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4 Steps to Better Health in 6
Weeks
No fads or gimmicks needed for quick
health upgrades
Six weeks from now, your health
could be a lot better than it is
today. All it takes is a little
know-how and the will to put that
information to work.
Forget bizarre schemes that are hard
to sustain. Sensible nutrition and
exercise are what count, says Steven
Aldana, PhD, an exercise science
professor at Brigham Young
University.
"This is not a diet, not a trend,
not a fad that will go away," says
Aldana in a news release. "It's
adopting a nutritious way of eating
and exercise that causes very
important positive changes in your
body's health in a short period of
time."
Those changes aren't just about
weight loss. They also yield
healthier hearts and less risk of
illnesses like diabetes and cancer,
write Aldana and colleagues in the
Feb. 28 edition of the Journal of
the American Dietetic Association.
The researchers estimate that
70%-90% of deaths from chronic
diseases like heart disease, cancer,
stroke, and diabetes are due to
"poor nutrition, sedentary living,
and tobacco and are largely
preventable." Change those bad
habits, and better health will
follow, they say.
Sound good? Then grab your calendar,
circle six weeks from today, and
start your journey to better health.
Step No. 1: Willingness to
Participate
Aldana's study included 337
volunteers.
Age didn't hold them back. The
youngest was 43 years old; the
oldest was 81. Married or unmarried
couples were highly encouraged to
bring their spouse or partner.
One group of volunteers immediately
started the program; the others were
scheduled to take the classes six
months later. All had checkups to
assess their health at the start of
the study and six weeks later.
The trial isn't finished yet. It's
scheduled to end this fall. But
Aldana and colleagues are impressed
with what they've seen so far, so
they're sharing the initial results.
Step No. 2: Learn How to Improve
Health
Participants took a 40-hour
educational course, delivered over
four weeks.
Topics included nutrition and
physical activity. Health hazards
like smoking, high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, and the shortfalls
of the typical American diet were
also covered. Two main themes were
to move more and avoid processed or
refined foods. Whole grains, fruits,
and vegetables were emphasized as
part of a healthy diet.
Most participants took advantage of
the classes, with attendance near
80%. But they still had to figure
out what to do with that knowledge.
Step No. 3: Use Healthy Practices
in Daily Life
No fitness trainers or prepackaged
meals were provided. Participants
weren't living at a research
facility removed from the pressures
of everyday life.
Instead, each person had to decide
day by day, meal by meal, how to use
their new knowledge. For instance,
participants wore pedometers and
challenged themselves to eat more
fruits and vegetables. After
completing the class, they were
invited to join an alumni group to
support their new lifestyles.
Step No. 4: Reap the Benefits
After six weeks, program
participants had significant
improvement in health knowledge,
body fat, total steps per week, and
most nutrition variables. Heart
rate, total and LDL cholesterol, and
blood pressure also improved.
The number of people with blood
sugar levels that indicated diabetes
dropped from 21 to 13. The
percentage with high blood pressure
also fell from 18.5% to 7.5%.
Average total cholesterol fell by
12%.
That makes a big difference to heart
health.
For every 1% drop in total
cholesterol, the heart attack risk
drops by 2%-3%. For every one point
drop in elevated diastolic blood
pressure -- the lower number --
there is another 2%-3% drop in heart
attack risk, write the researchers.
Twice as many program participants
ate five fruits and vegetables
daily, and their pedometer-monitored
movement increased by 30%.
People who had signed up for the
program but were placed on a waiting
list also had smaller but
significant improvements in health
knowledge, blood pressure, blood
sugar, and some nutrition variables.
Signing up for the program may have
motivated them to make healthy
changes, the researchers suggest.
There's nothing magical about the
program, says Aldana, author of The
Culprit and The Cure. "By making
similar changes you can enjoy
similar benefits," he says in the
news release.
Check in with your doctor before
making any major health changes.
SOURCES: Aldana, S.
Journal of the American Dietetic
Association, Feb. 28, 2005. News
release, Brigham Young University.
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