Diet, Exercise a Real Shortcut
to Health
March 3, 2005
By Dennis Thompson
Six short weeks is all it may take for simple changes
in diet and exercise to start making dramatic reductions
in risk for killer illnesses like diabetes, cancer or
heart disease, researchers report.
"Although the notion that proper nutrition and
exercise is good for you is not revolutionary, it's
important that people know that major health benefits
can come quickly," researcher Steven Aldana, a
Brigham Young University professor of exercise science,
said in a prepared statement.
In his team's study, 337 volunteers -- all residents
of Illinois and ranging from 43 to 81 years of age --
participated in a 40-hour educational course over four
weeks. Administered by the SwedishAmerican Health System,
the Coronary Health Improvement Project lectures touted
the importance of healthy lifestyle choices.
People experienced significant reductions in body fat,
cholesterol levels and blood pressure when they spent
just 30 minutes a day on cardiovascular exercise and
adopted a diet emphasizing unrefined foods like grains,
legumes and fresh fruits and vegetables, Aldana reported.
"This is not a diet, not a trend, not a fad that
will go away," he said. "It's adopting a nutritious
way of eating and exercise that causes very important
positive changes in your body's health in a short period
of time."
Source:www.forbes.com
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