Searching for Health
Searching For Health
By Sandy Powers
Health: a state of physical and mental well-being– a desired goal we all seek, but not one we all attain. Common sense tells us we begin by eating healthy, yet, what is eating healthy?
There are an abundance of diets on the market that claim this elusive road to well-bring. High carbohydrates, low carbohydrates. High protein, low protein. Total vegetarian containing no animal protein. High fat, low fat. Sugar busters. All eating plans very diverse, yet they all lay claim to greater health: reducing heart disease, cancer and diabetes while at the same time lowering cholesterol. How is it possible that seemingly conflicting diets profess similar success yet still be factual? For a limited time such assertions can be true. For a limited time. When we drastically alter our diet, our body will respond in kind—drastically. Sometimes, it is to our benefit, other times not. But what research has shown is that the benefits from these restrictive diets are often temporary. Credible scientific and nutritional studies have proven the healthiest eating plans are diets that are balanced by containing food choices from all food groups. The American Dietetic Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Research Council, and other major medical societies agree.
Ok. So, a healthy, well-balanced diet is the first step in searching for health, but what comprises this “healthy, well-balance diet” and how can it be measured? By life spans. The people who live the longest have the best diets.
According to the United Nations World Population study, the ten countries with the greatest life expectancies are Andorra, Macau, Japan, San Marino, Singapore, Hong Kong, Gibraltar, Sweden, Australia, and Switzerland. The United States has an overall life expectancy of 78.06, making it 45 in the United Nations’ ranking. I have examined three of these top ten countries and their lifestyles in Searching for Health.
Andorra has the longest life span with an overall life expectancy of 83.52. Andorra is a small mountainous country in southeastern Europe, located high in the eastern Pyrenees Mountain between France and Spain. Andorran cuisine is composed of meat (usually lamb and pork), fish, pasta, vegetables, fruits, dairy (usually cheese), and bread. Olive oil is used in cooking. Wine is the preferred beverage. Luis Pallares, an Andorran consulting surgeon, said it is common to perform surgery on people in their eighties and nineties. They soon return to their normal lives. A frequent question from the patients is “how soon will I be able to walk in the mountains again, tend my garden and go into the woods to gather mushrooms?”
Japan is the third ranking with an overall life expectancy of 82.02. Japan is an island country in East Asia, located to the east of China. Japanese cuisine is based on combining staple foods like rice or noodles, with a soup—usually a fish or meat broth—and dishes made from fish, meat, vegetable, fruit, and tofu, a soy product. Meals usually end with drinking green tea. The most popular exercise is walking.
Australia is the ninth ranking with an overall life expectancy of 80.62. Australia is a country in the Southern Hemisphere surrounded by the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. Australians eat meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit, and vegemite, a dark paste made from yeast extract spread on toast and crackers. Coffee and beer are the preferred beverages. Since Australia has one of the highest incidence of pet ownership in the world, walking the dog is the most popular exercise.
In reviewing the lifestyles of these three countries, I discovered that the diets are basically similar with a few exchanges, for example, like rice in Japan, pasta in Andorra, and crackers and toast in Australia. Walking is the common exercise in all three countries. Evidence of the health benefits of walking has been documented by the recent Women’s Health Study, a major research project that verified walking 15 minutes a day cut the risk of death from heart attack and stroke in half. Walking is also a great stress reducer. Reducing stress is a vital component to health and longevity. The time honored mind-body techniques such as acupuncture, biofeedback, and meditation to reduce stress have passed the litmus test of rigorous medical investigations. Positive effects on heart health, blood pressure, insulin, arthritis, and tension headaches are documented with the reduction of stress through these alternative therapies.
Searching for Health provides insight into achieving better health and a longer life expectancy by adapting our lifestyles. These are the tools to become authors of our own health.
About the Author
Sandy Powers is the author of the award winning guide to health, “Organic for Health,” also on file with Oprah. Visit Sandy and view her book video at www.organicforhealthsite.com
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