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KNOW YOUR HEALTH NUMBERS.
“WHAT GETS MEASURED, GETS MANAGED”
We are all stressed by the fact that there are so many numbers we need to remember. It is, however, essential to know the numbers that help you monitor your health status.Whenever you visit a doctor for a routine physical and blood test, make sure to make a note of the numbers because they provide clues to your health. Remember, what gets measured gets managed. It’s not only necessary to know that you have high or low cholesterol, but it is also helpful to know how high it is and how low you have to bring it by doing what.
Body Mass Index(BMI)
What does it signify: BMI measures your weight in proportion to your height. It is a measure of your body fat. You can calculate the BMI by dividing the weight in pounds by your height in inches. You can also use several proprietary BMI calculators available online. Excessive body fat increases your risk of heart attack and diabetes and also increases your chances of developing sleep apnea.
What’s a healthy range:
Normal BMI is between 18.5-24.5 kg/m2. BMI value greater than 25 is classified as overweight.
How to normalize BMI:
Try to create a healthy weight loss plan and aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week.
Make your diet predominantly whole food and plant-based.
Maximize vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, and cereals in your diet.
Switch white bread and white twice to whole wheat bread and brown rice.
Switch whole milk or 2% milk to skim milk or Plant milk.
Avoid sugary desserts and drinks. Maximize fruits as dessert.
Avoid empty calories from sodas. Switch to Stillwater, carbonated water, 45 water, flavored water, or healthy beverages such as probiotic, Kombucha.
Waist Circumference:
Why it Matters: Extra weight around the waist increases your risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Excessive waist circumference predisposes you to develop diabetes and heart disease in the future. The easiest way to measure waist circumference is to wrap the tape measure around your middle at the level of the belly button.
Healthy Range:
Normal waist circumference range is 35 inches or less waist circumference for women and 40 inches or less for men.
How to improve your number:
The dietary measures outlined above are useful to shrink waist size.
Active lifestyle, aerobic exercise at least 30 minutes a day for five days in a week, and strength training, workout two days a week is beneficial.
Blood pressure:
Importance of High Blood Pressure:
High blood pressure can continue to damage body organd without giving you any symptoms, it is therefore essential to get it tested routinely. High blood pressure increases, risk or heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, vision impairment.
Normal Range:
The typical range is 1 20/80 mm Hg. High blood pressure guidelines have been revised. Blood pressure greater than 120/80 is classified as elevated. Blood pressure more than 140/ 90 is classified as Hypertension.
How to normalize blood Pressure:
If your doctor prescribes medications, take them regularly. Modifying diet, exercising routinely, reducing alcohol intake, minimizing salt intake, increase potassium intake in your diet are helpful measures including lowering of blood pressure. For a detailed list of non medicinal ways to reduce blood pressure, refer to the detailed description in our pre-seminar package.
Cholesterol:
What are the harmful effects of high cholesterol:
High total cholesterol, bad cholesterol (LDL), and triglyceride levels, and low HDL levels, all contribute to the deposition of fatty plaques in the arteries, which are precursors of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and peripheral vascular disease.
Healthy Range:
Total cholesterol-less than 200 mg/dL
LDL cholesterol less than 100 mg/dL
HDL cholesterol less than 50 mg/dL
Triglycerides less than 150 mg/dL.
How to lower cholesterol numbers:
If your physician makes the determination that you need to take any cholesterol-lowering drug such as a statin, you must take it.
Avoid food high in saturated fat ( bleed, chicken, whole milk, butter, cheese), and transparent(french fries, cookies, pastries). Substitute with foods that are high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Fish, no lower, polypoid, nuts, seeds, avocado).
Blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c:
Why monitor:
High blood sugar and high Hemoglobin A1c indicates that you may have diabetes. Both tests help manage follow-up and control of diabetes. Diabetes leads to complications such as heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and poor vision.
Your doctor will create a schedule for monitoring blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c regularly, based upon your results and after considering whether you are diabetic or not.
What are good numbers:
Generally, try to aim to keep your fasting blood sugar 100 and globin A1c below 5.7.
How to maintain healthy numbers:
Periodic follow-up with your physician and compliance with medications is needed to optimize control of diabetes with drugs and insulin.
Modify your diet with greater emphases on hold when wheat and rice, healthy vegetables, low glycemic index fruits, and avoiding salt processed sugar desserts are needed. Keeping a food gentleman is also helpful.
Follow a regular exercise regimen to burn calories.
What is your risk of attack or stroke over the next ten years?
Your risk of developing a heart attack, stroke, or significant heart disease in the next decade can be estimated with the help of risk score stool that researchers have produced. The chart below describes one such table recommended by the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association. It is easy to use. You can go online, punch in your numbers, and print out your risk of developing a heart attack over the next ten years. You must discuss the findings in detail with your physician with regards to the next step.
Do not worry. When you come to join our program , we will help you get all the necessary tests to know your numbers . As you continue to follow recommendations of our program you will notice gradual normalization of all the abnormal numbers .