Math for Health: Do You Know Your Numbers?
One of the questions I always ask a new client is, “When was the last time 
you went to the doctor?” It surprises me how many tell me they don’t go to the doctor. The most common reason being that they are “healthy”.
How do they know they are healthy if they never visit their doctor? I’m not big on going to the doctor either, but an annual physical is a good idea. Most of these individuals have no idea what their cholesterol level is. And many find out for the first time what their blood pressure is during their fitness assessment with me.
There are key numbers you need to know that are essential for you to determine the status of your health. If you don’t know these numbers, then you need to get them. This will mean visiting your doctor and/or getting a blood test, possibly getting a fitness assessment with a personal trainer and some you can learn how to get yourself. These are the numbers you need to know.
What is your body mass index? If you don’t know what it is, follow these steps: Multiply your weight by 703, multiply your height in inches by itself (5′4″ would be 64 x 64), and divide the first number by the second number. The answer should be less than 25 to be in the healthy range. The higher the number, the higher the risk for coronary vascular disease. The body mass index isn’t always the most reliable indicator of your fatness level and should be used along with the body fat test.
What’s your target heart rate zone? Your heart rate zone tells you how hard you should be working out during aerobic exercise. If you don’t know yours, follow these steps: Take 220-your age=Key number, key number x .65=low end of target heart rate range, key number x .85=high end of target heart rate range. While exercising, keep your beats per minute within this range. When starting an exercise program, keep your heart rate in the lower end of your target range. As you become more fit, you will want to get your heart rate up into the higher range. A heart rate monitor can be very helpful.
What is your cholesterol level? There are four numbers that are important. You want to know your total cholesterol (it should be under 200), your HDLs, which is the good cholesterol (should be 60 or higher), your LDLs, which is the bad cholesterol (should be 100 or less), and your triglycerides (should be 150 or lower). Exercise can increase your HDLs.
What is your blood pressure? Find out through visiting your doctor, getting a finess assessment, or learning how to take your own blood pressure. It should be less that 120/80 to be in the healthy range.
What’s your glucose level? A fasting glucose should be 110 or less, at anytime it should be under 140. This measures the sugar in your blood. Over time, a high glucose level can damage the organs of your body. High levels can signify diabetes.
What is your body fat percentage? There are many ways to determine your body fat percentage. It can be done through a medical facility, by a fitness professional, or by purchasing a bathroom scale that measures body fat. Some tests are more accurate than others. Recommended for men: 10-25%. Recommended for women: 18-32%. A higher body fat level is an indication of being overweight or obese.
What’s your hip/waist ratio? This is an important measurement to determine your risk of disease from the accumulation of visceral fat (abdominal fat surrounding your vital organs), which is considered more dangerous than subvutaneous fat (the fat under your skin). To find your ratio, measure your waist and hips. Divide waist measurement by hip measurement. For men, you want the ratio to be 0.9 or less. For women, you want it to be .85 or less. If it is higher than this you are at an above average risk for heart disease. If it is 1.0 or higher for men and .95 or higher for women, you are at high risk for disease.
Don’t be discouraged if your numbers aren’t where you would like them to be. You can improve them through diet and exercise. However, you should check with your doctor first before starting any exercise program.
For your copy of my “Math for Health” form to record your numbers, please visit my website and send me an email. Be proactive with your health. Get those numbers!
More on Eating Well: Functional Foods
I know we’re all trying to keep our food costs down, however, we need to remember that the quality of our food is also important.
There are certain foods that we should be including in our diet – what is called “functional” foods – and those foods or ingredients that we should be keeping out of our diets as much as possible.
Functional foods go beyond nutrients. They have a thereupeudic quality to them that can help in the prevention of disease in our bodies. These are foods such as antioxidants, probiotics, essential fatty acids, and foods that have an antibiotic effect in our bodies. Antioxidants help protect against free radical damage in our body, reducing the risk of cancer and other diseases. They counteract the damage caused to our body from too much stress. Foods rich in antioxidants usually come from the fruit and vegetable group. One of the most important antioxidants, in my opinion, are berries, especially blueberries.
Probioticsinclude cultured or fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, fermented milk, and miso. You can also get them in supplement form. Probiotics are live microorganisms similar to the friendly bacteria that is found in our gut. They help to improve our immune system, digest and absorb nutrients, and help to offset the effects of antibiotics.
Essential fatty acids are the good fats that our body needs. Even if you’re trying to lose weight, you still need to make sure you include some healthy fats in your diet each day. Research has shown that essential fatty acids may help prevent against heart disease and other health conditions. There are two types of essential fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Our bodies need a balance between the two. Since we usually get plenty of the omega-6 in our diet, focus on the omega-3 fats, which is believed to reduce inflammation in our bodies (omega-6 fats tend to increase inflammation). However, even though these fats are good for you – use them sparingly. Fat is more calorie dense than carbohydrates or protein. A little goes a long way. Some foods to include are salmon, tuna, avacados, olive oil, and nuts and seeds. If you don’t like fish, you may want to consider supplementing your diet with fish oil.
You can enhance your health by including foods that act as a natural antibiotic without the side effects of pharmaceutical antibiotics. They can help protect you from getting colds or the flu by enhancing our immune system. My two favorites foods in this catagory are garlic and onions. I eat garlic everyday. My husband, the cook in the house, really gets carried away with the garlic. However, we rarely get sick!
Okay, what to avoid. Well, there is a lot to avoid. It would take me all day to give you a comlplete list. It’s important that you read your food labels and educate yourself about the ingredients of the foods you eat. However, there are two items I want to bring to your attention. They are hydrogenated oil, also known as partially hydrogenated oil or trans fatty acids, and high fructose corn syrup. These are two ingredients you will not find in my house. I refuse to buy any foods that list these on their labels. These ingredients have had a huge negative impact on the health of individuals in the United States and are believed by some experts to be the cause of the obesity epidemic in our country. You can find these items in bakery items, snack foods, pancake syrup, sodas and other sugary drinks. You will even find them in some so-called health foods, such as yogurt. It’s hard to find a yogurt in the grocery store that doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup in it. Removing these two items from your diet is one of the best ways of improving your health. However, those of you who eat out often will have a difficult time doing this. When you eat out don’t be afraid to ask about the food preparation and ingredients of the items on the menu. Some restaurants put this information on their websites.
Remember, on your way to eating frugally – don’t get too frugal -quality counts!
Don’t Let Obstacles Get in Your Way: Goal Setting Part II
Okay, so now you have set your SMART goals. Don’t stop there. There is more work to do. It’s easy to set goals – not so easy to stick with it and actually reach those goals. How many times have you set goals for yourself only to abandon them after only a few weeks? Some people never even get started!
You will need to set aside at least an hour or two for some reflection and soul searching for these next steps. You may want to use a small journal or notebook for this project. There is a great book and journal that can help you with this called, “First Steps: Your Healthy Living Journal” by Active Living Partners.
Step 1: Benefits -What’s in it for Me? List the benefits you will receive by attaining your goals. We all know that exercise has many benefits yet we don’t exercise. It’s important to make it personal! What benefits will motivate you to keep going?
Step 2: Reflect on Your Past. Do you have a hard time believing you can be successful at reaching your goals? Have you made attempts in the past and failed? Try not to focus on past failures in this step. The idea here is to focus on past success. What bad habits have you overcome in the past? Make a list of your past success stories. How did you make them happen?
Step 3: What Obstacles Can I Expect to Get in the Way? Everyone knows that physical activity is important. So why don’t we exercise? Most people say they don’t have enough time, they don’t like to exercise or they aren’t motivated to exercise. What are your reasons? Make a list of your obstacles to exercise. Pick your top three and spend some time coming up with solutions to these barriers. You will want to reevaluate these from time to time to see if they are working. If not, you will need to come up with new solutions.
Step 5: Creating Self-Belief. There have been many times, in my past, that my biggest obstacle to success is myself. Our self-defeating , negative thoughts and emotions can keep us from making the changes we know are important. Make a list of your negative thoughts that get in your way. Then take each of those thoughts and turn them into a positive, empowering message. If you’re new to exercise, having a coach or trainer can help you to master the skills necessary to be successful. As you master small steps, it will build your belief system so that you can take larger steps. If you don’t have a personal trainer, then find a friend or support group.
Step 6: Who’s Holding You Accountable? Research has shown that people are more successful at reaching their goals when there is someone holding them accountable. Having support is so important! It can be as simple as your husband reminding you to exercise, or a phone call or email from a friend. Maybe you have a friend that also wants to exercise more. You could agree to support each other and/or workout together. If you want a more formal arrangement, hire a personal trainer or lifestyle coach to call you once a week. Don’t skip this step!
Step 7: Sustain Your Committment Through Rewards. Rewarding yourself for positve behaviors can help you to reach your goals. Make sure you reward not only your long-term goals, but also your short-term goals. Please, don’t reward yourself with food!
Last Step: Putting it all together. The last step is to take those goals you set in Part I and the journal you created in Part II and create a contract for yourself. The contract should state your name, list your short and long-term goals along with when you want to achieve them, and what your rewards will be. List your three top obstacles and how you plan to overcome them. Lastly, you will sign and date the contract. You must also have a witness sign the contract. Post this in a place where you can see it every day. Make sure you review it often and reevaluate it periodically, making changes as necessary. Don’t be afraid to modify your goals from time to time. Anyone who would like a sample goal sheet, visit my website and send me an email. Good luck!
Get SMART: Setting Your Exercise Goals
Now you’ve got your home gym set-up and you’re ready to get started. Not sure where to start? If you want to make progress and get results then it’s time to set some goals for yourself.
Most people start their fitness program with only a vague idea of how to get results. To stick with your program and get the results you are looking for you will need to set SMART goals. SMART goals are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic/Relevant, and Time Anchored.
Specific: Do you just want to lose weight or do you want to lose body fat? There’s a big difference! How many pounds do you want to lose? What is your body fat percentage right now and what would you like it to be? How many inches do you want to lose? What do you want to be able to do, look like, feel like? The more specific you are, the better.
Measureable: Your goals need to be measureable. This is why a fitness assessment is so important. If you can’t afford a personal trainer, you may still want to spend the money for a fitness assessment. This will give you a starting point. It will include weighing you, taking measurements, conducting a body fat test, and taking a health history. Other tests included may be a Vo2 max test, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance tests. Once you have this information you can establish your goals. These should include short term and long-term goals with specific dates when you want to achieve these goals. You will also want to include performance, process and outcome goals. The performance and process goals will help you to achieve your outcome goals.
Attainable: These goals focus on activity that will produce results. They use words such as “I will…I am going to…”. It must be a goal that is attainable.
Realistic: Many people set goals that are too lofty or unrealistic, or evern dangerous – such as loosing 20 lbs in one month, or “I want to run a marathon in two months” when you have never ran before. If your goal is too far out of reach, you will only get frustrated and quit. You want your goals to be challenging but achievable.
Time Anchored: When do you want to reach your goals? Set a long-term goal date, but also set dates for short-term goals. This will help keep you motivated along the way. An example of a long-term (outcome) goal would be “I will lose 12 lbs of body fat in three months (specific date).” A short-term (process) goal would be “I will lose 1 lb per week by getting 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week and two weight training sessions per week. ” As I mentioned before, you can also set performance goals. Performance goals can help you achieve outcome goals. An example of a long-term performance goal would be “I will get at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity per day, six days per week, and weight training 3 times per week. ” A short-term performance goal would be “I will get 30 minutes aerobic activity 2 times per week and 1 weight training session the first two weeks. I will increase that to 30 minutes of aerobic activity 3 times per week and weight training to 2 times per week for the next two weeks.”
Last thought – make it personal! Do it for yourself, not for someone else. Don’t decide to lose weight because your doctor told you to do so. You have to want to do it. And remember, goals aren’t set in stone. You need to reevaluate your goals on a regular basis and adjust as necessary. More on goals later.
Fitness on a Budget: Part II
Would you like to set up a home gym but are concerned about the cost? There is no need to purchase a lot of expensive equipment. It is also not necessary to purchase everything new. There are so many options for purchasing inexpensive exercise equipment.
Many people purchase exercise equipment with good intentions, yet end up never using the items. They end up being put in a yard sale or advertised in the newspaper and on-line sites, such as craigslist and eBay. This is a great place to start. You can also purchase used equipment at used fitness equipment retail stores, such as Play It Again Sports. There are many inexpensive items that you will probably want to buy new for safety reasons.
Some great items for any home gym include a jump rope, stability ball and other small training balls, two or three medicine balls of various weights, tubing and bands, and a few pair of dumbbells and a stretching mat. One of my favorite pieces of equipment is the Reebok Step with several risers. This is great for warming up and for some killer leg workouts. It can also double as a weight bench. These are your basics, and really all you need for a good workout.
If you have more dollars to spend and would like some more variety, I would suggest adding some balance equipment, such as a Bosu Trainer (available at Costco at a great price), dyna discs, and a balance board of some kind. There are many varieties available. If you need more weights, you may want to purchase a power block, which saves space.
Keep in mind that it is not necessary to purchase any equipment at all to get started. Utilize the stairs in your home or work, fill up a pair of tube socks with sand, get out some canned goods for weights. A couple of bleach bottles filled with sand and placed on each end of a broom stick makes a great barbell. Get creative!
This is a great start for a home gym. You can always add more expensive items later on, if you wish. However, you can get a GREAT workout with these items. Warm-up before and after your workout and don’t forget to stretch!
