good health is a crown: HEALTH TIPS!

Arab proverb: Good health is a crown on the heads of the healthy that only the ill can see.

As Prophet Mohammad has been quoted to have said, good health and leisure time are two possessions we never notice until they are gone. The following are some health-related tips that we have learned or find important throughout our nursing and medical educations.

• tobacco is the number one cause of preventable cancer EVER.  

• dietary causes of cancer are: low fiber diet, processed sandwich meat (if contain nitrites), alcohol, preservatives and additives. This indicates that if you have the luxury of being able to purchase FRESH FOOD, and not processed, refined food, you'd be doing right for yourself and your family.  

• studies have found that having a large protein-rich breakfast is the key to glucose control, preventing crankiness and mood lows throughout the day, and improving posture and muscle tone, skin, hair, and nails. (the people who had eggs and meat for breakfast had steadier glucose levels, a more positive mood, and felt more focused than the people who had oatmeal and toast) A person should consume around 40-60 grams/day of protein, with breakfast having most of that share. Protein is found in beans, meats, eggs, nuts, and cheese. An egg has about 7 grams of protein, to give you a frame of reference, and a 6 ounce steak has about 40 grams.  Remember when back in the day, people used to eat fish, cheese, meats, beans, etc all just for breakfast? Yeah, now we eat poptarts. Or nothing. 

• studies still support this age-old phrase: Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. You should wake up HUNGRY, seriously! Make that a goal. (Breakfast also happens to be my favorite meal! recipes to come soon)  

• water has long been heralded as the poorly-kept beauty secret of the century but its worth repeating. Don't let yourself get into the habit of choosing sugary drinks on the regular - that's not just soda, tons of "fruit" juices are packed with sugar. Water not only yields better skin, but you will feel better mentally and physically too! Seriously, water is amazing.

• check to see how much milk/dairy you and the women in your life are getting daily. Women are prone to osteoporosis and I personally know of women that suffer from its consequences in old age. It's no joke. If you don't like drinking milk, yogurt, cheese, spinach, kale, okra (yum), and eggs can be a few choice alternatives. You need about 1000 mg a day and a cup of skim milk has about 300 mg. Remember, your body doesn't make calcium on its own. Oh... yes, this applies to men too.   

• maintain a steady blood sugar level, regardless of if you are diabetic. Every time your blood sugar level becomes so low that you feel shaky or even faint, you just killed some brain cells, homie! Treat your organs right. Try not to go more than 3 hours without a small nutritious snack. How about dried fruit, nuts, or a slice of avocado on a multi-grain cracker? If you're on a budget, eat cheaper fruits like apples and bananas, peanut butter on crackers/cheaper vegs (celery, carrots) or go to an Indian/Arab grocer and buy a huge bag of almonds; that'll last for months.  

• try staying away from simple carbs, usually found in white refined foods, like soft white bread, sugar, donuts, cakes, etc. let me tell you, proper bread should not be that soft. for real.  our bodies for centuries are used to a diet consisting with complex carbs, and now in the last few decades, we have suddenly introduced these foreign, refined, and processed foods. there are going to be consequences. 

We will try to post evidence-based health tips at least monthly. Prevention is the best treatment.

-A & S