From Fat to Fit — Carole Carson

Take Control of Your Health: Four Tips from Research

Carole Carson

Are you willing to use your feet and forks to change your medical fate? Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale-Griffin University Prevention Research Center advocates regular exercise and healthful eating to minimize genetic risks for diseases and medical conditions. His message is reinforced by recent studies that underscore the importance of staying agile and eating specific foods to enhance our health and well-being.

Walking Speed a Predictor of Life Expectancy in Older Adults: A recent article in Scientific American reports that walking speed provides an accurate measure to predict life expectancy in adults 65 and older. According to Stephanie Studenski, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh and coauthor of the study, gait, or walking speed, is a powerful indicator of an individual’s overall vitality.

Resveratrol Fosters Longevity, Health and Fitness: Resveratrol, a phytochemical substance found in grapes, has been shown to promote health and increase longevity due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Resveratrol also helps prevent insulin resistance and helps protect against conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. In addition, French scientists investigating resveratrol’s properties have reported that the compound improves weight-loss efforts by speeding up metabolism.

Coconut Oil Provides Health Benefits: A 50-year study conducted by B. M. Hegde, a cardiologist and medical scientist, has shown that coconut oil protects the heart, prevents cancer, prevents early memory loss and cuts down on bad fats. In releasing this study, Dr. Hegde hopes to debunk the myth that coconut oil increases cholesterol in the body.

High Intake of Dietary Fiber Linked to Longevity: A study published February 14, 2011, in the Archives of Internal Medicine correlated highfiber intake with a lowered risk of death from cardiovascular,infectious, and respiratory diseases–by 24 percent to 56 percent in men andby 34 percent to 59 percent in women. Over 388,000 adults, ages 50 to 71, participated in the National Institutes of Health–AARP Diet and Health Study.

Agnes de Mille, choreographer and dancer, noted that “no trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently.” Over time, the unnoticed decisions we make each day in the privacy of our own lives–about whether to exercise and what to eat–become manifest in our health and well-being. We cannot control the hand we are dealt, that is, our genetic makeup. But we can decide how to play the cards by the choices we make when caring for our bodies.