The CSIRO Guide To Eating To Beat Disease
Australian women have a longer life expectancy than men, typically living about two and half years longer. Yet more and more of us are living with so-called lifestyle diseases. These long-term, chronic conditions have now become the leading cause of ill health, disability and death in Australia and many other countries. Australian data shows that women have a higher disease burden than men due to the fact that they live with these diseases for longer.
It's true that genes play a part in determining our likelihood of developing these diseases. Some individuals, families and ethnic populations have genetic profiles that increase the risk of certain chronic diseases, and genes cannot be modified. However, there are a lot of factors that we can change. If you do have any of the so-called “non-modifiable” risk factors, it doesn't mean you will end up with a disease, but it does make healthy eating and lifestyle choices even more important.
Common lifestyle Diseases Affecting Women Include:
Cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease, vascular disease and stroke)
Type 2 diabetes
Certain cancers
Respiratory diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Chronic kidney disease
Half of all Australian females report having one or more of these chronic conditions. This rate increases with age, thus 43 per cent of women aged 45 years and over report having at least one chronic disease, while 83 per cent of women aged 65 years and over report having at least one chronic disease.
Early Warning Signs Of Chronic Disease Include:
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
High blood sugar and insulin levels
high markers of inflammation
High BMI and/or waist circumference.
It’s important to have regular health checks with your GP and participate in national screening programs such as Breast Screen Australia, National Bowel Cancer Screening Program and the National Cervical Screening Program. Regular health checks may cover heart health, type 2 diabetes risk, eye health, bone health, and checking the size and shape of moles or freckles.
This will alert you to any early warning signs that you are at increased risk of developing one or more of these lifestyle diseases. It is a chance to monitor your health and, if needed, make lifestyle changes to turn things around.
Chronic Disease And Lifestyle Related Causes
Many people develop more than one of these chronic diseases, mainly because the diseases share similar causes related to lifestyle behaviours. The four main lifestyle-related causes for chronic disease that can be modified are:
Physical inactivity
Unhealthy eating habits
Smoking
Harmful use of alcohol
And here is the good news! If key lifestyle behaviours are improved, the risk of developing a multitude of chronic diseases, and the progression of those conditions, can be substantially reduced.
The key message is simple and backed by scientific evidence: by eating well and leading an active life, along with not smoking and limiting or avoiding alcohol, you will go a long way to looking after your health and protecting yourself from lifestyle diseases.
It’s never too early or too late to change bad habits and replace them with healthier habits. If you already have one of these conditions, making lifestyle changes will also have huge health benefits. One big dietary change to make is reducing your intake of salt. On average, Australians consume nearly double the recommended amount of salt. Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease.
One of the best ways to reduce salt intake is to eat mainly fresh, unprocessed foods. Most of the salt we consume comes from processed and packaged foods. Tastebuds adjust, so just as we become used to highly salted foods, we also get used to less salty foods. When cooking, add flavour with herbs, spices, nuts and healthy dressings rather than salt.
How To Reduce the Risk Of Chronic Diseases
In addition to the four main lifestyle factors that help prevent all chronic diseases listed above, research pinpoints other lifestyle factors that can help reduce the risk of specific chronic diseases.
Cardiovascular Disease
This remains one of the leading causes of death in Australia. In addition to the general guidelines of eating well and staying active, the National Heart Foundation has these specific nutritional recommendations.
Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit to help keep blood vessels healthy.
Fibre from wholegrains can help to lower blood cholesterol levels.
Aim for two to three serves of oily fish a week.
If you eat red meat, have no more than 455g (cooked weight) lean red meat a week.
If you have heart disease or high cholesterol, reduced-fat milk, yoghurt and cheese are better choices than full-fat varieties.
Include healthy oils such as olive, canola, sunflower, peanut, sesame and safflower, along with unsalted nuts, seeds, avocados and olives.
Use herbs and spices for flavour, instead of salt.
Osteoporosis
Women are at particular risk of developing osteoporosis after menopause because of reduced oestrogen levels. Lower oestrogen levels cause faster loss of calcium and other minerals from bones. If you are aged over 50 years, speak to your GP about whether a bone-density scan is necessary. Here are some ways to maintain bone health throughout life.
Aim for three to five serves of calcium-rich food daily.
Include dairy products (or fortified dairy alternatives): these foods are the richest source of calcium.
Ensure you are get enough vitamin D from foods, sunlight or supplements.
Regular bone strengthening activities that involve weight-bearing are also important for bone health.
Vitamin D And Bone Health
Vitamin D helps to absorb calcium from food, regulate calcium levels in the blood, and support growth and maintenance of the skeleton. Food cannot provide an adequate amount of vitamin D and most people are reliant on sun exposure to reach recommended levels. The amount of sun exposure needed is low and can be achieved while avoiding the risk of skin damage. In winter, longer exposure times are needed.
Cancers
Smoking tobacco is the leading preventable cause of all cancers. However, there are many different types of cancer, and some have specific risk factors.
Alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing cancers of the bowel, mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver and breast. Even drinking small amounts increases risk.
Excessive sun exposure increase the risk of skin cancer. Wear sunscreen, protective clothing, and have your skin checked regularly.
Eating plenty of plant-based foods may protect against certain cancers.
Avoiding processed meats, such as cured meats, sausages and bacon, and limiting red meat may protect against some cancers.
Viral infections such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) or chronic infection with the hepatitis B or C viruses increases the risk of certain cancers. Vaccination can protect against the human HPV and hepatitis B. Protective behaviours, such as safe sex, can reduce the risk of hepatitis C.
Brain Health
The brain is an important and complex organ. There are some changes in the brain that occur over the course of life that are considered normal. These may make us slower to remember a person’s name or occasionally forget an appointment. However, there are also age-related brain conditions that are more serious and can have a major impact on our quality of life. Dementia is a term that describes a number of conditions affecting the brain that are not a normal part of ageing and are due to progressive deterioration in its functioning. This includes conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. A healthy lifestyle is important for maintaining brain health and can help to reduce the risk of dementia later in life.
Lifestyle factors that appear to increase the risk of dementia include inadequate physical activity, unhealthy eating habits, cardiovascular disease and related conditions, poor sleep quality, social isolation and depression.
Recent research also shows an important link between brain health and heart and blood vessel health. Avoiding smoking, limiting or avoiding alcohol, and maintaining normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels and a healthy weight can all support brain function.
Excerpt from: The CSIRO Women’s Health & Nutrition Guide by Jane Bowen, Bev Muhlhausler and Gemma Williams, published by Macmillan Australia, $39.99; photography by Rob Palmer.
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