Prevent Chronic Disease With A Healthy Dietary plan (Expert Advice)
Chronic diseases —including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer— account for some of the most common health problems in the United States, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Yet many of these chronic diseases are preventable, as they’re linked to poor diet and lifestyle choices including tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, and inadequate physical activity.
The CDC reports some sobering statistics about Americans:
Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability.
70% of annual deaths are due to chronic diseases.
These preventable conditions not only compromise quality of life, they add to rising health care costs—75% of our health care dollars are devoted to treat these diseases.
Among adults ages 20 to 74, diabetes remains the leading cause of kidney failure, blindness, and non-traumatic lower-extremity amputations.
The good news is that you have the power to help prevent chronic disease, as making positive diet and lifestyle changes can help reduce risk. Eating healthy foods, getting enough exercise, and refraining from tobacco and excessive alcohol use confer numerous health benefits—including possibly preventing the onset of chronic diseases.
Chronic Disease With A Healthy Dietary plan
In order to prevent chronic diseases you must follow these healthy dietary plans below:
1. Eat a Healthy Diet
Medical experts have long recognized the effects of diet on the risk of CVD, but the relationship between diet and many other conditions, including specific cancers, diabetes, cataracts, macular degeneration, cholelithiasis, renal stones, dental disease, and birth defects, have been documented more recently. The following list discusses six aspects of diet for which strong evidence indicates important health implications. These goals are consistent with a detailed 2003 World Health Organization (WHO) report (WHO and FAO 2003)
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Obesity is increasing rapidly worldwide. Even though obesity—a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater—has received more attention than overweight, overweight (BMI of 25 to 30) is typically even more prevalent and also confers elevated risks of many diseases. For example, overweight people experience a two- to threefold elevation in the risks of CAD and hypertension and a more than tenfold increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes compared with lean individuals (BMI less than 23) (Willett, Dietz, and Colditz 1999). Both overweight and obese people also experience elevated mortality from cancers of the colon, breast (postmenopausal), kidney, endometrium, and other sites (Calle and others 2003).
Many people with a BMI of less than 25 have gained substantial weight since they were young adults and are also at increased risk of these diseases, even though they are not technically overweight (Willett, Dietz, and Colditz 1999). For example, in rural China, where the average BMI was less than 21 for both men and women, F. B. Hu and others (2000) found that the prevalence of hypertension was nearly five times greater for those with a BMI of approximately 25 than for the leanest people. Because many Asians are experiencing adverse consequences of excess body fat with a BMI of less than 25, the definition of overweight for Asia has recently been expanded to include a BMI of 23 to 25 (WHO 2000). For most people, unless obviously malnourished as an adolescent or young adult, bodyweight should ideally not increase by more than 2 or 3 kilograms after age 20 to maintain optimal health (Willett, Dietz, and Colditz 1999). Thus, a desirable weight for most people should be within the BMI range of 18.5 to 25.0, and preferably less than 23.
READ MORE: Exercise Vs. Diet: Which is more Effective for Weight Loss?
Persons who want to prevent or reverse chronic disease conditions can use a good diet system to achieve good results. In choosing a good menu, one should bear in mind the need to avoid certain dangerous foods and the importance of balancing the diet to ensure adequate nutritive value. Foods that need to be avoided have been well explained above while those that need to be treated well to reduce chemical contaminations from pesticides have also been described.
Number of meals per day.
In this day of fast foods and snacking, there is a higher temptation to eat at every turn. This is wrong and contributes to overeating, food addiction and obesity with their associated health problems. The number of meals eaten, and the type or component of meals are very crucial to maintaining a healthy body and weight. To maintain a healthy body weight and health, the following rules must be adhered to:
1. If you are a sedentary or office worker, eat twice a day.
2. If you are a manual or hard worker, standing throughout the day or working manually, eat thrice a day.
3. Avoid eating between meals. Only take water between meals.
Allow at least 5-6 hours between meals. This is necessary to avoid overburdening the stomach. The stomach takes on average 4 hours to digest any meal. After digesting the food, it is important to allow the stomach to have an hour rest. Snacking or eating between meals interferes with the digestion process, prolongs digestion and keeps the stomach working throughout the day. This is a drain on the body’s energy, making the stomach worn out, weak and tired. Due to the close association between the enteric and central nervous systems, the incessant indulgence of the stomach with food affects the brain’s capacity to function at high efficiency. Eating between meals also drains the blood into the gastrointestinal tract, robbing the other parts of the body of essential blood necessary for respiration, nutrition, protection/immunity, repair, restoration etc.
Allow at least 5-6 hours between meals. This is necessary to avoid overburdening the stomach. The stomach takes on average 4 hours to digest any meal. After digesting the food, it is important to allow the stomach to have an hour rest. Snacking or eating between meals interferes with the digestion process, prolongs digestion and keeps the stomach working throughout the day. This is a drain on the body’s energy, making the stomach worn out, weak and tired. Due to the close association between the enteric and central nervous systems, the incessant indulgence of the stomach with food affects the brain’s capacity to function at high efficiency. Eating between meals also drains the blood into the gastrointestinal tract, robbing the other parts of the body of essential blood necessary for respiration, nutrition, protection/immunity, repair, restoration etc.
READ MORE:7 Dangerous Acts To Avoid After A Meal
4. Allow at least 4 hours after meals before bed/sleeping.
Sleeping immediately after meals is a high risk for obesity as the body (in its resting state) converts the digested food into fats or glycogen. This explains why sleeping after meals increases stomach size. (12 Effects OF Late Eating That You Didn't Know)
5. Maintain a healthy exercise programme.
Walking, jogging, running, or engaging in useful physical exercise helps expend with stored or excess energy, which helps the body maintain a
constant weight, clear clogged blood vessels, improve cellular respiration, and reduces risk of NCDs.
constant weight, clear clogged blood vessels, improve cellular respiration, and reduces risk of NCDs.
READ MORE: Benefits of Keeping Fit
Follow this 5 healthy tips to prevent chronic diseases.
DR. APPIAH
Dr. Appiah is a Natural Health Therapist (Naturopath) who engages the natural healing agents given by God to save lives. EAT FOOD AS MEDICINE! EAT TO LIVE, DON'T LIVE TO EAT!! FOR BOOKINGS AND MORE: WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCTS? WANT A PERSONAL(CERTIFIED) NATURAL MEDICINE PRACTITIONER? REACH ME DIRECTLY ON WHATSAPP +233245643615 appiahinok@gmail.com
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