Many of us make New Years' Resolutions, only to fall flat in about a month or two. We also are looking to the next best diet/fad/lifestyle suggestions to improve our lives. Here are a few tips that I hope will help to simplify your life and take out some of the stress that we put onto ourselves.
1. You have the rest of your life to live, so any changes you want to make should line up with that truth. In other words, "lose 20 pounds in two weeks," sounds pretty good, but what happens after that? Choose the lifestyle changes I have suggested to you over the past year and you'll be able to live a longer, healthier life without the "yo-yo" syndrome plaguing you, forever.
2. Eggs and cholesterol
No matter what the research says, the myth of not being able to eat eggs because of their cholesterol content lives on. I'll share a little something with you. A couple of months ago my husband( I have his permission to share this) went to the VA and was given, "the works" in a physical exam...you name it, he had it....I think they took 8-10 vials of blood in all..whew! Also important to know, he has been eating 2-3 eggs per day for the past 40 years that I've known him. He doesn't exercise, as such, but likes to bike everyday and is very active...but no gym or exercise equipment. His HDL-2 cholesterol levels (the good kind) were the highest I have ever seen on any lab test, by twice the amount. I tell you this because it's very important to understand that it's oxidized cholesterol and a high stress lifestyle that are the problem, not eggs, per se. I'm not advocating eating that many eggs, but I'm including this as an example of how those who limit their egg intake with the reasoning that it, alone, is going to lower their cholesterol levels might want to rethink that idea.
Just an aside about cholesterol. We need cholesterol because it is the foundational molecule for all androgen hormone production. Those with very low cholesterol levels will not be able to produce DHEA, the precursor to estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and the other androgenic hormones.
3. Exercise
We are pretty certain that fast walking is just as advantageous to the body as other cardiovascular exercise and something that anyone can do, anytime. Exercising with weights 2-3 times a week is very helpful in reducing waist size, but one has to cut down on the simple carbohydrates, too. Without doing this, we can easily become insulin resistant, something I'm going to be writing about in the coming days. Estrogen dominance has become the number one health problem in this country...for women and men. If a man has low T levels, there is a significant chance that he's also insulin resistant and has become susceptible to estrogen dominance. We'll speak more about that, later.
4. High cortisol levels
I have a number of patients suffering from very high cortisol levels. Among the many changes we've made, is the change to their exercise routine. You see, cortisol levels are raised by cardiovascular exercise. So, for those people, it is suggested that they keep the CV exercise to under 40 minutes at a session and no more frequently than 2-3 times a week.
If I have one wish for everyone, it is to relax, not get so bogged down by the mundane things in life and breathe, deeply, as often as possible. I have a "five year rule," that states if something that you're dealing with (or with the kids or better half) isn't going to matter in five years from now, let it go...it decreases the amount of stress you have to deal with, significantly.
www.fixdhealthcare.com
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