Leveraging Your Financial Intelligence

by Doug Lennick

  Heart Disease

  Heart disease is the leading cause of death In the United States. That's true for both men and women. Women need to be especially mindful of heart disease risk, since most women think it's primarily a problem for men, not realizing that it's the most likely cause of death for women as well. One in three women who die each year die from heart disease, compared with 1 of 31 from breast cancer. Most women we know fear developing breast cancer, and it's a matter of frequent discussion among women, especially each time a friend is diagnosed with the disease. Women in our lives less often worry about heart disease or think to develop deliberate plans to minimize their risk of heart disease. In general, most people, men and women alike, dread the prospect of cancer. That said, as of 2017, heart disease still kills more people than all types of cancer combined.17

  Cancer

  According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, responsible for nearly one in six deaths worldwide. In 2015, 8.8 million people died from cancer.18 One-third of deaths from cancer are related to five lifestyle factors: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, and alcohol use. The cancer most responsible for cancer deaths in both men and women is lung cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, women are also affected greatly by breast and colorectal cancers.

  Stroke

  Stroke is the second leading cause of death in women, and the fourth leading cause of death in men. Stroke risk factors are closely associated with heart disease. As research about cardiovascular disease has progressed, it has become clearer that the causes of heart disease and stroke are highly interconnected. For instance, plaque in arteries can result in a heart attack or a stroke, depending on the location of arterial blockages. So, though certain disease conditions may result in different symptoms, the causes may be the same.

  Respiratory Diseases

  Respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema belong to a class of diseases called COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. When combined, respiratory diseases represent the third largest cause of death in the United States. A large percentage of people don't realize they are suffering from respiratory diseases. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends quitting smoking to prevent COPD, as it is the largest risk factor for chronic respiratory diseases.

  Alzheimer's Disease

  Alzheimer's disease is the fifth-leading cause of death in women, and the tenth in men. Alzheimer's is a form of dementia, characterized by progressive memory loss and inability to perform cognitive tasks, therefore interfering with normal daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Doctors do not know exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease, but there may be a link between this disease and heart disease, as well as with head injuries.

  Diabetes

  Diabetes is commonly ranked as the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, though a recent study suggests that diabetes' contribution to deaths in the United States may be substantially underestimated.19 Diabetes interferes with the body's ability to properly use blood sugar (glucose). Glucose is essential to health because it provides energy for all the cells in the body, including the brain.

  When you have diabetes, you have too much glucose in your blood and that can lead to serious health problems that affect organ systems such as your heart and kidneys. It can also damage your nerves and blood vessels and can even cause blindness.

  PREVENTING AND MANAGING THE MOST COMMON DISEASES

  Whether you are concerned about conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or Alzheimer's disease, research shows that there are steps you can take to minimize the likelihood that you will suffer from these serious health conditions. It's tempting to think that as you age, you are at the mercy of disease, especially if you have a family history of a condition such as heart disease or Alzheimer's. However, as Reed Tuckson, author of The Doctor in the Mirror, points out, “most of the deadly diseases afflicting those 60-plus are a direct result of behavior.” Tuckson adds:

  Your response plays a critical role in your future. If you decide, “I was dealt a lousy hand of cards; I'm going to fold,” your life will reflect that negative response. But if you decide to draw a few new cards, good things can happen The good news is that to an extraordinary degree, YOU have control over your health status.20

  Key Activities for Preventing and Managing Health Threats

  Research confirms Tuckson's message that a variety of the most common or dangerous health conditions can be prevented or limited by a surprisingly small but important set of behaviors. Let's take one simple health practice as an example:

  Walking for 30 minutes a day.21 This activity can produce the following benefits:

  Protect brain health; slow down onset and impact of Alzheimer's disease

  Reduce heart disease risk

  Lower high blood pressure

  Reduce diabetes symptoms and risk

  Reduce risk of developing cancer

  Maintaining Physical Fitness

  Walking is only one example of how physical activity can contribute to overall health and disease prevention. Movement is crucial to maintaining a healthy weight, which lowers risk of the most common life-limiting health conditions. In addition to the disease-preventive benefits of exercise, physical activity conveys other important benefits.

  Physical Agility

  Being agile, able to move easily, engage in enjoyable physical activities, and perform life-sustaining tasks are all important to our sense of well-being and independence. The value of physical agility may be more obvious in one's later years, when many people experience difficulties with mobility that limit their physical independence or enjoyment of life. Donna Krone echoed one of Laura Mirković's reasons why health and physical fitness are so important to her as an active middle-aged woman:

  I drive every day to visit my mom who lives in a nursing home. The only reason she needs to be in a care facility is because she can't walk. She's not happy about her situation. All of us wish she didn't have to live in a nursing home. I want to do everything I can now to ensure that I'm active and independent for the rest of my life.

  Michelle Young believes fitness is vital to her family's well-being:

  I think health is one of the most important things. Tom and I spend a lot of time working out. We eat well. I have a trainer who comes to my home twice a week. We spend time and money on our health. It's definitely a focus for us. It makes a difference in every dimension of life.

  Michelle's husband, Tom, agrees with Michelle's emphasis on fitness:

  I didn't exercise enough in my twenties but sometime in my thirties that changed. I work out 30 to 40 minutes every day. I get up at 5:00 or 5:15 in the morning to get my workouts in.

  In The Blue Zones, Dan Buettner noted that the older people he studied in global regions with the greatest longevity were unusually active, compared with our U.S. stereotypes about capacities of older people. For example, Buettner describes his encounter in Sardinia with Torino, a 75-year-old shepherd:

  When I caught up with Torino, he was slaughtering a cow in the shed behind his house It was 9:45 a.m. on a cool November morning. Torino had been up since 4 and had already pastured his sheep, cut wood, trimmed olive trees, fed his cows, and eviscerated this 18-month-old cow that was now hanging spread-eagle from the rafters.22

  According to Torino's wife, he lives to work. Clearly, “retirement” is not in the Sardinian vocabulary.

  In Okinawa, Buettner spent time with a centenarian woman living independently who easily sat down on the floor and just as fluidly stood up from the floor when needed. By the time we are in our forties, many of us in the United States grunt as we struggle to get up from sitting on the floor. Buettner took this lesson from his encounters with Okinawans:

  Stay active.

  Older Okinawans are active walkers and gardeners. The Okinawan household has very little furniture; resi
dents take meals and relax sitting on tatami mats on the floor. The fact that old people get up and down off the floor several dozen times daily builds lower body strength and balance, which helps protect against dangerous falls.

  Regular exercise does more than keep us physically fit. Harvard Medical School summarized a number of studies that demonstrate the positive effects of exercise on the brain:

  Many studies have suggested that the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory (the prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex) have greater volume in people who exercise versus people who don't. “Even more exciting is the finding that engaging in a program of regular exercise of moderate intensity over six months or a year is associated with an increase in the volume of selected brain regions,” says Dr. Scott McGinnis, a neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School.23

  So, whether you're enjoying a brisk walk on the beach, working out on an elliptical machine, or racking up miles on a stationary bike, you're simultaneously achieving a healthy weight, lowering your risk of numerous diseases, and upping your IQ! As if those benefits weren't enough to get you moving, Dr. Tuckson suggests that being active gives our life purpose:

  …being active entails much more than running around in a sweat suit flexing your muscles. Being active is how you fulfill your purpose in life. It's how you grow to become a “complete” person, actively sharing your talents with others.24

  If you can't move, if you aren't active, it's a lot more challenging to accomplish other life goals, especially goals that involve serving others.

  Finally, being active is closely connected to being happy. Sonja Lyubomirsky and other researchers have found that one of the characteristics of the happiest participants in their studies was that they make physical exercise a regular habit.25

  EATING HEALTHFULLY

  Maintaining a healthy weight is critical for overall health. Maintaining a healthy weight lowers the risk of developing the most common life-limiting diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and various types of cancer. In addition to health benefits, staying at a healthy weight has personal and social benefits. Most of us feel better about ourselves when we are at a normal weight. Our appeal to potential friends, romantic partners, or employers is often positively affected by maintaining an attractive, healthy weight. Most adults gain one or two pounds a year. That may not seem like much, but over the course of 10 or more years, a small yearly weight increase can result in a large health problem. Diet and exercise are the primary areas to focus on when you want to prevent weight gain or lose unhealthy weight. As we all know, there are countless dietary regimens that claim to help maintain or lose weight: South Beach, Atkins, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Paleo, Mediterranean, and many others. Though the ingredients may differ for each, they all have in common what one of the author's family doctor calls the “ELF” diet, which is short for “eat less food.” So, a basic key activity for losing weight or preventing weight gain is to regulate calories so you don't eat more calories than you need to preserve your health and achieve your weight goals. By tracking your calorie intake and your weight over time, you'll be able to determine an ideal calorie range for you.

  While the quantity of food you eat is important, another key activity is to pay attention to the quality of the foods you eat (Figure 5.1). Drinking a 120-calorie soft drink may have the same impact on your weight as a cup of 2 percent milk (also 120 calories), but the nutritional benefits of each could not be more different. Milk provides high-quality protein, vitamin A for immune system support, energizing B vitamins, calcium, and vitamin D to strengthen bones, as well as lower cancer and dementia risk. A soft drink provides a tempting sugar high, but offers no nutritional benefits. In fact, soft drinks significantly increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other serious chronic conditions.

  Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source.

  FIGURE 5.1 HEALTHY EATING PLATE

  LUSTING AFTER LATE-NIGHT PIZZA

  When co-author Doug is at home, he and his wife Beth Ann stay on a healthy eating regimen—eating early, eating lots of vegetables, and keeping food portions reasonable. But when traveling, it's a whole other story. On the road, Doug usually gets back to his hotel late after a long day of work and evening business networking. He's usually in a physically and emotionally weakened state by then and gravitates to comfort food, including his two favorites, pizza and bacon cheeseburgers. Doug is gradually learning how to overcome the temptation of unhealthy eating when traveling, including taking charge of his evening schedule so he can get back to his hotel earlier; or packing healthy snacks, such as nuts and dried fruit, that he can eat at the end of the work day so he isn't ravenous when he finally returns to his hotel room for the night.

  PRIORITIZING YOUR HEALTH GOALS

  In this chapter, we've explored the top health challenges that can affect your ability to live in alignment with principles and values. Though you can't control everything about your health, you can do much to improve your health. As we've seen, the diseases most likely to limit the quality and length of our lives are “lifestyle diseases”—caused in large part by our choices. We are responsible for leading the healthiest lives possible. No matter what stage of life you are in, or what state of health you are in, you can improve the quality of your life by adopting healthy living habits. And the best way to begin to improve your health is to use the WDYWFY goal achievement model to envision, plan, and implement your health goals. WDYWFY, which lays out five simple steps for goal achievement, begins with “Have a goal.” One way to hone in on important health goals is to visualize how you would like to be at your healthiest and fittest.

  FITNESS TIPS

  Try one or more of the following:

  Find a fitness role model. Look for stories online about interesting amateur athletes who keep fit with activities that you might enjoy. For example: Tao Porchon-Lynch, at 98, the world's oldest yoga teacher26

  Charles Eugster, who was at age 97 the world's oldest body builder (and only started training at age 87)27

  Reflect on what attracts you to these individuals' stories. What about their lives inspires you? In what ways might you emulate them?

  Reignite your passion for an activity or sport that you used to engage in. For example: Take a dance class.

  Join a community softball team.

  Raise money by participating in charity walks.

  Get an exercise buddy. For instance, find a friend or neighbor to join you on a daily walk, weekly tennis match, or working out with free weights.28

  Identifying fitness role models can inspire you to adopt health-promoting habits you might not have otherwise imagined. For example, London-born Charles Eugster, who once practiced dentistry, was at one time probably the fittest senior citizen on the planet. At the age of 63, Charles took up competitive rowing for the first time since his college days. When rowing left him short of breath, he learned that he suffered from a heart arrhythmia. So, to keep fit, he switched to a less aerobic form of exercise. At 87, by now retired and widowed, Eugster hired a former Mr. Universe to coach him in body building. Sadly, as this book was being written, Charles Eugster died at 97 of complications following heart failure.29,30

  These stories of extraordinary later-life athletes are certainly inspiring. But they can also be intimidating. We might think we could never achieve their level of fitness, no matter what our age. However, most of us have someone in our lives, a friend or family member, who can serve as a role model for health. In co-author Doug's life, his role model is his wife. Beth Ann is in perfect health and her commitment to fitness is extraordinary. She exercises regularly and takes her yoga practice seriously. Beth Ann embraces healthy eating habits, including eating frequent, small amounts of healthy food four or five times a day. Beth Ann introduced Doug to kombucha, a fermented tea with many claimed health benefits including improved digestion and liver function
, as well as overall immune system support. Beth Ann also introduced Doug to alternative healthcare professionals such as Dr. Moe, their chiropractor. Because of Beth Ann's influence, they avoid late night eating, and Doug has learned the benefits of eating breakfast (mixed fruit) and enjoying vegetables and salads as the foundation of other meals.

  MAKE A PLAN FOR YOUR HEALTH GOALS

  Once you've imagined yourself at your fit, active, and energetic best (your ideal health self), it's time to set goals that can help you move toward that healthy state. Keep in mind that no matter how young or old you are, you have the right and responsibility to work toward the healthiest and most vibrant life possible.

  When you realize the impact of health-promoting activities on your overall well-being, it can be tempting to make a long list of health and fitness goals. That can be overwhelming. So, start with one simple goal. Maybe it's a goal to add more vegetables to your daily diet. Maybe it's a goal to add a physical activity to your schedule twice a week. Then use the worksheets, “Turning Wants into Goals” and “Goal Achievement,” in Appendix E to map out the activities and resources you'll need to achieve your health goal. You can also download copies of these worksheets from the book Toolkit at www.leveragingfi.com.