Beech Tree News Network

In October 2017, Better Homes and Gardens stated, “70 percent of Americans say they’re trying to get healthy” (p. 172). Being healthy is one of my goals, and it’s a constant effort. As I collected magazines for recycling recently, I saw numerous articles about healthy living. Six of those articles are mentioned below.

-Good news! Three cups of coffee daily provides big health benefits: a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, dementia, and certain cancers (Better Homes and Gardens, April 2018, p. 138).

-In 2018, 100 million Americans had prediabetes or diabetes. Research has shown that three choices may help prevent diabetes. Twice weekly strength training with cardio can lower type 2 diabetes risk by 59 percent. Since people who regularly consume a late snack sleep less soundly and are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, avoid those late evening snacks. Because a diet high in processed meat raises type 2 diabetes risk by 19 percent, limit those meats to once a week or less (Better Homes and Gardens, November 2018, p. 138).

-What can we do to keep our eyes healthy? Since UV rays may damage the eyes, wear sunglasses with 100% UVA/UVB protection (wrap-around glasses provide more protection). Eat leafy greens, vitamin C-rich fruits, and carrots. Finally, don’t smoke because it damages blood vessels in the eyes, increasing the risk for macular degeneration (Better Homes and Gardens, April 2020, p. 140).

-Skin cancer can show up head-to-toe. Interestingly, since sun penetrates glass, we are at risk for sun damage in a car as well as during outdoor activities. Individuals should have a dermatologist to do a skin check once a year. We can help protect ourselves by wearing sunscreen, sun glasses, hats, and lipstick or lip balm (Better Homes and Gardens, May 2020, p. 129-130).

-How can we protect ourselves against ticks? First, apply a repellant whenever you’re outside for an extended time. DEET (20- to 30-percent concentration) and picaridin both provide good protection. Also, the botanical product oil of lemon eucalyptus protects for up to two hours. Second, dress right, covering the body and tucking the shirt into pants and pant legs into socks. Take off your clothes as soon as you get home and run them in a hot dryer for 10 minutes. Shower within two hours and do a thorough body check. Third, make your yard a hostile environment for ticks and the animals who carry them. To do this, grass should be no more than three inches tall, shrubs should be trimmed, and the landscape cleared of brush piles. You might also place tick tubes around the perimeter of your lawn. Finally, you can send a tick photo to TickSpotters at The University of Rhode Island (TickEncounter.org, https://tickencounter.org/prevention/tick_removal). They use crowd-sourced data to track trends and the risk of illness (Better Homes and Gardens, June 2020, pp. 114, 116).

-Healthy fats are an important part of our diets. The right kind of fat – unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) can have a positive impact on brain and heart health. An easy way to keep fats straight is to choose plant-based cooking oils, like olive and canola oil, as well as avocados, nuts, seeds, eggs and fish. On the flip side, we should limit saturated fats such as red meat and trans-fats common in processed and fried foods (Renew, UnitedHealthcare, Spring/Summer 2019, p.6).

Healthy living involves making good choices on a daily basis. Indian film director and producer Rohit Shetty commented, “The body needs its rest, and sleep is extremely important in any health regimen. There should be three main things: eating, exercise and sleep. All three together in the right balance make for a truly healthy lifestyle” (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/healthy-lifestyle-quotes_2). And reading about healthy living encourages me to make those hard lifestyle choices.