TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2023 - FOOD

 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2023 - FOOD

This week, I’m writing about health/your physical body, and today, I’m looking at being overweight. 

Most commonly, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, and certain cancers are encountered in patients affected by obesity. As we age, physical disability is also a significant problem due to the effect of weight on joints.

WEIGHT - GET IT OFF!!!

I’m still carrying about twenty extra pounds.  Yesterday, I had my annual physical examination.  My blood sugar is high - but not quite into the pre-diabetes or diabetes range.  I NEED to lose weight.

Just look around at people when you are out at the grocery store.

Too many men have pot bellies.  Too many women “waddle” when they walk.  

A January 2023 document says, “Being overweight in midlife has been linked to greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia, and a new study shows that brain changes in obese people mirror some of those with Alzheimer's.

Weight is an issue in America.  A 2022 study notes, “Almost 70% of adults in the United States are overweight. Of those, about one-third are considered obese. Obesity is a serious chronic illness that can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease — two of the leading causes of kidney disease — as well as high blood cholesterol, cancers, and sleep disorders.”

Among seniors, my research found this: “Nearly 40 percent of Americans age 51 and older are overweight. Like obesity, overweight is considered a risk factor for many chronic diseases.” (I was surprised that this statistic seems low in terms of last paragraph where “almost 70% of Americans are overweight.”)

Do you want to live to 100 years old?  Watch your weight.

And in addition to watching your weight, watch your nutrition.  

Generally, there are two white things to avoid:  white sugar and white flour (bread). There isn’t much nutrition in either item.  

Are you getting enough fiber?  (Aside: I ate too many processed foods last April and got constipated.  Now, I focus on food with fiber.  I generally eat oatmeal (and not the flavored packets) for my breakfast.  I have beans and prunes (and prune juice) in my daily meals.  

For snacks, I eat popcorn - again, with good fiber.  I don’t use preprocessed microwave popcorn (that can have sugar). I have a jar of popcorn, and I pop it in a brown paper bag in my microwave. (about a tablespoon of popcorn into a standard brown paper lunch bag).  It takes about 90 seconds.  I dump it into a canola oil and salt container and shake it up.  

I don’t drink soda.  I drink coffee or unsweet iced tea. (And unsweetened prune juice).  A 20-ounce bottle of Dr. Pepper has about seventy grams of sugar.

And sugar-free / diet soda isn’t necessarily better:

“Determining whether diet soda helps or hinders dieters' efforts to lose weight has been challenging. Some studies have shown benefits, but long-term research has found that diet soda consumption is linked to increased weight gain.  (Read that again - diet soda is linked to INCREASED WEIGHT GAIN).

How about alcohol? “Alcohol is high in calories and may interfere with weight loss. While cutting down on alcohol or not drinking at all will not necessarily produce weight loss immediately, it can be an excellent first step. People who wish to continue drinking can opt for wine, unmixed spirits, or low-alcohol beer in moderate quantities.”

Eating out generally involves highly processed foods.  We also opt for things like pizza (with flour and cheese). 

If seniors can control their diets and work on smaller portions, less (or no) sugar, less white flour, and good nutrition, they can win the battle against weight gain - maybe!!  

Tomorrow - exercise and health. You are taking care of your body.

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, ©, NOVEMBER 14, 2023