Six Ways To Die Faster
"Our lifestyle choices are a disaster," according to Dr. Laurence Sperling, chief of preventive cardiology at Emory School of Medicine. He said that we"ve compiled a list of some of the most offensive lifestyle choices you could make, and he hoped that we all chose not to do them... or at least some of them.
1. Overeating
Scientifically, overeating means eating an amount that is "inappropriately large for a given energy expenditure." Realistically, overeating is something that many Americans do as a hobby—at their favorite restaurant, on their favorite holiday, with their favorite snack food, or just because they"re with friends. It doesn"t really matter when; we just do it.
If you only overeat once or twice a year, chances are you"ll be OK, but do it compulsively and you"re headed down the road to obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and depression.
2. Smoking
This one is obvious yet ironic because, according to the American Heart Association, of the estimated 48 million Americans who smoke cigarettes, most are either actively trying to quit or want to quit.
Most people are familiar with the related health effects of emphysema, cancer and heart disease, but smoking can also have negative effects on the eyes, the throat, the urinary tract, the digestive organs, the bones and joints, and the skin.
3. Drinking and Driving
Another obvious one, yet, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, in 2002 about 1.5 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol (or narcotics). And, in 2003, 17,013 people in the United States died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, representing 40 percent of all traffic related deaths.
If there"s going to be drinking, decide on a designated driver beforehand; this one is really that simple
4. Living on fast food
Going hand-in-hand with overeating, living on a junk food diet is another surefire way to end up overweight and suffering from a myriad of health problems ranging from clogged arteries to depression. One only needs to turn on Morgan Spurlock"s documentary "Super Size Me" to find out exactly what the body goes through after consuming nothing but fast food for 30 straight days.
"I start to get tired, I start to get headaches; my liver basically starts to fill up with fat because there"s so much fat and sugar in this food. My blood sugar skyrockets, my cholesterol goes up off the charts, my blood pressure becomes completely unmanageable. The doctors were like, "You have to stop," "Spurlock said.
Still, according to Eric Schlosser"s Fast Food Nation, the average American eats three hamburgers and four orders of fries—every week.
5. No exercising
Given all the great things that we know exercise is good for, including:
Boosting HDL (good) cholesterol
Improving the circulatory system
Lowering blood pressure and blood fats
Reducing the risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke
Strengthening muscles
Increasing flexibility
Building stronger bones and fighting osteoporosis
Relieving stress and anxiety
It is curious that we"re not all doing it. Imagine a pill that came out with those types of real benefits—it"d be flying off the shelves. To not exercise, then, is akin to turning down all of those excellent health potentials.
6. Stress
We all have stress, but if you don"t do something to relieve it, sooner or later it will take its toll on you. Stress is linked to everything from heart disease and a decrease in immune function to depression and digestive problems. The good news is that stress can be relieved... you just need to find a method that works for you. Here are some tips to try :
Meditation
Yoga
Prayer
Gardening
Reading
Journaling
Soaking in a bath
Hiking, biking or swimming