8 minute read
Core Health
Five Secrets to Living a Longer, Healthier Life
By Erin O’Brien
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Modern life is stressful, busy, fast-paced and demanding. All of us in the concrete renovation industry are constantly on the go, pulled in a hundred different directions by demands from our jobs, family, friends and life in general. It’s easy to lose track of our priorities, and many of us find ourselves taking care of everyone and everything else instead of ourselves. We rush through meals, grabbing whatever is cheap and convenient. We forgo physical activity to spend another hour at the office, on the jobsite, running errands or spending time with our families. However, the less importance we put our own health and wellbeing, the more we endanger our lives and risk not being able to be there for those that need us the most.
Work-life balance may be one of the most urgent challenges each of us face. Stress from our jobs, family and responsibilities increases our blood pressure, risk of developing disease and encourages weight gain. Lack of time spend engaging in physical activity or preparing healthy, nutritious meals means we are increasing the possibility that we may not be around for our families as we age. So, what is a busy concrete professional to do? What if cutting back on time spent at the office, on the jobsite or with our children and family isn’t an option?
The easiest and most efficient change you can make to your lifestyle is to improve your diet. We will discuss five basic changes anyone can make that can drastically improve your overall health. All of these are easy for anyone to incorporate into their lifestyles with minimal effort, so you have no more excuses!
1. EAT MORE VEGGIES AND FRUIT
The easiest thing to do, and the one that is most overlooked. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that only one in 10 adults get enough servings per day (five), with just 9% eating the recommended two to three servings of veggies per day and 12% hitting the mark for fruit, at two servings per day. A serving is measured as approximately one cup, or about the size of a tennis ball. Besides helping meet your daily recommended intake of the vitamins, minerals and fiber in fruits and veggies, they can also help prolong your life. Those who reached their daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables had a lower mortality rate and a significantly decreased risk of developing heart disease. Aim for five cups per day to maximize the health benefits. Add a minimum of one serving to your breakfast, whether it’s a cup of spinach in your omlette or a cup of berries with your oatmeal. You can also pack two to three cups of veggies and fruit into smoothies for a snack any time of the day. A cup of spinach or other leafy greens blends well with a banana, pineapple, mango or carrots. Veggies can also be added to stir-frys, pastas and even dessert – if you need ice cream at night, add some fruit to go along with it.
2. GO NUTS! (FOR NUTS AND NUT BUTTERS) Nuts are nutrition powerhouses. They provide healthy fats, plant protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and key minerals like potassium and magnesium, all of which are linked to longer, healthier lives. One study found that people who consumed three one-ounce servings of nuts or nut butters per week had a 39% lower overall mortality risk.
Some may argue that nuts are high in fat and calories, but when used in moderation, the benefits of the nutrients and good fats in nuts and nut butters far outweigh the higher calorie and overall fat content. With most of those fats being mono- and poly-unsaturated, they fall firmly into the good fat category.
The daily recommended intake is two to three servings, with one serving being about one ounce, or a quarter-cup. Two tablespoons of nut butter count as one serving. There are many ways to incorporate nuts or nut butters into your diet. Whip nut butter into a smoothie, stir it into oatmeal or use it as a dip or spread for fruits and veggies. Nuts can be added to salads, cooked vegetables, stir frys or just eat them as is!
3. EAT LIKE A MEDITERRANEAN
In most nutritional circles, the Mediterranean diet remains the gold standard for a longer, healthier life. This diet is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, purses (an umbrella term used to describe beans, lentils, peas and chickpeas), healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts), herbs and spices and seafood. The Mediterranean diet consists of a moderate consumption of dairy, eggs and wine, and a limited intake of meat and sweets.
One measure of longevity cited in most scientific research studies is telomere length. Telomeres are the caps found at the end of chromosomes in your body that protect your DNA. Think of them as the genetic equivalent to the protective cartilage covering the ends of your bones. When telomeres become too short, the cell they protect becomes old and dysfunctional, allowing mutations and damage to occur in the cell which can lead to chronic disease. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to help maintain telomere length.
To add Mediterranean diet elements into your current lifestyle, you can replace butter with nut butter or avocados on toast and use extravirgin olive oil for salad dressing and to sauté vegetables on low heat. Snack on fresh fruit with nuts, olives, roasted chickpeas (see my favorite recipe in the sidebar) and keep meals simple. Dinner could be roasted fish served over a bed of greens tossed in extra-virgin olive oil with a side of roasted potatoes and a glass of red wine. Pro tip—choose red over white wine, it has less sugar and more antioxidants!
4. EAT LIKE A RABBIT
For better or worse, vegetarians and vegans are everywhere—and they can be rather vocal. People have many reasons for choosing this
type of diet, including health benefits, animal cruelty or environmental impacts. Whatever their reason, those who follow a meatfree diet do gain a huge advantage in the longevity department.
Blue Zones area areas in the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives. Researchers have found five Blue Zones where life expectancy is higher than anywhere else in the world. They are found in very diverse areas, from Okinawa, Japan to Ikaria, Greece. In the United States, only one Blue Zone is found – Loma Linda, California, home to the highest concentration of Seventh-Day Adventists in the country. This population follows a primarily plant-based diet and on average, lives 10 years longer than any other North American population. Compared to omnivores (people who eat plants and meat), those who followed a vegetarian diet had a significantly lower overall mortality risk. This included vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians (who eat dairy and eggs) and pesco-vegetarians (who eat seafood).
Try to incorporate a few meat-free meals into your diet each week to reap some of these benefits. Meat can be swapped out for purses. Instead of adding meat to a salad, have a cup of black bean or lentil soup on the side. Snack on veggies with hummus instead of beef jerky. Explore ethnic restaurants in your area that offer pulse-based dishes like Indian chickpea curry or Ethiopian lentil stew.
5. ADD GREEN TEA
A very simple addition to your daily routine, green tea has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and obesity. A study of older Japanese adults (those who typically drink the most green tea at seven or more cups a day) showed they were 76% less likely to die during the six-year study period. Women who drink at least five cups of green tea a day had a 23% lower risk of death from any cause.
Green tea can be added to smoothies, oatmeal, overnight oats or to steam veggies or rice. It can be incorporated into soups, stews, sauces and marinades. Try to find non-commercial brands to get the highest level of antioxidant benefits. Green tea does have a small amount of caffeine, so make sure you drink it in the morning and afternoon, six hours before bedtime so your sleep length and quality aren’t affected.
Besides adding these five tips into your diet, you should also avoid the usual suspects. Don’t overeat, consume too much meat, drink
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too much alcohol, eat too much sugar or processed foods. If you focus on adding these quality foods into your diet, you will find that your hunger is more easily satisfied and your cravings for sugar and processed foods should decrease. That means a longer, healthier life for you so you can spend more time on what you really love.
Erin O’Brien, MS, ATC is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Marketing Director for O’Brien International, the association management company that manages the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association. O’Brien received her Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from Ohio University and her Master of Science degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology from the University of Florida. She is also a Certified Level 2 CrossFit Instructor. O’Brien is a regular contributor to Concrete Openings magazine. She can be reached at erin@csda.org or 727-577-5004.
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