29. DR. BRESLOW’S SEVEN HEALTH HABITS

I recently attended a health seminar in which the speaker told about Dr. Breslow. He was a pioneer in health. Born in 1915, he became concerned in the 1940s that medicine needed a broader vision that would include prevention. During this time, disease was treated with only medicine, so his ideas were not well received by the medical community. This seems unbelievable today because many doctors remind their patients to practice preventive habits—lose weight, quit smoking, exercise, etc.

Before I list the seven rules, I want to write the results Dr. Breslow found when he enrolled 7,000 people in Alameda, CA, in a study to see what the outcome would be of keeping these health habits. He began the study in 1959 and kept records for ten years. The results were so dramatic that it changed the thinking of the medical world. Dr. Breslow became known as Mr. Public Health.

In 1969, those who kept at least six of the rules or in other words, had one or no bad habits, had only 12.2 percent disability. Those who kept four or five of the rules (having two or three bad habits) had 14.1 percent disability. Those who kept only three of the rules (having four bad habits) had 18.7 percent disability. A 60-year-old who followed all the rules was as healthy as a 30-year-old who practiced only two of the rules.

Let’s look at these seven regulations Dr. Breslow recommended to see how our own health habits measure up. His first rule is to get “seven to eight hours of sleep each night.” That is an easy practice for many, but I also know people who have difficulty sleeping. Since lack of sleep ages our body organs, we should do whatever it takes to get our daily rest.

The second regulation is to “exercise thirty minutes at a time several times a week.” He also states that walking vigorously is a top choice of exercise. I enjoy walking, so I am glad he tells us that walking is a good form of exercise. Notice that he doesn’t say to exercise every day, but several times a week.

The third rule: “Forget the scales, but eat moderately” may be a little more difficult with our abundant food supply. I have several friends who make it a practice to eat only one plate of food served with modest amounts. Then they have one dessert. They eat slowly and seem to enjoy their food. I think that is what it means to eat moderately.

The fourth rule is becoming more and more common knowledge—“Eat breakfast every day.” The first meal of the day is easy for those who have always eaten breakfast, but many are simply not hungry in the morning. We need to be reminded that omitting food in the evening makes one hungry for the first meal of the day.

“Whether you eat two, three or five meals a day, do all eating, sleeping and exercising regularly and moderately.” This is the fifth rule, which can be quite difficult with our hectic lifestyle, but we should do our best to keep regular times for our meals, our exercise and our rest. Regularity keeps our circadian rhythms functioning well. The results Dr. Breslow reported prove that we should make the effort to follow this rule.

The sixth rule is “Don’t drink at all or drink moderately.” This is easy for the teetotalers, and those who enjoy drinking should always practice moderation.

The seventh and last rule is “Don’t smoke.” When Dr. Breslow wrote this regulation, smoking might have been considered a harmless habit. Today we know that tobacco is deadly to our bodies.

Dr. Breslow was a good example of his teaching. He died in 2012 at age 97. He did not smoke or drink; he walked regularly; he practiced moderation in all things and enjoyed tending his vegetable garden.

LET’S IMITATE DR. BRESLOW!

BASIL PESTO
1 1/2 c fresh basil
1/3 c olive oil
1 c pine nuts or walnuts
5 cloves garlic
1/3 c yeast flakes
3/4 t salt
Combine all ingredients in a food processor so that
the mixture has texture and is not completely
smooth.