World's Healthiest People

From: BestPublicHealthSchools.org

Protein

The word "protein" comes from the Greek word meaning first or of most importance. People came to believe over the years that protein equated to strength and vitality. We now know that there are many components to a healthy diet and they all work together to give lasting and lifelong health. None of them are more important than others in the context of total health and well-being. Nonetheless, an adequate amount of protein is essential. Protein is the body's main source for growth and tissue repair. Protein not only contains amino acids which are the basic building blocks of tissues, but it helps regulate many of the body's chemical processes. For instance, the amino acid tryptophan found in protein is necessary for the production of serotonin which helps regulate mood and sleep. Protein is found both in plant and animal derived foods.

Controlling Blood Sugar

For years I have ridden the blood sugar roller-coaster. I first found out I had problems with my blood sugar when I had a physical as part of my college application process. That was 50 years ago. My blood sugar was so high that the doctor suspected juvenile (Type-1) diabetes and asked me to return the next week so that I could learn how to inject myself with insulin. Fortunately for me he ordered a fasting glucose tolerance test in addition to the previous blood test. After the test was over he told me I didn't have diabetes, but "pre-diabetes." I had two more glucose tolerance tests, one in my twenties and one in my thirties and they all had the same results. My blood sugar would spike higher than normal and then plummet to below normal levels.

When I had the first glucose tolerance test at age 18, I was skinny as a rail. However my weight began to climb during college and continued to do so the rest of my adult life. As a result, I became overweight and then obese. It's hard to believe the tall, slim girl in my wedding photo is myself. I have struggled with my weight for over 40 years. I also had the threat of full-blown diabetes hanging over my head all that time. But I never developed diabetes and may never develop it. I finally found out the name of my condition. It's called impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)and I am finally after all these years understanding how it has played a roll in my weight. I am hungry just a couple of hours after eating. That is when my blood sugar is at it's lowest. I get shaky and ravenous if I don't have something to eat. If I deny my hunger pangs and don't eat, then I tend to binge at mealtimes. This condition has also led to some full-blown hypoglycemic episodes where my blood sugar sank so low I got muddle headed, shaky, nauseous and almost passed out. The last time that happened I wound up in the hospital emergency room having all kinds of tests run on me. So I have worked out a plan to eat six mini-meals a day and it seems to be working. My hunger pangs are not quite so bad, although sometimes they come as often as once every hour or so as my blood sugar is dropping. If you experience any of these problems, you may want to check with your doctor about this problem. While it can lead to diabetes, it doesn't necessarily do so, but it can wreak havoc on your wellbeing. The following website explains the condition. http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/what-is-prediabetes-or-borderline-diabetes