Looking at my family history I realized most of us have common genetic health-related issues. Food is essential not only for energy but also to keep us healthy so I did some research.  This research was specifically for foods that help keep health-related issues at bay.  It’s never too late to implement these foods into your diet even if you already have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or unhealthy blood sugar levels.  The research I found was quite eye-opening but at the same time, it made so much sense.

Obesity

Over my career as a Personal Trainer, the main goal for all my clients has been weight loss. It’s been estimated that 160 million Americans are either obese or overweight. That means more than 60% of the population—both men and women—are either overweight or obese.

There are also major challenges with America’s children with nearly 30% of boys and girls under 20 being either obese or overweight (healthdata.org). According to the CDC, by the year 2020 (yes by next year!), three-quarters of the population will either be overweight or obese.

According to the CDC, by the year 2020 (yes by next year!), three-quarters of the population will either be overweight or obese.

Health Issues

Obesity and even being overweight have many health issues. People are either suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes or they are on the verge of getting one of those chronic health-related issues. The worst part about it is that the genetic code plays a huge factor in many of the above health-related issues. You could be a very lean, healthy person and suffer from high blood pressure and not even know. An excellent example of this is Celebrity Trainer Bob Harper, who suffered a heart attack last year because of high levels of lipoprotein in his blood, a particle that contributes to plaque in the arteries and blood clots.

You could be a very lean, healthy person and suffer from high blood pressure and not even know.

 

Prevention

Unfortunately, even if you lose weight in order to reduce your chance of getting high blood pressure, cholesterols, or diabetes, you may still be at risk. So, our mindset must change from “I need to lose weight” to finding out our family health history and saying, “How can I control (or prevent) my blood pressure, cholesterol, or sugar levels?” When you are changing your mindset like this, you are preventing your pain or fear and at the same time losing weight because you are starting to eat healthy.

Look at your family health history and work on preventing diseases.