BALANCE, BEER FOR A BETTER YOU

With a tip of the hat to my friend G Miller – could there be another 3Bs possibility?

3Bs of raising boys just works, so what about 3Bs for a healthier you?

What if something so simple, so basic, could bring about some common logic and extended life longevity with happier trails along the way?

Balance, Beer for a Better You…

The 10-Second Test – Balance

Of course, nothing is certain, but a recent article pointed out that if you cannot balance on one leg for ten seconds while holding your other leg off the ground (bent a bit closer to your waist) you are at a higher risk of dying in the next ten years.  The test included those aged 35 and 50, both sharing similar outcomes.   

What does this tell us about ourselves?  That activity and staying fit matters. Not that you have to constantly be training for a marathon or be in the gym seven days a week, but doing a few basic bodyweight exercises 2-3 times a week while sprinkling in some basic movement (walking, for example) can have a positive impact.  Exercise that can be done anywhere and doesn’t require equipment is a great place to start. 

You don’t have to visit Dublin (over 750 pubs) to enjoy – Beer

Something about the European lifestyle is just sexy.  The French have their love of red wine, Italians sure have figured out how to make lunch a daily celebration, and a recent trip to Ireland introduced me to some great times visiting different pubs.  As it turns out, the Irish may be on to something with their passion for beer.

For years it was suggested that wine was a hidden solution for lowering cholesterol and little did I know that beer too can be part of this conversation.  Now, of course everything in moderation, but beer, like red wine, has an abundance of antioxidants in addition to a higher content of protein and plenty of vitamin B, iron, calcium, phosphates, and even fiber.  So, what does this all mean? That beer, like wine, can possibly help reduce the bad (LDL) cholesterol.

The biggest cost-driver in healthcare and – a Better You

The 90s introduced us to what different publications described as the “wonder drug”, a statin class of medications that promised many health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart attack by lowering cholesterol levels.  Today, no different than in the 90s, cardiovascular disease continues to be the number one reason for death, with high cholesterol being a leading indicator.

Although taking statins is not a silver bullet, it has had a positive effect.  As good as this is, still driving poor outcomes is the impact obesity has, and not just with high cholesterol levels but by reducing the number of other healthier outcomes, making it increasingly harder for being a better you.  With nearly 40% of adults obese in the U.S. alone, obesity translates to nearly 300 billion annually in the cost of healthcare spending.  Although there are different factors that contribute to a growing waste line (see balance, for starters), like statins of the 90s, what if the pharmaceutical industry could provide some options to help manage this ongoing problem?

Enter Ozempic and Mounjaro, and the immediate results (15% body weight loss) patients have seen losing weight using these medications; but at what costs, with the bell ringing at over $10,000 annually.  What the cost-benefit-trade-off is and who should pay the bill will be the debate that plays out in months and possibly years to come to find the balance moving forward.

If this edition of Coffee with Cote’ makes you a little thirstier, makes you feel like going on a walk, or left you wondering why you started standing on one leg, maybe – just maybe, a Better You is in your future.