Image by: Jared Rodriguez/truthout
By Kurt Garrity
Heart disease is no joke, gentlemen. When developed early, it can lead to a whole host of nasty problems including stroke, high blood pressure and the big one, heart attack.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading extinguisher of life, period.
Yet, so many men wait until they get chest pains or wake up in the hospital with tubes running everywhere before they do something about it.
Why am I hammering home this point?
Well, put down those chicken wings and have yourself a listen to this bit of bad news from the people in the bleached white coats: There’s a new study out from Northwestern University that says three out of five average, middle-aged men will develop heart disease in their lifetime.
To put that another way that easier to understand, a majority of your bowling team will suffer from a sick cardio system before anyone actually bowls a 300. If that sounds a little too doom and gloom for you, well … it is.
But it is not ALL bad news sports fans – those same lab coats tell us that you can beat those odds by making much-needed adjustments to your diet and lifestyle (stay with me now). Of course, smoking is out, so kick that Camel to the curb (easier said than done, I know). Also, all those sugary sweets you love to eat? They need to be moderated pronto before diabetes sets in.
And what about those chicken wings you are munching on as you read this? I’d like to introduce you to your new friend – the grill. Yes, stop deep frying your future and cook that poultry and those meats over an open flame instead of breading them and drowning them in hot grease. I’m getting hungry just thing about it.
Image by: Ronmerk
A diet high in fiber, fruits and veggies is also a must. And after you adjust your taste buds previously accustomed to eating nothing but fried fat, the strange colorful objects that grow on trees and in the ground start tasting better. And yes, exercise is always important – but you don’t have to be one of those guys (although there certainly is no shame in working out for an hour every day, just being realistic here). Instead of joining a gym or destroying your barely-there credit by financing a home training system, go for long strenuous walks to flex those muscles and your system to keep it operating smoothly.
You might even meet a new lady friend while you are out on the town.
Another cause, albeit a more minor one, is air pollution. Get yourself to a city with clean air – not only is it better for your heart and lungs, it will also be more inviting when it comes to those long walks you’re soon going to be taking. And speaking of air – second-hand smoke is also bad for your heart as is excessive consumption of alcohol, so stay out of smoky dive bars as much as possible.
I said as much as possible, jeez.
Studies also say that popping multivitamins doesn’t really do anything in terms of preventing heart disease, but they do help maintain other parts of the body.