The Corona virus and being overweight
The whole of the Netherlands was shocked last week. I myself got the impression that the intensivist at the Dutch talkshow Jinek accidentally spoke up about the stature of the majority of the seriously ill people in the ICU. But maybe I’m wrong. Perhaps this comment was made deliberately, intended as a motivation to get people moving.
No, really?….
Intensivists are unlikely to engage in preventative health. After all, they are busy rescuing critically ill people, for whom preventive measures are not doing well at that time. Still, I wonder if this Corona crisis (in which people with metabolic dysregulation are more at risk of becoming seriously ill) will eventually become the stick behind the door to pay attention to prevention. And I mean by prevention no vaccinations and hygiene measures.
I am talking about lifestyle changes
I suspect that many are so shocked that they suddenly want to change their lifestyle. But I agree with Liesbeth van Rossum, internist at the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, a crash diet is not a solution!
Motivation based on fear only works for a little while. Who acts from fear loses his motivation when a vaccination or medicine is found, and then….? Motivation based on positive results really is more effective. Motivation based on insight and awareness is ultimately the most effective. Maybe it’s time we wake up? Even though we now have the motivation to do something, just quickly change your lifestyle, is just not going to cut it. And you know, you can’t keep zipping up your mouth.
What can you do about your overweight and the metabolic syndrome?
- I would first ask yourself if you want to do something about your lifestyle because of the fear of succumbing to Corona?
- Or do you want to improve the quality of life, use less medication and enjoy life more?
- People with metabolic syndrome can already achieve a lot of health gains if they would adjust their carbohydrate intake to their exercise pattern. This means that you only eat some carbohydrates after you have moved for half an hour. (And I mean carbohydrates from grains, potatoes, rice and the like. Fast sugars in cakes, pastries, desserts and the like should not be part of the daily diet anyway.)
- Replace excessive (starchy) carbohydrates with vegetables.
- Limit the amount of dairy you eat. (No, we don’t need dairy for the much-needed calcium. You will find it much more in vegetables, but you never hear anyone about it.)
- Replace all soft drinks and fruit juices with water or tea.
- Half an hour of exercise three times a day before eating works wonders. You need much less insulin because of the movement if you eat carbohydrates afterwards.
- Make sure you are in the sun for at least 10-20 minutes at noon, in the garden or on the balcony. You now need the vitamin D so badly!
- Stop driving yourself crazy with social media. Stay away from the fear and focus on your goal, not what you fear.
With these limited measures, the majority of people can already achieve a lot. This approach makes you less hungry, making it easier to keep up. Whether you solve the underlying cause of your overweight is the question, but if it works, every profit is included.
Yes, I know, the Nutrition Center is not in favor of this. They persist in one dietary advice for everyone, relatively high in carbohydrates. They do not take into account people with metabolic syndrome. Glucose metabolism is disrupted in this group and that requires a different approach. There is definitely sufficient evidence and experience that this approach is effective for people with metabolic syndrome.
Now let’s just do what works
If you find it difficult to get started with a different lifestyle, you can find support from an orthomolecular therapist. Especially now they are now working very hard to help as many people as possible.
It’s never too early or too late to work towards being the healthiest you.
Source: Yvonne van Stigt, master in clinical Psycho, Neuro, immunology – Oergezond
