Background
‘A’ is a 50 year-old man who is usually fit and well, without any existing health problems. ‘A’ attended a recent health check-up to analyse his general health. A few areas were highlighted in the blood tests, suggesting there are some aspects of his lifestyle that should be addressed and improved. The two main areas of concern were the high blood sugar and cholesterol/fat.
Risk Factors
Given his background, he is at a higher risk of developing some of the conditions associated with these blood test results. He is of South Asian ethnicity, which is linked with an increased risk of becoming diabetic, and also has a family history of diabetes. Increasing age, male gender and high cholesterol also increase the risk of heart disease in the future, so it is clear that there are lifestyle issues that can be improved in this situation.
Lifestyle Improvements
‘A’ was not totally inactive to begin with and his exercise routine already included going for a walk almost every day. His hobbies included playing table tennis at least weekly. Despite this, the blood results suggest that this level of activity might not be enough to balance the problematic aspects of his diet, which is the most likely contributing factor for the abnormalities.
Improving Blood Sugar:
- Reduce amount of carbohydrates (rice, pasta, bread etc.) with each meal and instead increase the amount of protein or fibre
- Swap refined white rice, breads and pastas for brown, wholegrain alternatives
- Supplement walking with jogging every other day
Improving Cholesterol:
- When possible, swap vegetable and sunflower cooking oils for unrefined extra virgin olive oil
- Increase the amount of fibre in the diet (wholemeal foods, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds etc.)