Bratislava, May 17, 2018 – Health is the most valuable thing we have. Paradoxically, often many of us realize this when we loose it. Through incorrect nutrition and diet, lack of exercise or stress. In short – unhealthy lifestyle. On the other hand, to find your way through the deluge of information about what is good for the body and what is not, is today, in an Internet era, untrained professionals and fake news, a problem.

The fact that health is our most valuable asset is also acknowledged by our largest bank – Slovenská sporiteľňa. And that's why its protection has become the main topic of this year's first Ladies’ Business Club, Erste Private Banking.

The special evening was opened by Jana Holíková, a member of the Erste Private Banking team, which covers this forum. "We want the Ladies Business Club to inspire and educate. To discuss together the important issues that we often forget during our busy days. Health is undoubtedly such issue," said Jana Holíková.

Health myths that were debunked at the Ladies' Business Club

My grandmother suffered from this illness, the mother too, I'll also have it...

But it does not have to be that way. Because even if you have a hereditary predisposition, you can change a lot too. "Genetics has great power. What affects us primarily is how, and in what environment we live in, and how we actively form this environment," said MUDr. Ján Goljer, CSc., Director of Goljer Clinic.

The Ladies Business Club Health, the most valuable asset, was specially dedicated to the kidneys. They are just as important to our lives as the heart or the brain, and about half a billion people worldwide suffer from their disease. The kidneys act as a blood filter and affect blood creation, regulate the amount of water and minerals, participate in blood pressure control, maintain a stable acidity of the inner environment, and produce the hormone calcitiriol, i.e., vitamin D. To help you prevent failure of such vital organs such as the kidney are, you need to know how to protect them. "If you do not know, you have to learn it. Poor supply of healthy fluids, especially pure water, lots of salt and proteins are extremely harmful to the kidneys,“ explained Doc. MD. Martin Demeš, PhD. MPH, head of the 1^st Department of Internal Medicine of the Slovak Medical University and the University Hospital Bratislava, who has been treating kidney diseases for many years and added that what damages the kidneys also damages the vessels.

Ladies, pay attention also to frequent headaches. "It may already be a signal of high blood pressure that causes kidney diseases. If you treat your headache with analgesics that are themselves harmful to the kidneys, you are making things even worse and, unfortunately, you can become my patient," explained Martin Demeš. In other words, it can be a more serious illness than a common headache, so see your doctor.

I take care of myself. I drink gallons of water because it is healthy ...

And you are not doing the right thing. On the one hand, never rely on a subjective sense of thirst, because when you feel the thirst, the body is deficient in fluids. The old known rule says that an adult person should drink 2 to 2.5 litres of water a day. But if you want to be more thorough, calculate exactly what is best for you. How? Multiply your weight by 0.035. If you are overweight, add 0.25 litre of fluids for each 11 kilograms overweight.

And keep in mind that it is certainly not good to drink water every ten minutes. In that case, you would be on the best way to become so-called aquaholic. "When someone consumes so much, I ask him whether he sets the alarm while he is sleeping and wakes up every ten minutes to drink," shared with us Martin Demeš.

I eat lots of protein, I avoid fat and carbohydrates and I eat every 2 hours ...

You are making a mistake. Both doctors during the Ladies' Business Club have repeatedly stressed that everything should be done in moderation.

Let's take it step by step: how about proteins? If you are not an active athlete and you are not build muscles, you should eat 1 gram per kilogram of your weight per day.

In recent years, carbohydrates have been identified as the greatest enemy of a healthy diet. But the truth is different, especially when we take into account that carbohydrates are one of the main sources of energy for our body.

Same also goes for fats: it is extremely important to daily receive fats, especially those that are beneficial to us. They deliver energy, provide absorption of various vitamins, protect organs, nerves and tissues, also contribute to the production of essential hormones in the body and also maintain healthy hair, skin and nails. "Prefer unsaturated fats. They can be found in olive oil, butter, nuts, or seeds. Good fats are also found in vegetables or fish. On the contrary, avoid industrially created trans-fatty hydrogenated fats,“ responded Ján Goljer.