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How To Live Healthier And Happier In 2008
By Jo Ann La Russo
Healthy eating at any age is the most important aspect to maintaining good health.
With the new year comes the ability to start over and change those bad habits, said fitness specialist Ron Hyland, who this week spoke to seniors at the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library.
The new year can bring about a new you, said Hyland, who teaches sports nutrition at Ocean County Vocational Adult School. Moderation is the key to living a healthy lifestyle.
"Eat only healthy foods," he said, "and drink a lot of water. The world is made up of 75 percent water. So are you," he said. "You need to maintain certain water balance. You are losing fluids when you perspire even though it may be cold outside."
"Carry your water with you and make sure that you drink eight glasses a day. It cleanses your heart, liver and kidneys and flushes out your system," said Hyland, who is an exercise specialist and fitness director at The Pines at Whiting, a Parkinson's disease/ medical exercise specialist.
"If, due to a medical condition, your doctor advises you to drink only 24 ounces of water a day," he said, "break it down to six, four ounce glasses so that you are continually drinking and continually flushing out your system."
"It's like an oil change for your car," Hyland said. "Out with the dirty, in with the clean."
Hyland also challenged the audience to test their vitamins. "A vitamin pill in a glass of water should dissolve within two hours."
"Get low dose vitamins, he said, "and brand names that can be trusted," explaining that some vitamin products that are advertised to contain 100 percent might in reality contain only 30 percent of the vitamin advertised.
"Many brands cannot be trusted," he warned. "Store brands have passed the test and do live up to what labels say."
Hyland added vitamins are only supposed to supplements to your diet. "The healthier your diet is, the fewer vitamins you should need."
When selecting foods, he advises, choose the right proteins, carbohydrates and fats for your diet. Polyunsaturated fats, "the right fats," can help to clean out your heart and lower your cholesterol. "They are healing fats, natural anti-inflammatory and actively take away swelling in joints."
Hyland advised, "Eliminate white carbs. Instead, replace them with dark greens. They break down slower to stabilize blood sugar," he said.
"Cut down on serving size to drop pounds or add a little to them each day to gain."
Don't ignore body signals, he warned. Inner organs might not be seen but everything we intake affects them. "Thirst should never be overlooked or the warning signs of dehydration ignored."
Caffeine, soda or any drink containing sugar will help to dehydrate the body, he said. Those drinks never replace the need for water.
The small audience at the library was full of questions, ranging from medications to the effects of diet soda to the use of Teflon pans for cooking.
"You're better off using canola spray," he advised. "Teflon is still a chemical."
"What about replacing regular soda with diet soda?" a Toms River woman asked. Audience members where appalled to hear Hyland describe, "Put a raw chicken breast in a dish with diet soda and see the how it eats away the meat in a few days. That's what it does to your insides."
"Diet soda has chemicals that are harmful to your system. Water is the best thirst quencher," he said.
The presentation went over well.
"He's wonderful," said Hannah O'Brien of Toms River. "He's very inspiring."
"He talks about things that your doctor doesn't bother to," said another senior.
Joe and Edie Rangell of Lakewood made the trip to the Toms River Library to hear Hyland speak. "We love to come here anytime there is lecture," adding they are trying to get their son to stop drinking diet soda. "It has so many additives."
"He's good to hear," said Clare and Herbert Tive of Toms River. "We enjoyed the lecture and now we want to practice what he teaches."
Grant and Althena Leonard of Holiday Heights said they intend to follow Hyland's advice. "It's all good," said Mrs. Leonard.
Hyland also lectures on Alzheimer's disease and is a personal fitness/nutrition counselor.
Hyland will speak at a future seminar at the library on January 22, and has asked seniors to bring a list of questions. "I want to help," he said.
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