Can You Keep These 10 New Year’s Resolutions?
07 Dec 2003
Napoleon Bonaparte, reminiscing to Gaspard Gourgaud, his artillery officer, on the island of St Helena, remarked, "If you want to get on in this world, make many promises but don’t keep them". Every New Year millions of people make promises which few keep, to their regret. But if you’re steel-minded here are 10 resolutions that will help you attain a long and healthy life.
Get an Annual Flu Shot
Readers have written asking if I get an annual flu shot. The answer is yes. Even in a good year, without a 1918 type epidemic, 20,000 North Americans die from influenza. I prefer not to be one of them. It’s not late for a flu shot and 75,000 deaths are predicted this year.
Count Calories
Start looking at the number of calories on packaged foods. You’ll be amazed at how many pack a huge caloric punch. A harmless looking can or box can contain half the calories you need for the entire day. Concentrate less on protein, fats and carbohydrates and focus on calories.
Stop Kidding Yourself About Exercise
Like motherhood, exercise cannot be criticized. But I’m not convinced that excessive exercise, such as jogging, is a wise move. It’s debatable when 50 per cent of joggers end up with arthritic knees. It’s wiser to walk, walk, walk to keep healthy and prevent arthritis. Remember that no animal, unless hunting for food, ever exercises. Moreover, some people are obsessed with the idea that exercise is a way to lose weight. But after eating at a fast food restaurant you would have to walk all night to burn off the calories.
Stop Smoking
For the steel-minded it can be done cold turkey. If this doesn’t work see your doctor to discuss various drugs that help to ease the withdrawal. Keeping thin and not smoking are the two best ways to prevent diseases that should never happen.
Think "Aspirin" After Age 50
Ask your doctor about the benefits of an 81milligram tablet of Aspirin. It’s the closest medication we have to a wonder drug. Aspirin helps to oil the blood and prevent a first heart attack. If you’ve already had a coronary it can help to prevent a second attack. Large numbers of diabetics who are prone to cardiovascular disease should be taking Aspirin and are not doing so.
But Fight Pillitis
Sir William Osler once advised "toss the pills into the ocean. So much the better for mankind, so much the worse for the fish". Today an epidemic of pillitis is often causing silent injury to liver and kidneys. Think twice before you take medication for a common cold or sore back that time and patience will cure. And if you can’t sleep read a book.
Get a Colonoscopy
Some tests do not guarantee 100 per cent results. You can have a normal electrocardiogram one day and drop dead the next. But if a pre-malignant polyp is removed during colonoscopy you can be sure you’ve saved yourself from colon cancer. Every year thousands die from this malignancy. Colonoscopy is not a pleasant procedure. But isn’t 15 minutes of slight discomfort 99 per cent easier than dying from a preventable malignancy?
Get Regular Checkups
Just because you feel well doesn’t mean you’re not ill. Hypertension and glaucoma are silent diseases. Undiagnosed high blood pressure can cause a devastating stroke and glaucoma blindness. And don’t forget to see your dentist. It’s tragic that by age 60 one in three Canadians have lost all their teeth.
Drink Milk
Studies show that milk isn’t just for building bones and preventing osteoporosis (brittle bones). It also helps to prevent colon cancer, hypertension and kidney stones. And it’s preferable to get calcium from milk rather than calcium supplements. Milk also contains other important nutrients and is as close as you get to the perfect food. Be sure your diet also includes fruits and vegetables.
Keep Cool in 2004
2000 years ago the Greek philosopher, Epictetus, offered this sage advice, "Man is not disturbed about things but by his opinion about things". In effect, don’t sweat the small stuff this year. Happy New Year.
