I spent five years studying the daily habits of 233 wealthy and 128 poor people. One of the discoveries I made, which surprised me, was that wealthy people were generally more health conscious than the poor. I just assumed that the wealthy liked to indulge themselves by eating exotic foods that were expensive and unhealthy. I also assumed that the wealthy liked to indulge themselves by engaging in more leisurely activities. Boating, for instance. Boy was I wrong. I was actually the opposite of right in my assumptions. My research clearly showed that the wealthy were very disciplined about their diet and how they spent their time. This discipline included daily aerobic exercise of 30 minutes or more and carefully planned meals that were low in calories and healthy. Here are some of the statistics from my research:
- 57% of the wealthy counted calories every day. Only 5% of the poor did this.
- 84% of the wealthy drank less than 2 glasses of alcohol a day. 54% of the poor drank more than 2 glasses of alcohol a day.
- 72% of the wealthy stayed away from candy. They ate candy less than 2 times a week. 69% of the poor, conversely, ate candy more than 2 times a week.
- 70% of the wealthy ate less than 300 junk food calories a day while 97% of the poor ate more than 300 junk food calories a day.
- 76% of the wealthy exercised aerobically 30 minutes or more a day, 4 days a week vs. only 23% of the poor.
- 75% of the wealthy avoid fast food restaurants, eating there less than 3 times a week. Compare that to the poor. 69% of the poor admitted to eating at fast food restaurants more than 3 times a week.
- Only 21% of the wealthy were more than 30 pounds overweight compared to 66% of the poor.
- Only 21% of the wealthy smoked cigarettes compared to 46% for the poor.
Getting Healthy – Let’s Take a Page Out of the Wealthy Playbook:
Heart disease continues to be the number one cause of death in the U.S. Not getting enough exercise, poor eating habits and obesity are primarily to blame. Here are some of the statistics:
- About 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year–that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. More than half of the deaths due to heart disease in 2009 were in men.
- Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing more than 385,000 people annually.
- Every year about 715,000 Americans have a heart attack. Of these, 525,000 are a first heart attack and 190,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack.
What to do? Exercising aerobically at least 20-30 min a day helps keep the pounds off and increases the production of good cholesterol (HDL). Eating foods that are high in HDL cholesterol and low in LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) will help keep the arteries clear and the heart healthy. Reducing how much you eat will also keep the pounds off. Obesity puts a significant strain on the heart and causes stress from guilt. Stress is also bad for the heart.
Good Cholesterol Foods: Alcohol in moderation, artichokes, avocados, baked potatoes, beans, berries, bran muffins, chicken, dark chocolate, eggs, high fiber foods, fruits, vegetables, garlic, green tea, niacin, nuts (especially walnuts), oatmeal, olive oil, omega 3 fat supplements, onions, orange juice, popcorn, raisins, salmon, halibut, mackerel, trout, tuna (albacore), soy products, tomatoes, turkey and whole grain pasta. All of these foods are high in HDL cholesterol.
Bad Cholesterol Foods: Hold on this is a longs list. Bacon, bologna, buter, cakes, cheese, clams, coconuts, cookies, crackers, doughnuts, egg yoke, french fries, fried foods in general, ham, hamburger, hot dogs, ice cream, lamb chops, mashed potatoes, mayonnaise, milk (2% or more), movie theater popcorn, onion rings, oysters, pastries, pies, pizza, pork, pot roast, potato chips, red meat, sausage, scallops, shellfish (lobster, crabs, shrimp), sour cream, steak, sugar, white bread and yogurt. All of these foods are high in LDL cholesterol.
Wow! No wonder heart disease is America’s #1 cause of death. Most of the food that tastes so good contributes to heart disease. Here’s the thing, however. What you eat is a habit. You’re eating these foods not just because they taste good but because you started eating them when you were younger and you formed a habit. The good news is habits can be changed and you don’t need to stop eating the bad food; you just need to moderate eating them. Plus, if you add some of the good cholesterol foods to your diet, you will increase your ratio of HDL to LDL and that’s what you want to do. More aerobic exercise, coupled with more HDL foods and less LDL foods means carrying fewer pounds, cleaner arteries and a stronger heart. Make health a habit.
About Thomas C. Corley
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