Key Points Finale: What You Need To Know
By: Jonathan Kahan MD
Health is not just the absence of disease, but about being your best physically, mentally and emotionally. Since cardiovascular disease is the #1 cause of mortality and morbidity, it makes sense to focus on this disease category.
Psst: Smoking is bad for you! To quit, use of nicotine replacement therapy vastly improves outcomes.
The silent killer: high blood pressure is involved in a multitude of cardiovascular diseases. It responds really well to lifestyle changes and to medications.
High cholesterol is correlated with heart attacks and strokes and is less controlled by lifestyle influences than other topics in this book. Certain types of cholesterol plus inflammation lead to plaque formation in the arteries, which is how cardiovascular disease develops. Medications may be considered in this category, know the risks and benefits of each!
Obesity and metabolic dysfunction lead to inflammation which is the precursor for heart attacks, strokes and death. They are caused by processed foods in the background of lack of exercise/quality sleep. Eating unprocessed foods is the best way to correct this. It is not just about the macros!
There is no better pill for health than exercise. This is measured by VO2Max. Exercise is broken down into resistance training at least twice a week, base training and high intensity interval training in a 75/25 ratio. Move every day!
Without quality sleep it is impossible to achieve any of the other health metrics. Get light in the morning, avoid stimulants/substances later in the day, no screen time within hours prior to bed, sleep in a cool/dark room.
Cell phones, screens and social media are the “processed food” of social interaction and removing them from your life is excellent for your overall well-being. Find a purpose higher than yourself, get out in nature, and have real face to face interactions. This is human technology, and it works really well.