Common-sensical Advice

I met with my cardiologist today.  It was my first appointment with him for 6 months.  I got a great report.  My heart sounds very good.  He will need to call me about Friday's echocardiogram but he expects that it will be good also.

While we visited, he gave me some really great information that I want to pass on to you.  It deals with weight gain.  He explained to me that if a person eats an extra 100 calories every day for a month, he will gain 1 pound.  If this continues for 1 full year, the weight gain will amount to 12 pounds.  But...if this continues for 5 years, that same person will gain a total of 60 pounds in that half decade.  WHOA!  Kinda eye-opening, huh?

I asked him what he recommends.  He told me that he recommends no one to go on a diet.  He doesn't believe that counting your daily calories is the right thing to do.  If you want to go on a diet to lose your weight, you better prepare to live on the same diet for the rest of your life.  Once you've reached the weight goal, if you have not drastically changed your eating habits, your weight will catch up with you all over again.

He urges his patients to eat many fruits and vegetables.  Fried foods should always be a no no.  When it comes to meat, eat one piece no larger than the palm of your hand per day. For the other meals, eat something other than meat.  The depth of the meat should be more shallow than the depth of your hand at its thinnest point.  He also recommends that we eat lots of salmon.  It is really great for our hearts.  Of course, consulting with your doctor if you have any health issues is always a great idea.

Exercise is another biggie in our health maintentance.  We need to get out there and walk, run, etc/  But before you do this, consult with your doctor to make sure that your body can handle it.  Not all exercise types are good for every person.  He advices that instead of searching for the closest parking place at businesses, etc., we should park further away.  The extra walk will do our bodies good.  Of course, if you have major health issues, do what your doctor suggests for YOU!

So, anyway, I just thought that this might be something that you would appreciate knowing.

VLE-B