Facilitate Your Good Health

It’s certainly true that there are some health issues over which you have no control. However, by choosing to be proactive—eating well, exercising, and having a good attitude—you can significantly affect the quality of your health and length of your life. You may be confused about what “healthful living” steps to take, given the vast amount of information floating around on that subject; I’m glad to have the chance to offer some straightforward advice.

Focus on Food
We live in a society that treats food as a marketing commodity, so it’s easy to overeat— and make bad choices while doing so. You should reevaluate how you think about food, and instead of concentrating on what you shouldn’t eat, focus on what should be a significant part of your diet: fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. When people think too much about what cannot be eaten, they tend to feel deprived.

There are two important things to remember when it comes to eating healthfully:

• Not everything works for everyone. You may simply need to add more activity to your life, or perhaps a structured diet. Determining what works for you is the first step to success.
  
• You must integrate your choices into your lifestyle. Since your intent is long-term success, you need to commit to making changes that you can maintain over time—ideally for the rest of your life.

Getting Physical
It’s always important to exercise on a regular basis, but as you age, it’s even more critical. What matters is not what you do, but rather just doing something, and ideally doing it four or more days a week. A gym membership is certainly not a prerequisite; walking can be a great exercise, since it requires no special equipment.

Remember these things as you think about exercising:

• Set realistic goals. If you set goals that are too high, you’ll get discouraged. It’s better to start slow and be successful.
  
• Increase your daily activities. Choose stairs over elevators and park your car further from your destination. All your activities add up and are beneficial to your health.

Mind Over Matter
There’s definitely a physical connection between mental health and physical well-being. The reverse is also true; it’s been shown that even patients who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease remain more mentally sharp if they stay physically active.

When it comes to the mind-body connection:

• Realize that stress is a constant occurrence. Most people equate stress with negative events, but any change, even an exciting one, can be stressful.
  
• Take stock of your situation. Recognize things that have an effect on your life and note how you feel as a result.

The Bottom Line
By combining a good approach to eating—which includes cooking as much as possible so you control what goes into your body—with an exercise program that works for you, you can positively affect your health. Add in a realization that there is a connection between your mind and body, and you have a great recipe for a long, healthy life.

Dr. Coe is a family medicine physician and chief of staff at Sutter Solano Medical Center in Vallejo, Calif, a member of the Solano Coalition for Better Health.


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