In A Word - Contradict

Contradict: . To assert or express the opposite of (a statement). 2. To deny the statement of. 3. To be contrary to; be inconsistent with.

According to all the medical studies I've read, reports I've heard, and tests in which I was a participant, these facts became very evident. Were I to power walk or jog three miles daily, stop consuming read meats, severely curtail or eliminate the use of salt, eat as few as four eggs weekly, and stop all intake of alcoholic beverages, I would extend my lifespan by several years.

In addition, I was told to add these "musts" to the list of dos. Take medications to control my blood pressure, lower my cholesterol, and supplement my new and improved healthy diet with a well-planned and balanced vitamin-mineral preparation. Were I to follow the regimen, it was explained to me, I would benefit greatly and live a longer, healthier life.

Now I am a great lover of life and I respect my body, so I endeavored to follow the rules that were so carefully explained. I exercised, changed my diet, took the proper medications and attempted to live the very healthy life style as laid out. So, what happened? I recently took my annual physical and the results were shocking. The physician followed up with a heart catheterization the following week. I was not allowed to leave the examination room after that, but was transported to another hospital where a sextuple bypass operation was performed the next morning. As you can see, I survived, a fact for which I am very thankful.

So where does the contradiction come into this situation? Consider these facts. In numerous articles I have read, I am told that I must lower my cholesterol level because there is a direct correlation between high levels of cholesterol and heart disease. This fact is a given, considering the mountain of evidence already collected and being collected daily. Upon further investigation, I have found mounting evidence that throws some doubt on the real issue of cholesterol's role in heart disease. If the findings are accurate, there is much more to learn about the true role of cholesterol in heart disease.

Physicians insist I give up salt in total. Bad for the system, they say. It's a poison to mankind others tell me. However, there is much in the literature that contradicts those statements. Numerous reports say that moderate intake of salt by the average person is not only not harmful, but necessary for normal healthy systems. The reports go on to say that an absence of salt can actually be harmful.

Exercise is another area where conflicting reports have presented a problem for many people. Physicians extol the virtues of working out as part of a healthy lifestyle. Jogging, aerobic exercises, power walking, weight lifting and other activities designed to strengthen the heart and other muscles are heartily promoted by the medical profession. Still, in reading other reports, I am warned to proceed with caution, as such activity can lead to excess strain on joints (ankles, wrists, knees), back, and heart.

And, consider the case of alcoholic beverages. Articles and studies have all but convinced me that the intake of alcohol in the system was the same as drinking an arsenic cocktail. Such activity, I read, was to be avoided at any cost. That was then. Now, all reports say that a glass of red wine or a cocktail before dinner can be a positive addition to any person's dietary regimen.

For a while, I gave up red meat except for an occasional steak, a rare pleasure I enjoyed perhaps once a month. I avoided fatty foods, gave up much of my dairy consumption and completely altered my dietary variety. I began eating far more vegetables, nuts and beans to replace those items eschewed. Now, reports of studies show that such diets may not offer proper nourishment. Other reports tell me that most veggies are sprayed with pesticides that can be harmful to my health. Other reports tell of natural changes in plants that develop toxins that may be carcinogens.

All these contradictions are not only baffling, but upsetting as well. Who does one believe? Are both sides correct, and if so, what is one to do in self defense? My apprehension level has reached monstrous heights and I fear I may be doing something wrong in every part of my life.

Consider also, we hear daily reports of how our air is fouled with harmful particles, our water is polluted with poisonous chemicals, why, even our rain is acid in character. We can't give up eating, drinking, moving, or breathing unless we wish to embrace death.

It was suggested I stop reading medical journals and go about the normal process of living. Read John LeCarre novels I was told. Try Sherlock Holmes rather than the New England Journal of Medicine, someone suggested. I could do that, but I must read the reports and journals anyway because of my profession. So, what to do?

I stretched back into my past and found the answer. Grandma Eisman, a wise woman from the old country said it best. "Eat whatever you enjoy and play at what pleases you, only, do it in moderation. Don't worry what anyone tells you, but do what makes you feel fulfilled. Only, do not do anything to please yourself if it means hurting someone else. Moderation is your real friend." Grandma lived to be 96 despite having high cholesterol and a blood pressure that would make a physician shudder.