immediate surgery.
Yusuf read my Blog and would occasionally ask questions about matters that interested him. In fact, in our last phone conversation he told me that he had lost 8 kg. (17.6 lbs.) because he had fasted throughout the holy month of Ramadan and asked about “Intermittent Fasting”. I don’t know if he ever got the chance to do it.
He also tried to walk for an hour every day.
He admitted that when he ate he had trouble controlling his appetite, but if he didn’t eat he would not get the urge.
Our friendship went back almost fifty years, so our discussions on health and such were, by definition, casual. For example, I didn’t know if he was on any kind medication.
The only thing that sticks in my mind regarding his apparent heart problem is that the circumference of his waist seemed to be a bit more than what would be considered healthy.
A classmate once asked me if I thought it would be worth living 3 years more than him by adapting such a life-style? I said, no of course not, its not how long you live but how healthy your days on earth will be; free of medication, restrictions, etc.
Even though I expressed my frustration at people’s lack of interest in health issues, my wife and daughter included, in my post “I’m Frustrated” dated June 29, 2016, I still have to keep pushing in the hopes of converting some of you.
Given that heart disease is the leading cause of death, would you be interested in 5 easy things you could do to reduce your risk of having a heart attack by 80 %?
These 5 simple, but effective, life-style changes include:
- A healthy diet
- Physical activity
- Moderate alcohol consumption (10 – 30 gm. a day)
- No smoking
- Healthy waist circumference
Even though many people believe the opposite, your biggest enemies are:
- Sugar
- Refined carbs and
- Processed foods
Not saturated fats found in eggs, butter, etc.
Stop eating sugar, foods and beverages with high fructose corn syrup, grains, and processed foods.
EAT REAL, WHOLE FOODS.
A healthy diet is also extremely important for maintaining insulin sensitivity.
Insulin resistance lays the foundation for virtually all chronic diseases, as it promotes chronic inflammation and speeds up your body’s aging processes.
Having very low levels of inflammation in your body is the most potent predictor for living beyond 100 years of age, according to a recent study.
So when you have blood work done, look carefully at your C-Reactive Protein (CRP) level and fasted insulin level to get an ide as to your body’s inflammation status.
Please take this very simple suggestion seriously and re-read my following posts:
“Nutrition/Health”, March 11, 2015
“Cholesterol, Part I”, April 29, 2016
“Cholesterol, Part II”, May 6, 2016
“Some Important Points on Disease and Insulin”, April 15, 2016
Physical activity is, of course, very important. However, even if you go to the gym 3 times a week and walk 10,000 steps everyday you could still be classified as inactive. Many health experts suggest that one should not sit for more than 3 hours a day.
Take a look at my post “Inactivity”, March 18, 2015 and apply the easy solution for becoming active.
Let’s minimize the probability of unexpected and very saddening departures from our lives; go over the above suggestions and make them a part of your daily life/routine.
See you all net week.
