Director, Emergency Services, Bikur Cholim Hospital
Fad diets in the news again. First it was low fat, then high
fat-low carbohydrates, now it is — according to an
article I received — bread and vegetables. The diets
will come and go, but some things never change and these are
the facts: If your parents are overweight — you will
likely be too, so be careful early.
Exercise is very healthy, but it causes only moderate weight
loss. Eat frequent small meals. Do not make every day a
celebration, but once in a while is OK. Eat all the
vegetables you want. Fruit is good but be careful here too
— dates have a lot of calories. Fiber helps.
Many overweight people should be pitied. Unlike smoking there
is often little that can be done, but make sure that becoming
overweight was not because of emotional eating such as is
seen in unhappy people. I do not believe that bread or pasta
are particularly good for you, although moderation is the
key. The best diet in the world — according to the
British Medical Journal — is indeed the Middle
Eastern diet.
Getting older hurts according to another article, which makes
the very good point that we should readjust our exercise as
we get older. I laughed heartily when I saw the entertainment
director of the now defunct Saxony hotel doing exercise class
with the older set that frequented that hotel. His
unmistakable European accent made the calls of "feel better,
feel stronger" ring in my ears. But it is true - I now can no
longer do the exercises that I did when I was younger. Why?
Joints get stiffer and less well lubricated. Muscles sag.
Backs hurt.
So here are the rules for a good exercise program: start slow
and get checked out by a physician first. Do not be a weekend
warrior. And when pain starts — stop immediately.
Supervised exercise in a gym is a good idea and now there are
many places that have separate hours. Find something that is
enjoyable (swimming, brisk walking to the Kosel) and keep at
it.
I do my stationary bike for 45 minutes a day. I feel better
and feel stronger. Write me in care of the Yated.
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