Invest in your health
The link between health and wealth is an often abused but easily neglected piece of truth that has been degraded to just a cliché. Many want to assure health by pursuing creative ways to get wealth, finding security in insurance policies and health benefits, often neglecting the basic principles of disease prevention and wellness.
In the recently concluded Hope in Wellness convention hosted by the EPCALM Adult Leukemia Foundation of the Philippines held at the SM Aura Samsung Hall on Sept 8-10, various experts of wellness, fitness coaches and gurus including the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) converged to celebrate wellness. The convention theme was wellness in all the dimensions in life: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. But what would all these accomplish if it is not practiced?
PHA wants to emphasize preventive rather than reactive practice as an approach to cardiovascular disease, which remains the number one killer and destroyer of life. With the mandate from the World Heart Federation for each individual to take responsibility of one’s health, the PHA is pushing its Healthy Lifestyle (HL) advocacy through the 52100 program to communicate to all Filipinos that maintaining health and preventing disease is a daily personal commitment.
Launched in 2012, PHA’s 52100 was adapted from then US First Lady Michelle Obama’s 5210 for daily discipline (five servings of fruits and vegetables, not more than two hours of screen time, 1 hour of physical activity and 0 sugared beverages).
Pediatric cardiologist Dr. Jonas del Rosario initiated PHA’s 52100 program when he served as PHA advocacy committee chair. Del Rosario modified Obama’s 5210 by adding another 0 for zero smoking since this treacherous vice is on the rise in our country. Recently, PHA added maximum allowable salt per day in the 52100 guide, to mean not just maximum screen time of 2 hours but also to keep a cap of 2 gms sodium per day in the diet. This is a diet that restricts salt in moderation. One tsp. table salt is 2.3 gms of sodium, hence it is important not to add salt or condiments on the table. We also get sodium from water and fast foods, processed or canned foods, to name a few. Healthy eating also means limiting fat, sugar and even alcohol. Adding fiber and a variety of food groups will make dietary compliance fun and easy.
Obesity is a growing concern in the Philippines, reaching epidemic proportions threatening not only our workforce and youth but also our school children. Those who are overweight as kids are most likely to become overweight adults.
Thus, healthy lifestyle should start in childhood. Parents and early childhood teachers as well as pediatricians play a vital role in inculcating the 52100 HL at a
young age for a wellness and heart disease prevention mindset.
To address common alibis of ignorance or sheer exasperation that HL is not easy to comprehend, much more maintain, advocacy committee chair Dr. Ronald Cuyco is set to make 52100 known across the nation until every Filipino, including toddlers, preschoolers and teenagers would breathe and live 52100. The 13 PHA chapters all over the country are now reaching out to and teaching mothers the 52100 guide so this can form part of the first lessons taught to children.
The daily discipline taught by 52100 is a great guide that simply says:
5: Take 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. Roughly, one serving of fruit is one medium sized fruit or 1/2 cup cut-up fruit. One serving of vegetables is one cup or one fist size of leafy green vegetables. 2: Watch less TV and limit salt intake. Maximum of 2 hours screen time especially for kids. Stand up and walk in between extended computer or desk time.
Maximum of 2 gms. allowable added sodium in diet.
1: One hour of exercise and drink more water. 0: No sugared drinks. 0: No to smoking, whether active or passive.
Compliance to the daily 52100 is easily hampered by overbooked schedules. Being too busy to attend to our health is the first trap that dominates our motivation and perception of what we can or cannot do to invest in our health. The second trap is thinking that heart doctors are to take the responsibility to watch our health. The third trap is thinking health is not achievable by all. That it is only for the select and hence is in the realm of fitness coaches because it needs time and even a full career to be fit.
Many would argue that to spend one hour of exercise is impossible because of the demands on one’s time. This should not be an excuse to avoid exercise. You can replace one hour in the gym to a few minutes of moderate physical activity.
The road to health takes an acceptance that it is our obligation to stay healthy. It’s a stewardship and a personal commitment. It is hoped that PHA’s 52100 and HL advocacy will translate to measurable outcomes defined as lesser prevalence rates of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking that are strong players in the arena of the two mega killers - heart attack and stroke.
Dr. Erlyn C. Demerre is as active consultant in adult cardiology at St. Luke’s Medical Center. She is a member of the Advocacy Committee and Council on Hypertension of the Philippine Heart Association. She is also the founding chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine of St Luke’s Medical Center-Global City.