Using Numbers to Measure Your Health Special Report Plus Bonus The Truth about Exercising

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1 Using Numbers to Measure Your Health Special Report Plus Bonus The Truth about Exercising Copyright Rosie Bank 2015 *Indicates see reference at end of this Special Report A ccording to the Center for Disease Control obesity is epidemic, serious and costly. More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese. You probably are already aware of this crisis. Who doesn t know someone who is a part of this tragic national statistic? There are numerous strategies for approaching this health/disease crisis and to eliminate your risk for the diseases associated with obesity. Let s look at how to use numbers to measure your health, ascertain and reduce your risk, and to make choices based on your own stats. We all know about weighing ourselves. However, the number on the scale is not conclusive in terms of measuring your health and determining your risk of or protection against disease. Intuitively you know what your ideal weight is. You know when you tip the scales and you know you re your skinny jeans fit you comfortably. However, there are more considerations in terms of identifying optimal health. Plus, just the

2 2 number that is your weight is misleading. A 5 6 person who is heavy boned and somewhat stocky will weigh more than someone of the same height who has light bones and less mass. However, the heavier person may not necessarily be at greater risk or less healthy just because her or his weight is higher. *** Beyond weight, there are three other measurements that are very useful for determining your health insurance and disease risk. 1. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. BMI essentially measures the amount of fat in a person s body relative to the rest of the entire body. In our culture that idolizes thinness, it is interesting to note that being normal is healthier than being too thin. You can see by this chart where you fall. As a reference point, being overweight or obese increases your chances for all chronic, degenerative, lifestyle induced diseases. These are cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes and all associated conditions. See below for some recommendations to improve your numbers and increase your chances to stay healthy.

3 3 As a quick reference, BMI below 18.5 is underweight. BMI is considered normal weight. BMI is considered to be overweight. Over and above 30.0 is considered to be an obese BMI.

4 4 2. Your waist circumference is the next thing to measure. The reason why this is such an important number is because central obesity is a critical clinical warning sign for the diseases mentioned above. Belly fat in excess tends to increase a variety of cancers because it can penetrate the viscera, or internal organs, and release a variety of cancer messengers. This kind of fat, also called killer fat, can create hormonal dysregulation, throwing off hunger and satiety signals from our body. This means that your body s natural and normal mechanisms for recognizing when to start eating, when to stop, and when you are full are off-kilter. This is one reason why deprivation dieting is devastating to your body when it s trying to regulate itself. It makes matters worse for anyone who wants to feel normal and confident around food and quantity. Excess belly fat is also part of a complex called Metabolic Syndrome*, which is a clinical pre-condition for diabetes. Can you see why this would be an important area to target to improve your health and reduce your risk for

5 5 disease? Measure your waist. The goal for men is 40 or less. For women, 35 or less is the goal. It is very interesting to note that finding your pants to be loser around your waist is potentially more reliable as a pro-health indicator than what the scale reads. 3. Get out the tape measurer for your waist/hip ratio. For men 90% is ideal. Women 85% is the magic number. This number also is useful to determine your health to disease risk ratio. The goal is to achieve the recommended proportions. If your numbers are higher than the aforementioned, you can target the se ideal numbers when making lifestyle adjustments, which will be discussed below. Can you see how clearly this can guide you towards making great strides in your health? Where to start, and what to do? *** The following action items will get you on track with your weight, your health, and these critical measurements. What this means to you is feeling and looking so much better, you might not recognize yourself. That might be a good thing! Plus the peace of mind that comes with having nailed your health you can t

6 6 even put a price tag on that. My clients report a feeling of relief that they never imagined possible before getting their bodies to support them in life and at work. 1. Download a BMI AP* on your smart phone. Or use the charts on line or in this article to determine your BMI. If you are in the normal range, continue with your activity level, food choices, and lifestyle. If your numbers are off, you have your work cut out for you. Get your tape measure out to determine your waistline and your hip to waist ratio. Use these numbers to know where you stand and what you need to focus on. Try not to be discouraged with what you discover. Knowledge is power, especially when you use it to propel you to take action. 2. Pay attention to portion control. If you tend to take in too much quantity (you feel stuffed and uncomfortable after you eat) reducing the amount of food you eat per meal will make a huge difference. This is not a diet. It s being more conscious and adopting a pro-health strategy that you can live with for an indefinite amount of time. Also identify the quality of food and avoid a diet loaded with simple carbs and junk. Fruits and veggies rule. Pretend you are a health nut when you make your food selections. If you have any tendencies toward binge eating, get some help. Binge eating disorders are extremely common, can wreak havoc to your life, and can be addressed working with a professional.

7 7 3. Avoid fad diets and go for lifestyle modifications. Never ever try to starve yourself or use gimmicky approaches to trick your body into getting healthier. Everything about crash diets is wrong, including your body knowing to hold on to every calorie you feed yourself while in deprivation mode. Astonish yourself with being normal around food, and make taking care of yourself a regular practice. Remind yourself that you are worth it every single day. 4. Consider working with a health coach*. He or she can guide you to creating a plan given your lifestyle, goals, concerns, and food preferences. Getting healthy is not always one-size-fits-all. A customized approach works wonders. Also, a trained professional can make the process so much easier, predictable, and enjoyable. Bonus section: The Truth about Exercising Although moving your body every day is among the smartest things you can do to stay healthy, be aware that you can t exercise enough to make up for an overindulgence of food. Since 75% of the calories you burn happen when your body is at rest, there is no reasonable amount of exercise to compensate for overeating. The trick is to get your furnace (metabolism) to burn at a steady rate throughout the day. This is called the resting basal metabolic rate. It will vary depending on how efficiently your body uses its fuel and energy storages, and how much fat is on your body. The point is to raise your basal metabolic rate in order to keep your body in an efficient calorie burning state. You will always burn more calories percentage wise while at rest then you will through physical exercise. But

8 8 ironically, exercise will improve your resting metabolism, thus giving you more energy throughout the day. This means that the more regular exercise you get, the more your body will stoke its own furnace (burn calories) when you are doing sedentary things. Talk about a great deal. This is for me an example of how incredibly wise our bodies truly are. Personally, I adore this feature of our bodies. Here is a critical take-away from this Special Report. The reason why almost everybody feels much better when they exercise is because of what happens when your body goes into burning energy (the furnace I referred to) versus storing fat. It s a stone cold fact that the more you move the more you will want to move. It feels infinitely better than being sedentary, or lethargic in your body. Not everyone gives himself or herself the chance to experience the contrast, but when they do, the difference is unmistakable. So, even if you don t love to exercise, a trick that works like a charm is to learn to love how you feel when you move. Go for that feeling, and you will get past the barricades you may have created between you and shakin your booty every day. Ideally, your approach to movement and exercise will include a combination of some strengthening, some flexibility, and some cardiovascular work. By building muscle, your chassis feels more supportive during the day, which can give you huge amounts of confidence. Increasing your flexibility helps with posture and a sense of feeling much more comfortable and relaxed throughout the day. As a yoga teacher and practitioner for many decades, I can testify to the fact that being flexible in your body helps you feel more open to life, ideas, and people in general. Getting your heart a good workout provides protection against every disease and can even prolong your

9 9 life. That s another place where your get a return on the energy you expend. Throw in all of those feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters* and you have a slam-dunk as a good deal for living more happily, confidently, and enthusiastically in your body. *** Please put some of these ideas into practice. I would be thrilled to hear what you learned, what you loved, and what made a difference for you. From the bottom of my healthy heart to yours, I wish you astonishingly radiant and vibrant health, and just the right numbers to tip the scale in your favor. With love and encouragement, Rosie Rosie Bank Certified Holistic Health Coach Author, Feel Great Lose Weight voice/text Ambassador for Institute for Integrative Nutrition

10 10 *References Metabolic Syndrome BMI AP Consider working with a health coach neurotransmitters