Ways to Stay Healthy

Ways to Stay Healthy
by Mariam Alireza,
JEDDAH, 30 June 2004 — Omar is a healthy 88-year-old father,
grandfather, and great-grandfather who is active in sports and at work
as president of a large corporation. When asked how he maintains health
and energy he replied, “Moderation, moderation, moderation.” He
practices moderation in all his lifestyle habits. He explained that when
he felt he ate too much of one type of food or nutrient at one meal he
would reduce its consumption the next meal.
Omar starts his day with a good breakfast that includes a fresh fruit
shake, a cup of yogurt with a spoon of honey, a small triangle of whole
pita bread with his favorite hard cheese, Edam, and a couple of olives.
His lunch, at the office, is composed of all nutrients in the food
triangle. Fish is his favorite protein. He loves to concoct his own
recipes. His afternoon snack consists of nuts, a salty biscuit, and a
cup of green tea with ginger. His dinner is a light meal starting with a
cup of soup, a nibble here and there, and a tablespoon of pure olive
oil. So that is his method of check and balance in his nutrition: He
uses plain common sense. I think we should try to do the same.
Whether you decide to lose weight or maintain good health and ideal
weight you should first consider moderation in the quantity of your
calorie intake and balance in your choice of nutrition. If this is too
confusing I’ll try to expand on this area with more specificity.
Plan your meals in such a way that they include all four food nutrients
in their ideal proportions and portions. Eat moderate amounts of good
fats (olive, nut, seed, soybean). Proteins (lean meat, skinless poultry,
fish, low-fat milk products, eggs, legumes, seeds, whole grains) should
be in reasonable quantities. For those who want to limit animal
proteins, mixing whole grains and legumes (soups and whole rice dishes
with lentils or beans) enhances the quality of their amino acids. They
also make a filling tasty meal along with a vegetable dish. Fish, the
poor man’s meat, is a good protein very much used in the healthy
Mediterranean and Japanese diets. The Red Sea and the Gulf offer us a
wide variety of fish and crustaceans; the markets are abundant with all
kinds of seafood.
Eat your carbohydrates in their natural unprocessed, unrefined form.
Whole grains (wheat and “burgul”), rice, barley, millet, corn, rye, and
vegetables (all beans, “foul”, lentils, peas, especially soybeans) are
slow digesting carbohydrates and low on the glycemic index. I also
recommend them for their phytosterols and good fibers that protect the
heart, and vascular and digestive systems. Combine carbohydrates with
protein and fat to make them less glycemic. Did you know that white
kidney beans have a protein, which acts as a starch blocker in your body
reducing starch absorption? Make sure you include them in your diet.
As for simple sugars in sweets, desserts, soft drinks, ice-creams, and
milk shakes, I strongly advise you to limit their consumption. They have
high glycemic effects on the blood and they are extremely fattening. Go
easy on all refined carbohydrates; excessive amounts convert to fat in
the body leading to obesity, diabetes and other diseases.
The choicest group of nutrients is in the plant family: fruit and
vegetables. This class of food is not only rich in essential nutrients,
but also quite low in calories and high in fibers and phytosterols.
Fruits, vegetables, herbs, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds can help
prevent and even reverse heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
These immune-enhancing “superfoods” provide you with the antioxidants,
vitamins C (citrus and other fresh fruits and vegetables), Bs (folic
acid in leafy greens), E (nuts and seeds) and A (carotenoids: lycopene
in cooked tomatoes, alpha-and-beta-carotenes in carrots, and lutein in
dark leafy greens). Antioxidants are also available in minerals
(selenium). Glutathione is found in garlic; resveratrol in red grape
skin and seeds; fiber in whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits,
omega-3 fatty acids in fish, walnuts, flaxseeds, dark greens;
polyphenols in green tea. If you include them in your diet in sufficient
amounts, you will enhance your immune defenses and improve your health,
thereby warding off viral and bacterial infections, inflammations,
cancer, and chronic diseases.
You have a wide variety of plants, which offer you a big selection of
ingredients for soups, appetizers, salads, vegetable dishes, stews, and
accompaniments. The Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Mediterranean, and
Arabic cuisines offer the most delectable recipes with this group of
nutritional plants whether served fresh, steamed, boiled, grilled,
roasted, sautéed, or baked. Treat yourself to an assortment of dishes
everyday by teasing your palate and satisfying your appetite and fantasy
with healthy tasty gourmet food.
Your daily diet should consist of three main balanced meals with a light
snack or two in between or even better five smaller meals if you find
the time to prepare them. But do not skip meals. Skipping meals slows
down your ability to burn calories. Hunger also encourages you to eat
much more the following meal.
The next time you feel hungry, drink water to test if it is genuine
hunger or thirst instead. And when you start your meal eat slowly and
chew well. Try to wait a few minutes in between dishes. Give your
stomach time to send your brain messages of satiation. If you eat too
fast your stomach will be too full before you realize it. This way you
end up overeating in a matter of a few minutes just like gulping a
super-sized hamburger and milkshake.
My strategy, which I passed on to my children, is to eat a meal in this
sequence. I start with the salad or soup. The vegetables or legumes come
second, then the proteins and carbohydrates. In this manner, I am not
too hungry to over-indulge in the last two dishes. I find this regimen
suitable to my health and energy, limiting overindulgence. My evening
meals are usually light with a cup of soup and a salad consisting of
greens, assorted vegetables, or legumes, sometimes mixed with whole
grains. You are probably wondering where fruit fits in my diet. I take a
variety of fruits for breakfast, an orange or a slice of papaya after
lunch and none after dinner if it is late.
I have a few suggestions to improve your digestion. Avoid eating when
angry or upset. Such emotions can interfere with normal digestion and
your absorption of nutrients. You may have experienced or heard of
indigestion, stomach cramps, or diarrhea when receiving disturbing news
while eating.
Try not to be not distracted (television, movie) or get into heated
discussion during meals. Be very aware of your food and try to
appreciate it. Eat slowly and chew well. This attitude promotes the
efficiency of your food assimilation.
Keep your meals varied with a variation of foodstuffs. Tasty colorful
dishes are appetizing and satisfying to the palate; they minimize
overindulgence. From my experience, I tend to overeat when my meal is
not tasty or appetizing. I continue eating searching for pleasure in
other dishes. I end up overstuffed and unsatisfied with the meal.
Make an effort to balance your meals with all four nutrients (proteins,
carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals) emphasizing fresh fruit and raw or
cooked fresh vegetables; they are especially rich in vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants, fibers, and phytosterols. Reduce the processed and
refined forms ; they contain excessive salt, sugar, fat, or
preservatives and additives.
If you are able to apply these recommendations and maintain a balanced
nutrition with moderation, you would not experience nutritional
deficiencies or excessive behaviors that lead to obesity and chronic
ailments. Avicenna said one thousand years ago, “Balance in humans has a
field that has two extremes.” Between the two stand health and harmony.
Remember your health balance today is your health credit tomorrow.