Sept_13

HEALTH BYTES .
RBIT
Don’t skip breakfast
Working professionals who skip breakfast are
27 per cent more likely to develop heart conditions
compared to their breakfast-eating counterparts. This is
the finding of a study conducted by a team at the Harvard
School of Public Health. Researchers tracked the health,
lifestyle and eating habits of over 27,000 working men
between 45 and 82 years of age over a period of 16 years,
adjusting for factors such as smoking, exercise and variations
in diet. In this period, about 1,500 men developed
heart-related ailments such as heart attacks and heart
failure. The conclusive fact: The first meal of the day, when
eaten at the right time, can have tremendous biological
benefits over the years. With lunch as the first meal of
the day, one consumes a higher amount of calories than
required and can therefore develop insulin sensitivity.
This is the leading cause for diabetes and blood pressure,
eventually adding up to heart disease. In addition, latenight
snacking can increase the risk of heart disease by
55 per cent. It’s more a threat for those above the age of
50 but habits are formed earlier on.
A NEW STUDY SUGGESTS THAT AVOIDING PHYSICAL MOVEMENT, FEARING FRACTURES OR FALLS,
DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD. THE STUDY, BY DR JOANNA SALE AT ST MICHAEL’S HOSPITAL IN
TORONTO, CANADA, REVEALS THAT OF THOSE SAMPLED, HALF THE WOMEN AND ONE IN FIVE MEN
OVER 50 YEARS OF AGE WERE LIKELY TO HAVE A FRACTURE FROM A FALL. AS HAVING A FRACTURE
DOUBLES A PERSON’S RISK OF HAVING ANOTHER, MOST PEOPLE AVOID LEISURE ACTIVITIES
THAT REQUIRE MOVING AROUND, BUT THIS ONLY MAKES THE WEAK BONES WEAKER. THE STUDY
SUGGESTS THAT INSTEAD OF SUCH NEGATIVE LIFESTYLE CHANGES, POSITIVE CHANGES SUCH AS
REGULAR EXERCISE, USING PROPER FOOTWEAR, AND TAKING ADEQUATE VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS
CAN HELP AVOID FALLS OWING TO WEAK BONES.
harmony celebrate age september 2013 19