Annual Physical

    There were recent news reports saying that the annual physical exam is unnecessary, that healthy adults can postpone it to every other year without ill effects.
     I disagree. I think the annual physical (with accompanying blood test) is important to catch problems before they get severe. I have a family history of prostate cancer, and the PSA reading is an important number to me personally, along with Cholesterol, Glucose (sugar) and Sodium levels, and the varied other categories that are Greek to you, unless one of the numbers is out of whack.
    I had mine just after Thanksgiving, as always. I am grateful to say that all of my numbers were in the prescribed range. The total cholesterol was 174, with the HDL "good cholesterol") at 68, LDL at 99, for a 2.6 ratio, well under the 5.0 or less desired number. My Triglycerides were 35 (under 150 is desired), and Sodium and Glucose were right in the middle of the desired range.
    I exercise all day, so these numbers should be good for me. I am still amazed, however, when the human body can be regulated within the desired range on all the categories in a blood test. It has to be a combination of fitness level, diet, genetics, and just plain luck!
    I think of all the things I eat through a year, and there are countless slices of pizza, many bagels with cream cheese, hundreds of cups of coffee, dozens of cheesy lasagna or baked ziti dinners, a good number of Entenmann's chocolate cookies, and a few Philly cheese steaks.
   It must be counter-balanced with the torturous workouts on the Concept 2 rower, the physically and mentally numbing treadmill runs, the Krav Maga classes, the pull-ups, push-ups, and dips; and the assorted other hours of step-ups, abs, resistance bands, and weights with my clients.
     I also try to counter-act the above diet downfalls with lots of seven-grain bread, low fat yogurt and cottage cheese, bananas, Power Bars, nuts, green tea, Met-Rx shakes, and apples. And I actually like eating healthy!
      Life is a balance. Your annual physical is a report card that tells you many things. Make it a good one!