Grace C. Felizardo
I lost my brother to COPD and its complications when he was 43. Evidently still in grief, I cannot help but think. Had he taken more decisive action on what he knew – from what he ate to maintaining himself, body and soul, could we still be together today? I think so. He was smart and could have maintained a reasonable quality of life. Unfortunately, he failed to take action. And so my appeal – act on what you know! Determine to live healthy as long as God allows.
First, plan your meals. Go for vegetables and fruits. It will take a lot of planning, but it’s doable – switch from refined to whole grains like the healthier brown rice. Opt for fat-free or low-fat dairy products. And whenever possible, instead of meat, eat fish.
Conversely, limit your intake of salt, sugar, alcohol, saturated, trans and partially hydrogenated fats. Unhealthy amounts of these are found in chips, pizza, processed and fatty meats. They are also found in cakes, donuts, ice cream, sports and soft drinks.
Second, know your ideal weight, get there and stay there. Exercise!
Third, do not neglect your basic personal hygiene. Frequent hand washing has been proven to prevent many kinds of diseases, some life-threatening. Many scalp and skin diseases may be avoided by regular bathing. Similarly, you gain from proper tooth brushing and flossing.
Fourth, get screened for diseases before you experience symptoms. Early detection yields better chances of cure and survival. Have your blood pressure checked regularly. Know if your total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglyceride are within normal levels. Have ECG if something is amiss with your heart. Get screened for blood sugar level, mammography, Pap’s smear, and colonoscopy, especially if diabetes and cancer are prevalent in the family. Also, get screened for depression if you have been feeling hopeless.
Good nutrition, being active, proper hygiene and early detection of life threatening diseases may take a few hours. But with God’s favor, these may afford us and our loved ones untold joys and many years of life together.
