How Much Sleep Do You Obtain a Night?

Optimal: 7-9 hours/night.

Surveys have shown that if you obtain less than 6 ½ or more than 9 hours per night, your mortality will be higher. So you need to get enough sleep each night but not too much.

II. EXERCISE

Flexibility: If you have only a very limited time to do anything regarding exercise, I recommend focusing on flexibility. As we get older, our flexibility decreases. However, if you will commit to as little as two minutes twice a day, you can significantly improve your flexibility and prevent injuries.

Optimal: Stretch twice daily, plus before and after each period of exertion or exercise.

Muscle Tone & Strength: Strength training should be a part of everyone's exercise program. If done properly, it can lead to muscles which are stronger and more shapely. You don't have to worry about becoming "muscle-bound" if you do the exercises properly. As with any exercise, technique is very important. If you have never done strength training, you need to work with a personal trainer for a few sessions in order to learn proper technique. If you do the exercises incorrectly, you will not get the results you desire and you may sustain an injury. One goal in the gym is to always be able to come back the next day! If you get hurt that may not happen.

Aerobic Exercise: Optimal: 30 minutes of Aerobic Exercise three times weekly.

In addition to the cardiovascular benefits of aerobic exercise, the brain releases endorphins which create relaxation and tranquility helping reduce stress and decrease the harmful effects of stress.

But, be careful! Many people get hooked on aerobic exercise. For example, if you are running more than 30 minutes three times per week, you are doing it for more than your health benefits. Running on concrete for several hours each week can lead to knee, hip and back trouble. Obviously, this is not going to help with your overall health in the years to come.

Note: If you are over 40 and out of shape, you should obtain a physical examination and a treadmill EKG (electrocardiogram) before beginning your exercise program. Remember, your exercise program should be designed to help you live healthier and longer, not kill you!

III. DIET

Nutritional Requirements:

1) Water - It is essential that we all drink plenty of water daily.

2) Protein - As a result of the emphasis on weight loss in our society, many people have resorted to low fat diets. These diets are often inadequate in protein and high in carbohydrates. The truth is that carbohydrates are what put weight on because carbohydrates raise insulin levels. Insulin causes the uptake of carbohydrates by the body, and if too many carbohydrates are taken up, they are converted to fat. It is not just fat in the diet that results in weight gain. The more recent trend of the Atkins Diet has shown this to be true.

I believe the healthiest diet is one that contains adequate protein - at least 1 gram of protein for each kilogram of body weight or approximately ½ gram per pound of body weight. A rough approximation is that one egg or one ounce of meat contains 7 grams of protein. Emphasize first your protein intake and then focus on your fat and carbohydrate intake. Remember that the total caloric intake is the critical element. The body is similar to a machine. If you eat it, you must either burn it or store it. The only other option is to increase your energy output (i.e. exercise) if you eat more calories than you actually need. Eating as little as 100 calories more than you need a day for one month can result in a weight gain of 1 pound (approximately 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat). That turns out to be 10 to 12 pounds per year!

"Low Protein Diets" result in significant weight loss, much of which is muscle mass. This is not how you want to lose weight!

3) Carbohydrate - Carbohydrates consist of complex sugars (starch) and simple ("refined") sugars. Focus on eating more complex and less refined sugar in your diet. Complex carbohydrates are absorbed more slowly so the blood sugar does not increase as much. They also contain more dietary fiber.

4) Fat - "Low Fat Diets," as I have stated, often contain too much carbohydrate which defeats the purpose of trying to lose weight - plus it leaves you always hungry with cravings. "Very Low Fat Diets" are frankly dangerous and can cause cardiac arrhythmias, i.e. you could die!

"Vegetarian Diets" - Lactovegetarians eat milk products whereas strict vegans don't. Vegans can become vitamin B12 deficient unless they supplement their diet with vitamin B12. The bottom line is this, "Have you ever seen a healthy looking vegetarian?" So far I haven't! Most vegetarians have a hard time taking in adequate amounts of protein and their muscle mass is depleted. This is not a healthy way to live. In my opinion most vegetarians don't look very healthy.

5) Vitamins, Minerals & Trace Elements - I recommend that everyone take a therapeutic vitamin and mineral supplement daily as well as a liquid colloidal mineral supplement. If you don't know what this means, stop by your local health store and they can assist you. I recommend this because the amount of food produced per acre in this country has increased dramatically in the last 50 years. Despite the fact that farmers fertilize, they don't put back into the ground many of the micronutrients that we all need. Therefore, even if we eat a balanced diet, it still may be deficient in some micronutrients. Many Americans are taking mega-doses of vitamins and trace elements. I just want to point out that this is unnatural and not physiologic. I will have more to say about this in future articles.

IV. DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

There are many dietary supplements on the market. Unfortunately, most do nothing more than make their manufactures wealthy. I recommend that you focus on taking in adequate amounts (not mega amounts) of vitamins, minerals and trace elements. If you have done this, you are 95% of the way there or more.

V. MEDICAL EVALUATIONS

The real question here is, "What are the things most likely to kill you!" In the United States, approximately 65% of Americans die of heart attack or stroke and another 22% with cancer. So if you focus on preventing cardiovascular disease and preventing or detecting caner early, you have an 87% chance of saving your life.

1) Cholesterol: Total Cholesterol - This should be below 200mg%. The average total cholesterol for men in the CCU with heart attack is about 240mg%. However, just focusing on total cholesterol is not enough. There is what is called HDL cholesterol ("Good Cholesterol") & LDL cholesterol ("Bad Cholesterol"). The ratio of Total Cholesterol/HDL Cholesterol should be less than 5 for males and 4 for females. Also, the LDL cholesterol should be less than 100mg%. Your doctor can do a lipid profile and inform you of these values. Dietary therapy alone may or may not be adequate to lower you cholesterol. Fortunately, there are very effective medications now available to help lower your cholesterol if necessary.

2) Blood Pressure: High blood pressure (Hypertension) causes heart attacks, kidney disease and strokes. Have your blood pressure monitored periodically. If it is elevated, do whatever is necessary to get it down to normal.

3) Smoking: Lung cancer, bladder cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease (em-physema & chronic bronchitis), arteriosclerosis (which causes stroke, heart attack and peripheral vascular disease) as well as many other diseases are caused by smoking. If you smoke, do whatever you need to do to stop! It is the single best thing you can do to live healthier and longer.

4) Blood Sugar: Diabetes mellitus is a significant cause of premature death. Have your blood sugar monitored periodically, and if you are found to have diabetes, do whatever is necessary to control your blood sugar.

5) Family History: It has been said, "You can't walk away from your genes." So, if your have a family history of heart attack, hypertension, stroke, cancer (colon, breast, prostate, "Family Cancer Syndromes," etc), be certain to inform your doctor of this family history so that you can be screened appropriately.

6) Alcohol: Obviously, alcoholism is a serious problem. Drunk drivers kill themselves and others by the thousands on our highways ever year.

The good news is that alcohol consumption in appropriate amounts (1 - 2 glasses of red wine per day) can result in a reduction in heart attack and stroke. However, I wish to point out, if you have a family history of alcoholism, you may be at risk of alcoholism also. So, if this is your situation, I strongly encourage you not to drink anything.

7) Lung Cancer: To avoid lung cancer, don't smoke or quit smoking and avoid second hand smoke.

8) Colon Cancer: The risk of colon cancer in the United States is about 1 in 18 Americans overall. So the next time you are in a theater or church, look around. One out of eighteen of those people will develop colon cancer and if not detected soon early enough will die. Also, the risk of developing colon cancer is even greater, 1 in 5 (20%), if one of your first degree relatives has had colon cancer. So how do you prevent colon cancer? Here are my recommendations:

a) Fecal Occult Blood Testing - Test your stool for the presence of occult blood (this is blood that you can not see) yearly over the age of 40. However, be aware. This test is positive in only 50 - 70% of patients who actually have colon cancer. Another way of stating this is: In 30 - 50% of patients who actually have colon cancer, the fecal occult blood test will be negative. The reason for this is that colon cancers bleed intermittently.

b) Sigmoidoscopy - This test involves the insertion of a flexible instrument called a sigmoidoscope into the rectum and up into the left side of the colon. This test picks up about 70 - 80% of colon polyps and colon cancer. Polyps are precursors of colon cancer. If polyps are found and removed before they become cancerous, colon cancer can be prevented.

c) Colonoscopy - Colonoscopy is now the preferred screening test for polyps and colon cancer because it visualizes the entire colon. Sedation is given for the procedure so that it should not be an uncomfortable experience in most cases. The advantage of colonoscopy is that when polyps are found, they can be removed and if colon cancer is found biopsies can be done. Therefore, colonoscopy is not only diagnostic but many times is therapeutic as well.

9) Breast Cancer: This cancer is more common in women than colon cancer. Do monthly breast self-examination and report any lumps to your doctor immediately. Obtain regular mammograms as recommended by your doctor.

10) Prostate Cancer: It is said that all men will eventually develop prostate cancer if they live long enough. Every year in all men over the age of 50, two things should be done. First, your doctor should do a rectal exam to feel the prostate. Second, a Prostate Specfic Antigen (PSA), which is a blood test, should be done. This is a good screening test.

11) Melanoma: This is a form of skin cancer that is related to exposure to ultraviolet light. So, always use sunscreen and don't get sunburned! If you work outside, wear appropriate clothing to protect your skin from excessive exposure to the sun.

12) Motor Vehicle Accidents: Always wear your seatbelt! Always wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle or bicycle. Lastly, but perhaps more importantly, don't drink alcohol and drive.