July, 2008   NEWSLETTER   from Bio-Magnetic Therapy.

Nutrition Tip:
Antioxidants found in olives have been shown both to raise HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, making olive oil a doubly potent protector against cardiovascular disease.

Achieving a healthy weight

Strategies for long-term success:

Lately, playing with your grandkids has left you worn out – you just can’t keep up with them anymore. You also find it hard to participate in activities you used to enjoy. You suspect your weight may have something to do with it. You also wonder if the additional pounds may be affecting your health.

You’re right to be concerned. The health implications of carrying excess body fat are well – known. These risks are even greater if you’re physically inactive and unfit. Plus, your chances of developing weight-related health problems increase as you get older. Overall, being overweight has many implications for your health and quality of life.

For these reasons, losing weight is a healthy goal for many. The good news is that weight loss that results from even a small reduction of body fat –about 5 percent to 10 percent – may improve your health and reduce your risk of weight-related diseases. Losing weight can also increase confidence and enable you to be energetic, strong, active and independent.

These health benefits can’t be achieved by quick fix, “miracle” diets that focus only on losing pounds. Most people who lose weight in this manner gain it back within a year.

Lasting success in managing your weight involves a long-term commitment to building healthy habits that last a lifetime. Healthy eating and physical activity – and staying motivated to continue these – are the building blocks of a healthy lifestyle. The intersection of all three factors is where you achieve a healthy weight.

Here, we’ll discuss the fundamentals of weight management as well as some practical tips and strategies to get you started on your lifelong commitment to healthy living.

Do you need to lose weight?

The first step in managing your weight is determining a healthy weight for your body type. Simply put, a healthy weight means you have the right amount of body fat in relation to your overall body mass. Stepping on the scale only tells you your total weight, not how much of your weight is fat. In addition, the scale doesn’t tell you where you’re carrying the fat. In determining health risks, both these factors – the amount of fat and where it is located – are more important than your weight alone.

Although there are ways to determine what percentage of your weight is actually fat, the procedures tend to be expensive, complicated and vary in accuracy. As an alternative, the National Institutes of Health has adopted an approach to determining a healthy weight based on three factors:

• Body mass index – Body mass index (BMI) is a tool that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. BMI values help determine whether you’re at a healthy or unhealthy weight. In some cases, BMI values can be misleading. For example, muscle weighs more than fat, so some athletes and physically fit people have high BMIs, even though they have very little excess fat. For most people, though, BMI is a helpful tool in estimating weight related health risks. If your BMI is less than 18.5, talk with your doctor to determine if your low weight is a cause for concern.
• Waist circumference – Determining where your body stores fat is important, since many diseases associated with excess weight are influenced by the location of fat on your body. If you can carry most of your fat around your waist or upper abdomen, you’re considered apple-shaped. If you carry most of your fat around your hips and thighs or lower body, you’re referred to as pear-shaped. Apple shapes have greater health risks because excess fat in your abdomen increases your risk of disease.

Measuring your waist will help you determine weather you’re carrying too much weight around your middle. Using a flexible measuring tape, find the highest point on each hipbone and measure around your body just above these points. In combination with your BMI, your waist measurement can indicate your risk of weight-related disease.

• Medical history – An evaluation of your personal and family medical history is also important in determining your healthy weight. If you have a family history of obesity or weight-related diseases, you may also be at increased risk. Other factors to consider are any health conditions you have and if you smoke and lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Considered together, your BMI, waist measurement and medical history can help you determine what weight is healthy for you. Talk with your doctor to decide whether losing weight would reduce your risk of certain conditions. For some people who are severely overweight – a BMI over 40 – and have a health problem as a result, surgery may be an option. However, surgery alone won’t solve a weight problem. Success depends on your commitment to healthy eating and an active lifestyle to ensure that weight stays off.

Even if your weight is within a healthy range, you may still benefit from adopting a healthy lifestyle if you haven’t done so already. Healthy eating can reduce your risk of certain diseases regardless of your weight. A balanced healthy lifestyle can improve your sense of well-being. Eating nutritious foods and engaging in regular physical activities is good advice for everyone, at any age, even if you don’t need to lose weight.

Fundamentals of healthy eating

            How would you like to enjoy an eating plan that includes delicious meals, convenience in the kitchen, optimum nutrition and allows you to eat your favorite foods? It sounds too good to be true – but it’s not. A healthy diet and weight-loss plan can include all of these.

            Although achieving a healthy weight may mean cutting back on some of your favorite foods and changing your eating habits, it’s possible to lose weight and still feel satisfied. Remember, this is a lifelong approach, so it needs to be enjoyable.

            Healthy eating involves a diet emphasizing vegetables, fruits and whole grains. These food groups are the foundation of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid. This approach is healthy and effective because it focuses on nutritious foods that have few calories for their volume. For example, you can eat 20 cups of salad greens to consume the same number of calories in one candy bar or six slices of bacon. So, by choosing to eat more- generous portions of foods found lower on the pyramid, you can consume fewer calories and still feel full.

            You need to reduce your calorie intake by about 3,500 calories – that’s 500 calories each day – to lose 1 pound in one week. This can also be accomplished through a combination of consuming fewer calories in your diet and burning more calories through physical activity. One pound may not seem like a lot, but healthy weight loss is slow and steady, at the rate of about 1 to 2 pounds a week. This number will depend on your age, sex, health risks and activity level. Daily calorie goals under 1,200 for women and 1,400 for men generally aren’t recommended, as you may not get enough nutrients.

            Because there are no banned foods in the Healthy weight Pyramid, you can still include your favorite foods and the occasional indulgence. The idea is to consume smaller portions or eat them less frequently to make sure they fit into your healthy eating plan and daily calorie goals. The number of servings of each food group you should consume is determined by your calorie goals. For the ranges on the pyramid, the lower number in the range is for lower calorie goals and the higher number is for higher calorie goals. In addition, the healthy Weight Pyramid allows you eat unlimited amounts of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, so you’ll always have something healthy to eat if you’re hungry.

            It’s important to remember that a serving isn’t just how much food you decide to eat but a specific amount of food defined by standard measurements. While a serving is a standard amount of food, a portion is the amount you put on your plate. A portion may include two or three servings, which is fine for fruits and vegetables, but may be excessive for fat, carbohydrate or protein. Learning about serving sizes is an important part of your healthy-weight plan. Using visual cues, you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll be able to remember and estimate serving sizes.

            Armed with your daily calorie goals and knowledge of serving sizes, you’re prepared to turn your unhealthy eating habits into healthy ones. Fortunately, there are a variety of strategies to help you make these changes. Keeping a daily food record has helped many people successfully lose unwanted weight. Designate an appropriate place in the house for eating and avoid distractions. Make a meal schedule and stick to it – whether it’s three meals and two snacks a day or six mini-meals, it will give you a better sense of control.

            Listen to your body. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full, even if your plate isn’t clear. Enlisting the help of friends, family or support groups are also helpful for some people. And remember to enjoy your food. Savoring and taking pleasure in eating will remind you how enjoyable and satisfying a healthy lifestyle can be.

Beyond the basics

            Maintaining a weight program takes dedication. In order to make healthy eating a lifelong endeavor, address the following.

·         Meal planning and shopping – Plan your meals around your daily serving goals. Try to include recommended servings from all the food groups throughout the day. Plan and shop by the week so that you have all the ingredients you’ll need. If you’re off target with your servings one day, make it up the next. Adapt your menus to the seasons to take advantage of fresh, tasty in-season produce. Shop at farmers markets to find local produce which tends to be the freshest. Shop from a list and don’t go shopping on an empty stomach. Read nutrition labels and have some healthy convenience foods on hand for when you’re in a hurry. Emphasize variety in your diet and don’t be afraid to try new foods.

·         Healthy cooking – Use healthy-cooking methods such as baking, grilling, broiling, steaming, and sautéing. Add flavor with herbs, spices, and low-fat condiments instead of butter and salt. Use nonstick cookware or vegetable cooking sprays instead of butter. Learn how to adapt recipes to make them more healthy. You can usually replace half of the fat in baked goods with applesauce and reduce the amount of sugar by one-half without affecting texture or taste. Choose lean meat and fish, and try going meatless a few times a week.

·         Eating out – Eating out too often can lead to weight gain because you typically don’t know how many calories you’re consuming. However, eating out can be fun and healthy if you plan ahead. Eat at restaurants that offer healthy options and moderate serving sizes. If you know you’ll be consuming more calories when you eat out, increase your physical activity that day. Look for tasty nonmeat options. Save half of your meal for the next day, and limit appetizers, bread, side dishes or high calorie beverages. As for sauces and dressings on the side. Finish the main dish before ordering dessert to see if you are still hungry. Order an appetizer as your main dish or split a meal with a companion.

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