My father's body and lifestyle-related diseases ~ Nutritionist's Column Vol.42

June 16, 2021

COLUMN

Father's Day is coming soon.
It is also a day to express your gratitude to your father.
There are various theories about the origin of Father's Day, but it is said to have started in America.

Let's think about the health of our fathers who work every day.
Once you reach middle age and reach the prime of your working life, you need to be especially careful about "lifestyle-related diseases" such as arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, stroke, and myocardial infarction.

"Lifestyle-related diseases" are defined as a group of diseases in which lifestyle habits such as eating habits, exercise habits, rest, smoking, and drinking are involved in the onset and progression of the disease.
A major characteristic of this disease is that there are almost no symptoms in the early stages, and by the time it is noticed, the disease has often progressed quite far; once it develops, it is difficult to cure.

The causes include poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, drinking alcohol, and not getting enough rest.
First of all, it is important that you review your diet.
Busy lifestyles tend to lead to irregular eating habits, and an increase in eating out or convenience stores can lead to excessive intake of fat and salt and nutritional imbalance, which can lead to "lifestyle-related diseases."

Below are some dietary tips to keep in mind in your daily life.

① Don't eat too much fat. Fat is an important nutrient that provides energy to the body, but consuming too much can lead to obesity and have a negative effect on the body.

② Eat at least 350 grams of vegetables per day. The dietary fiber contained in vegetables not only makes you feel full and prevents you from overeating, but also provides you with vitamins and minerals.

③ Avoid overeating and eat a nutritionally balanced diet, eating only until you are 80% full.

4. Keep meal times and intervals regular. If you reduce the number of meals from three a day and leave too much time between meals, not only will your brain not receive enough energy, but you will also be more prone to overeating and gaining weight in an attempt to store energy.
Try to eat three regular meals a day.

⑤ Watch your salt intake. To prevent high blood pressure, it is important to limit your salt intake and also to get enough potassium, which is found in vegetables and fruits.

Also, I think there are many opportunities to drink alcohol, such as work-related social interactions.
According to the results of one survey, although alcohol consumption in Japan is on the decline, the rate of habitual drinking among middle-aged and elderly people in their 40s to 60s tends to be higher.

People often think that habitual drinking among middle-aged and older people is okay because they have been drinking since they were young.
Also, due to long-standing drinking habits, people tend not to feel as drunk as they did when they were younger and drinking too much can become chronic, but conversely, the human body becomes more susceptible to the effects of alcohol as people reach middle age or older.

Although there are individual differences, as people age, the amount of water in the body decreases, making it harder for alcohol to dissolve in the body, and so blood alcohol concentrations tend to be higher even if the same amount of alcohol is drunk.
Similarly, the gastric mucosa becomes more susceptible to the effects of alcohol as its ability to break down and absorb alcohol declines.

This repeated excessive alcohol consumption not only leads to lifestyle-related diseases, but also poses health risks, such as causing various organ disorders and damaging the liver.

It can also have mental effects such as alcoholism and depression.
Alcohol can relieve stress and be a communication tool, but it is important to understand that heavy drinking by middle-aged and older people can be hazardous to health, and to learn to drink in a healthy way, such as by reviewing your own appropriate amount and setting aside days to rest.

It is also important to pay attention to your diet when drinking alcohol.

When you drink alcohol on an empty stomach, it bypasses the stomach and is absorbed in the small intestine.

This means that absorption is quicker and blood levels rise rapidly.
Drinking alcohol while eating creates a layer of food on top of the stomach lining, protecting the stomach. The alcohol sent to the small intestine along with the food is absorbed slowly, putting less strain on the liver and preventing a sudden rise in blood alcohol levels.

The best foods to eat when drinking alcohol are protein and vegetables.
Vitamins contained in proteins and vegetables are essential because they promote the breakdown of acetaldehyde and aid the liver's function. In addition, because the liver is easily damaged by alcohol, foods containing ornithine and taurine, such as clams, octopus, and squid, are also recommended to protect the liver.

Besides food, there are other things to be careful of in your daily life.
It has been revealed that lack of exercise, especially among middle-aged and elderly people, is closely related to the increase in lifestyle-related diseases.
Modern society has become more convenient, but this has also led to fewer opportunities to walk and a lack of exercise.
However, if you keep your blood vessels healthy through exercise, you can prevent arteriosclerosis and reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and other conditions.
At the same time, it will also help relieve metabolic syndrome.

Moderate exercise can have a variety of effects, including not only preventing obesity, but also improving physical strength and cardiopulmonary function, and relieving stress. It's a good idea to start by getting into the habit of moving your body in places close to you, such as by taking the stairs.

As such, it is very important to live a lifestyle that prevents lifestyle-related diseases, but middle-aged and older men tend to have a lot of concerns about weight gain.
Possible causes include the content of your diet, drinking too much alcohol, and lack of exercise, but one of the main causes is a decrease in your basal metabolic rate.
Basal metabolism is the amount of energy that can be consumed even when you are at rest, but if this decreases, it becomes more difficult to burn fat.
When I was young, I had a lot of muscle mass, so my basal metabolic rate was high and I was able to burn a lot of energy even if I moved a little.
However, as muscle mass decreases, your basal metabolic rate also decreases, which can lead to you gaining weight rapidly as you reach middle age.

Here are some foods that will boost your metabolism:
First, you should consciously consume capsaicin (found in chili peppers, etc.), shogaol (ginger), allyl sulfide (found in green onions, onions, garlic, and Chinese chives), and vitamin E (found in pumpkin, sweet potato, eel, almonds, and sesame seeds), which are substances that warm the body.
Also, be sure to pay attention to amino acids that boost metabolism, such as lysine (seafood, meat, liver, milk, cheese, soybeans), arginine (chicken, pork, bonito, soybeans), and alanine (chicken, clams, scallops, squid, Spanish mackerel, salmon, whitebait, horse mackerel).
Protein is a polymeric compound made up of many amino acids linked together, so if you find it difficult to get enough protein through your diet, we recommend taking in protein supplements.
In addition, it is also important to actively take in B vitamins, which support metabolism, and iodine, which promotes metabolism.

There is a close relationship between middle-aged obesity and lifestyle-related diseases.
In addition, the combination of these diseases can lead to metabolic syndrome.
If obesity is left untreated, it can worsen lifestyle-related diseases, damage blood vessels, and lead to arteriosclerosis.
In the worst case scenario, this can lead to serious illnesses such as myocardial infarction and stroke, so you need to be very careful.

Protein helps prevent lifestyle-related diseases and obesity.

I want my dad to stay healthy forever.
Protein helps prevent lifestyle-related diseases and obesity.
It would be a good idea to give such a mother a gift of GRØN, a plant-based protein containing superfoods, which allows her to easily and deliciously consume protein.

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Nutritionist, Food Education Instructor, Food 6th Industrialization Producer Level 4
Ayako Ishihara

A nutritional advisor in the healthcare field and an agribusiness professional.
She is involved in a variety of activities specializing in the fields of beauty and health, including giving lectures to Miss World Japan candidates.

With the philosophy of "enriching the mind and body through food and realizing a vibrant society where people and communities are connected," he founded i-Field Co., Ltd. in 2013 and serves as its representative.
He is a core member of the food team for "DINING OUT," which opens outdoor restaurants in various regions, and also participates in fashion brand projects.
She is also involved in the promotion of local ingredients, product development and production specializing in "health" and "beauty," branding, concept design, food hygiene, sales promotion, training planning and management, etc. She is in charge of nutritional supervision for GRØN's product development, proposing ways to incorporate them more effectively into consumer health.

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