Guys, spit on the diet and jogging!
According to bleak estimates of experts, by 2040, almost two-thirds of men aged 40 to 100 years will be obese and at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and premature death.
An increase in waist circumference and an increased awareness of one's own mortality is often enough for a drastic change in lifestyle, which usually means switching to low-fat food and regular jogging.
However, according to consulting surgeon and diabetes specialist Dr. Charles Clark, honorary researcher at the University of Glasgow and author of more than 80 scientific articles and several books on healthy lifestyle and nutrition, these two measures are the worst choice for a middle-aged man.
In his new book "The Health Revolution for Men: how to start the process of losing weight and reduce the risk of developing serious diseases within 2 weeks" (Health Revolution For Men: Kick-start your weight loss and reduce your risk of serious disease – in 2 weeks), he suggests sticking to a different strategy.
Avoid low-fat foodsFor many years, it has been put into our heads that eating fatty foods contributes to the deposition of cholesterol on the inner walls of the arteries.
Therefore, most men consider the use of low-fat food healthy.
However, according to Dr. Clark, only 15% of the total cholesterol contained in the body enters the body with food, the remaining 85% is synthesized in the liver. He explains that health problems are related to the consumption of carbohydrates. In response to an increase in blood sugar, the pancreas begins to produce the hormone insulin. This, in turn, is a signal to the liver to process the fat coming from food and release the resulting triglycerides into the bloodstream. These triglycerides form globules that move through the bloodstream and are absorbed by fat cells. As a result, excess food leads to obesity.
Insulin also regulates the activity of cholesterol synthesis and its excretion from the liver. It is believed that high levels of insulin contribute to the launch of the synthesis of so–called "bad" cholesterol - low-density lipoproteins. With a decrease in insulin levels, the process of converting fats into cholesterol in liver cells becomes more difficult, which leads to the predominant release of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins).
Dr. Clark notes that in low-fat foods (yogurts, semi-finished products, cookies and even salad sauces) to improve the taste, additional carbohydrates are often added. Therefore, people who prefer it consume too many carbohydrates, which increases the level of cholesterol in the blood and, accordingly, the concentration of triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins.
Forget about joggingPhysical activity plays an important role in promoting overall health, including maintaining normal insulin levels in the body.
However, running, which is an excellent exercise for completely healthy people, even with incipient health problems, becomes a "run to a heart attack". In addition, with excess weight and weak muscle tone, jogging can lead to damage to the knee joints and provide excessive load on the heart and lungs.
Therefore, instead of starting to run "from tomorrow", you should start training slowly, gradually improving your physical condition with 20-minute walks 5 times a week and parallel gentle exercises to build muscle mass (such as lifting weights) and stretching.
Train your smooth musclesWith age, muscle tone inevitably decreases.
Physical exercises effectively help to maintain the state of skeletal muscles, but we should not forget about smooth muscles that form arterial vessels, intestines, bladder and muscles of internal organs, the health of which is extremely important for the general condition of the body.
All cells of the body need nutrients and oxygen supplied to them by blood. A good condition of the smooth muscle layer of the arteries, which does not allow them to contract under stress, is the key to a sufficient supply of all body tissues with the substances they need.
To "train" the smooth muscles of the digestive tract, it is necessary to regularly eat plant foods. A diet rich in plant fiber stimulates the work of the intestine, while the absence of plant food leads to its passivity, which is the main cause of the development of cancer of this organ.
Regular use of water is also a guarantee of health. It also stimulates intestinal motility, preventing the development of constipation and other diseases that often occur in adulthood, such as cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis and peptic ulcers.
Don't slouchGood posture is a critical factor for maintaining bone and muscle health.
However, Dr. Clark notes that the correct sitting and standing posture is also important for the full functioning of internal organs. The position of the body should not prevent an increase in the volume of internal organs necessary for normal blood supply, respiration and digestion.
Therefore, always pay attention to your posture. When sitting, standing, and walking, pull your shoulders back and raise your head to keep your body in a balanced state that prevents pain in the upper and lower back.
In addition, learn to sit so that the feet are directly in front of you, and the big toes are pointing forward. This will avoid straining the thigh muscles and unnecessary turns of the hip joints, which can cause damage to them.
Breathe deeply: are you excitedIn response to stressful effects, the body produces the hormone cortisol.
One of the effects of its action is to stimulate the release of glucose from liver cells into the bloodstream. The immediate purpose of launching this mechanism is to quickly provide the body with the energy needed to fight or flight, but it simultaneously stimulates the synthesis of insulin, an increase in the concentration of which can lead to the development of obesity and various diseases.
If a person is constantly under stress, the level of insulin in his blood will inevitably be increased. Stress can cause serious chemical changes in the body, which can serve as a prerequisite for the development of diabetes, increased blood pressure (cortisol narrows the arteries, increasing blood pressure, and increases and accelerates heart contractions), decreased immunity, changes in testosterone levels, as well as an increased risk of osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.
Therefore, the elimination of stressful influences is a vital factor: eat full–fledged food at regular intervals (hunger and bad food are additional stress for the body), sleep a lot and exercise, try to resort to relaxation techniques and breathing exercises.
Every day, for five minutes, sit in silence with your eyes closed, concentrating solely on your breathing and heartbeat. At the same time, try to breathe slowly and evenly.
On days when bad thoughts get the better of you, use "stress relief tools", such as reading a good book (reading something interesting for just 6 minutes can reduce stress levels by 68%), listening to music (it can reduce stress levels by 32%) or massage (weekly massage reduces the overall stress level by 27%).
Drink wine, not fruit juiceDr. Clark recommends drinking at least 10 cups of water a day.
He claims that fruit juice contains too many carbohydrates to be a basic drink. Coffee causes dehydration of the body, so its use should be limited to two cups a day. For tea, the recommended limit is 3 cups per day (herbal tea can be drunk in unlimited quantities). Moderate alcohol consumption is acceptable, especially red wine, which should also be drunk no more than two small glasses a day. Beer contains a large amount of carbohydrates, so it should be avoided.
Save your sex lifeWith age, testosterone levels naturally decrease (after 40 years by 1-2% per year), but a decrease in libido can be a symptom of excessive stress and malnutrition.
Malnutrition can lead to physical and mental fatigue, accompanied by a loss of interest in social life, not to mention sexual activity.
Another problem of middle age is impotence, which can be an early symptom of coronary heart disease and diabetes. It can also lead to atherosclerosis – a systemic disease in which plaques are deposited on the inner walls of the arteries, impairing the blood supply to the penis.
How to solve the problem of limping libido? It's also simple: reduce the amount of refined carbohydrates consumed, reduce stress levels and exercise more. All this will help to optimize the work of the body.
Give preference to chopsAccording to Dr. Clark, the modern diet has reached alarming levels of carbohydrate content.
Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, pasta and rice, provide the body only with energy, that is, they are not "nutrition" as such. Moreover, a diet rich in such products can contribute to excessive insulin production.
Therefore, the use of carbohydrates should be limited to 50 g per day (a slice of bread from unseeded flour contains 18 g of carbohydrates, a boiled potato with a diameter of 5 cm – about 15 g). At each meal, energy should enter the body in the form of protein (meat, fish, eggs and cheese), as well as fruits and vegetables. In the body, dietary proteins are broken down into amino acids, which are absorbed through the intestinal lining and form the skin, bones, muscles, tendons and tissues of all internal organs, including the brain and heart.
In conclusion, Dr. Clark recommends that before switching to any "healthy" diet, first completely abandon the use of refined carbohydrates for two weeks.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Gmail:
Why mid-life health kicks can WRECK men's bodies: Jogging and low-fat food will make you fatter and damage your heart.
17.05.2012