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Preventing Illness and Disease

Without question, the most important positive action you can take to prevent illness and disease is exercise. Exercise prevents a long list of diseases that can cause chronic or severe illness, disability, and even death, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, vascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis. Exercise also prevents mental health illness and disease disorders, including depression, anxiety, and stress. While some of these disease processes can be reversed with exercise and healthy life-style, some cannot. Preventing them from starting is the number one goal.

Not Smoking
The most negative lifestyle behavior is smoking. Smoking contributes to the development of almost all diseases, notably cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and asthma. Smoking has the following negative health effects: lowers immunity, making you more likely to get bronchitis, colds, and other infections; interferes with breathing by causing wheezing and asthma; causes snoring and sleep apnea; impairs fine motor skills, leaving you shaky and unable to control your hands. Athletes who smoke have decreased endurance and are more likely to suffer from exercise-induced asthma.

If you quit smoking before the diseases becomes chronic, you can reverse most of the effects smoking has on the body—breathing, snoring, immunity, and risk of cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure all improves. Problems exist, however, if smoking has done permanent damage. Severe smoking-related diseases, including cancer, emphysema, and coronary artery disease, are permanent.

HEALTH TIP The best thing you can do for your body is exercise; the worst is smoke.

See Your Doctor
Because doctors and health professionals are trained to recognize, treat, and prevent illness, following their advice is recommended. Each person has different risks of diseases based on genetics and other health history; therefore health recommendations can be slightly different for each individual.

Still, following the basic recommendations outlined below will reduce your risk of severe diseases.

Recommended Medical Testing and Check-Ups

• Yearly check-up (every other year if no health risks)
• Yearly dental exam
• Monthly breast self-exams
• Yearly Pap smear/OBGYN visit after the age of 18 or when sexual activity begins
• Mammogram initially by age 40; high risk by age 35
• Colonoscopy initially by age 40; high risk by age 35
• EKG as recommended by your primary physician

Disease Prevention Through Nutrition
The health benefits and risks of foods has been and will always be a source of excitement, controversy, and research. Although it might seem that dietary recommendations change frequently, the consistent findings are that getting adequate sources of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants through foods are the best way to stay healthy. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and moderate in everything else, has been consistently found to be most beneficial. A general rule is that the darker the color of the fruit or vegetable, the more nutritional value it has. Cancer-fighting chemical groups include phytochemicals and antioxidants. Some of the most beneficial foods, according to recent research include the following:

• Tomatoes—Tomatoes and tomato products contain vitamin C and lycopenes, antioxidant cancer-fighting chemicals that reduce digestive tract (and for men, prostate) and other types of cancer.

• Broccoli—Broccoli contains phytochemicals that are thought to make cancer cells less toxic (destructive). Also contains beta-carotene, vitamin C, calcium, and fiber.

• Spinach—Spinach is rich in folate, fiber, and iron—nutrients needed especially in women. Other similar beneficial vegetables include kale, Swiss chard, and collard greens.

• Tea—Tea contains phytochemicals, which are cancer-cell fighters. Green tea has been associated with a lower risk of stomach, esophageal, and liver cancers.

• Nuts—Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in nuts improve levels of cholesterol by lowering triglycerides and LDL along with raising HDL, preventing heart disease and stroke. Nuts also contain fiber and Vitamin E, both of which prevent heart disease and cancer.

• Oats—Beta-glucan is the fiber in oats that helps eliminate cholesterol from the intestines before it gets absorbed and lowers blood pressure. Oats also contain vitamin E and antioxidants.

• Fish—Fish, especially salmon, herring, anchovies, and sardines, contain omega-3s, the magic fatty acids that prevent clumping of the blood platelets, preventing heart disease, hypertension, and stroke. They also reduce triglycerides and LDLs, bad cholesterol. Additionally, omega-3s have been suggested to protect the brain cells from diseases of aging, prevent autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and lessen depression and menstrual cramps.

• Garlic—Allyl sulfides and phytochemicals in garlic protect the heart, reduce cholesterol, and prevent blood from clotting (a big reason for heart attacks and strokes).

• Blueberries and other berries—Blueberries are noted to have the highest amount of antioxidants, including phytochemicals, which work against the free radicals that cause heart disease and cancer. Blueberries are also suggested to prevent memory loss and also prevent urinary tract infections in the same way cranberry juice does, by preventing bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall.

• Wine and grape juice—Red wine has its beneficial effects from the polyphenols in the skins of the grapes, which increase HDL and prevent hardening of the arteries. Wine also contains alcohol, which in moderation (one drink a day, for women) prevents heart disease and more serious outcomes of heart failure and heart disease. (Note: Alcohol can increase breast cancer risk and should be avoided in pregnancy.)

• Soy—Soy contains omega-3 fatty acids, which prevent heart disease and stroke. Soy also contains phytochemicals that prevent certain types of cancer. (Note: Soy should not be eaten in large amounts in women with certain types of breast cancer, and soy protein isolates at greater than 30 to 40 mg daily is not recommended.)

• Water—Drinking at least eight, 8-ounces glasses of water a day is recommended to prevent colon cancer, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, bladder cancer, constipation, obesity, and complications of dehydration. In active athletic women, more is often required.

Health Benefits of Proper Nutrition

Benefit	How	Why
Provide fuel	Ultimately, all food is broken down into glucose, the energy source for all body cells.	You need fuel to function.
Lower cancer risk	Antioxidants combat free radicals, which are linked to cancer.	Studies suggest that women who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables have half the risk of cancer.
Prevent heart disease, stroke, hypertension	Antioxidants, fiber, and folate; omega-3 fatty acids	The healthiest foods for the heart are fruits, vegetables, fish, and nuts.
Cholesterol	Appropriate levels reduce risk of heart attack and stroke.	High-fiber, low-saturated fat and high monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat foods lower cholesterol.
Diabetes prevention	Low glycemic index foods	Eating regular meals with minimal sugary foods can prevent adult-onset diabetes.
Vision	Fruits and vegetables can prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.	Fruits and vegetables can help prevent vision problems.
Healthy bones	Adequate calcium and vitamin D	Bone requires proper nutrients.
Maintain stable mood	Blood glucose supplies thebrain.	Steady blood glucose levels steady mood.

General dietary recommendations include eating a high-fiber, medium to low glycemic index diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy sources. Choosing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and avoiding saturated and trans-fats is the best way to naturally prevent heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and many other diseases.