What you can do to stay healthy and fit and live longer

On the 4th anniversary of my mom’s successful heart transplant, I hear the lament from her medical team and their colleagues as they struggle to pursue funding to continue to do these remarkable things. My mom does indeed owe every day of happiness these past few years to a society which believes in the unbelievable, which strives to do great things in the face of overwhelming obstacles. To a country where for the most part, hard work, vision, and dedication are enough to change your life.

It does seem to me, however, that there are two Americas. We are simultaneously the fittest nation in the world, and the fattest. Our standard of living is unparalleled, yet there are an estimated 1 million homeless people on our streets. Historically, much of our success has been fueled by our ability to absorb as many new ideas as there are people seeking refuge here. Today, we build walls around our borders and blame others for a lack of industrial progress.

We accomplish great things in science and medicine, and then limit funding to these fields based on non-scientific beliefs. We are, in many ways, victims of our own success as we’ve become a nation of spectators, a nation of convenience and short-cuts. If we were aware there was a way to prevent something which accounts for 40 percent of all the deaths in this country each year, could we mobilize and do something about it?

Atherosclerosis (the build up of fatty acids or plaque from cholesterol) and its complications (which include stroke and heart disease) are in many cases preventable. It does require a sense of urgency, some energy and focus. If we view heart disease as a pandemic, as a plague on all our houses, can we shift the mindset of an entire nation one family at a time?

Although cholesterol has had a bevy of bad press, it does help to provide some very necessary functions in the body. It aids in the digestion of fats, as well as assisting in hormone and cell membrane production. As in most good dramas, there is a hero and a villain. Our hero is HDL (high density lipoprotein) and we’ll cast LDL (low-density lipoprotein) as the unknowing bad guy.

Atherosclerosis begins with microscopic damage to the walls of our arteries and the build up of so-called “bad” cholesterol or LDL. Picture a hollow tube with smooth walls, and a few pieces of a sticky gum-like substance docked on the inside of that tube and you’ll get the idea. The LDL’s are simply doing their job, which is to take cholesterol from the liver to the tissues where it is then available for hormone and cell membrane synthesis. This process is as vital to your body as eating is, as your body is constantly nourishing and rebuilding itself, repairing damage, and improving its cellular functions.

Our hero, HDL, rides in to “un-stick” the LDL’s and return them to the liver where they can be reused or disposed of. The problem we encounter is when there are way too many LDL’s and not enough HDL’s to ride to the rescue. This leads to more and more deposits in the “tubes”, which makes it harder and harder for the bloodstream, rich in nutrients and oxygen, to squeeze through. Arteries to the heart, brain, kidneys, and the extremities seem to be the most prone to this build-up. As these highways become clogged we function physically at a much lower level as our oxygen delivery system is compromised, and the dramatic slowing of the blood flow can eventually lead to it stalling or clotting.

Over time this leads to catastrophic consequence, a painful, immediate tissue decomposition in these areas which ultimately is fatal. It could be you, it could be today, or it could be ten years from now. It’s a storm which seems so far off that few are motivated to do anything about it. But the ferocity and finality of this storm merits preventative action.

There are controllable and uncontrollable factors involved in our solution. Obviously, we can not control factors such as age, heredity, or gender (up until the age of 50, men are at a greater risk than women; after that it’s very similar). We can, however, control things like diet and exercise and lifestyle.

Oh yes, there is one more thing you can do. Sign up to be an organ donor. What a gift. 20,000 lives were saved last year. There is a national registry, and you might be surprised to know that not everybody can qualify. No self-inflicted health problems wanted here, as the talent pool needs to be kept pretty pure for those in need. I have only to hear my mom laugh to know firsthand the great things we can accomplish if we put our minds to it. Your life or the life of someone you love depends on it.

Lets fight back

1. Maintain a healthy weight per your frame (for most, think back to your late teen or early college years, for example). There is no law that says I am successful, therefore I grow larger.

2. Limit the intake of saturated fats while increasing your intake of fish, poultry, beans, cereals, fruits and other soluble fibers. It doesn’t mean that you have to give up the benefits of animal proteins (which are many), but do modify the volume. See “eat less” playing at a restaurant near you.

3. Exercise more. Exercise some. Exercise a lot, but you do have to move your body if you expect it to continue to move for you. Every day, be physical…some how, some way.

4. Consider adding vitamins B12 and B6 to your diet. Both are considered good for your heart as they lower the levels of an enzyme considered harmful, and are involved in roughly 100 crucial chemical reactions in our bodies.

5. Do not smoke. Quit. Don’t start. Encourage others to quit. Rage against it as it is a sure fire way to shave years off your healthy life, and the end is not pretty.

6. This is a tough one, but reduce stress. Think about how short your time here on the planet is, and try to concentrate on the good your doing for yourself, your family, or your friends. Wake up, smell the coffee. It’s right there next to the roses.

Bryan Welch is the co-owner of Club Emerald on the Island.