Local
physician offers top five steps to better health in the new millennium
Feature Story with Photo
In
a search through the short list of healthy lifestyle role models available to
Lowcountry executives, one man turning up on everyone’s “A” list is Dr. William Maguire. An internist in private practice for 11 years,
McGuire maintains affiliation with Roper Hospital and keeps his offices in the
Roper Medical Office Building downtown.
Why do people turn to Maguire for advice concerning health issues? Quite simply, because he is a “walk the talk” kind of guy who definitely practices what he preaches. Nearly every day Maguire can be found lifting weights, surfing, skiing, biking or running through the streets of downtown Charleston and still have time for an active social life.
Physicians
are among the most overworked professionals in America, and Maguire is no exception.
But his time and health management philosophy includes a tall order of common
sense, a regular sampling of “the good life,” and a “just do it” mind set that
would make Nike executives proud.
According to Maguire, a staunch practitioner of these five ethics, the advances in modern medical science and treatment are being greatly offset by the utter breakdown of old-fashioned common sense.
The top ten causes of death in the U.S. are all directly linked to poor choices in individual lifestyle practices,” says Maguire.
Experts at the American Council on Exercise and the U.S. Surgeon General’s office agree. “Right now we are the most unhealthy nation of all time,” says Maguire. “There is a simple path to getting the most out of the rest of your life, and if you take the following five simple steps ‘dead’ serious, you might just live to see another century.”
1. Practice moderation. Avoid extremes at either end of the health spectrum. Use moderation in your exercise. Overdoing it is likely to cause more harm than good to your body. The same goes for the other end of the spectrum: enjoy a well-rounded lifestyle, but don’t go overboard.
2. Wash your hands often. Bet you didn’t expect this one.
But according to Maguire, most upper respiratory infections are caused
by viruses spread by touch, and antibiotics are useless against them. Upper
respiratory infection is one of the top two causes of workplace absenteeism.
(Low back pain, most often caused by improper lifting, is the other top cause.)
So next time you move something heavy, ask for a hand (preferably a clean
one).
4. Maximize human contact. “Depression is at an epidemic proportion and suicide ranks higher
than homicide among the top 10 killers of Americans,” says Maguire. “Nothing
substitutes for human contact where good health and longevity are concerned.”
Seek group contact at every opportunity, and further develop your spiritual
life for good psychological balance.
Says Maguire, “Like a song
always returning to the verse, it all comes back to common sense in lifestyle
choices.”