How to Calculate Your Body Mass Index

The Body Mass Index or BMI as it is known in it short form is a calculation that estimates whether or not you are at a healthy weight.  This is important as being overweight puts a strain on your heart and can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, varicose veins, sleep apnea, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

How Does It Work?

Your BMI estimates how much you should weigh, based on your height. Here are the steps that are used to  calculate this formula:

• Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
• Divide that answer by your height in inches.
• Divide that answer by your height in inches again.
• For example, a woman who weighs 270 pounds and is 68 inches tall has a BMI of 41.0.

The BMI is a set of standards known as the Body Mass Index Categories. The standards are stated as below.

BMI CATEGORY 

• Below 18.5    Underweight
• 18.5 - 24.9     Healthy
• 25.0 - 29.9     Overweight
• 30.0 - 39.9     Obese
• Over 40          Morbidly obese

Most experts conclude that a BMI greater than 30 (obesity) is unhealthy. The greater it is the more likely you are to develop a health production.

BMI may become important when it comes time to apply for health insurance. You can be denied health insurance if you have a BMI over 30.

Results or Effects

Calculating your BMI is usually an accurate way to determine whether or not you can lose weight. This is true unless you are very old, a child or a body builder.

The reason that the standard BMI calculations may not apply to body builders is because they usually have more muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. This throws the calculation off. Fitness experts and trainers have other ways of calculating body index mass for body builders.

The elderly are expected to have a BMI that is between 25 and 27 and not under 25. This is because being too thin is not a sign of health in the elderly. Having more BMI is an indication that their bones are not developing osteoporosis.

The BMI is not an appropriate tool to use estimate a child’s fitness. To make a correct assessment of a child’s BMI there are numerous factors to consider. That is why it is best to have a doctor decide whether or not your child has a health body mass index.

For more information about the Healthy & Active Program please visit our website at www.healthy-active.com. You may also call us in Toronto at (41) 440-2217 and ask for Adrienne Wright Bulow or Dr. Michael Rahman or email us at adrienne@healthy-active.com.

 

Withdrawing From An Unhealthy Lifestyle

For some people changing their lifestyle can be very difficult. They can suffer from withdrawal symptoms from the old lifestyle on three levels: physical, mental and emotional.  Physical pains can come from some very real changes in biochemical processes in the body. Psychological pain can result if the bad habit was somehow protective of an inner vulnerability. Mental issues such as foggy thinking or memory loss can be the result of liver cleansing and the fatigue that can come with a body that is trying to repair and cleanse itself.

Common Withdrawal Symptoms

The good thing is these symptoms pass in just a couple of days.  Many people become cranky and lethargic.  It is very common to get headaches, foggy thinking and fatigued. If you are quitting caffeine or cigarettes, you could get constipated.

Some people have insufferable cravings for sugar when they go on one of these fasts.  Caffeine addicts can also have a hard time.  Both caffeine and sugar are really hard to withdraw from if you have been eating it any day.

If you are a steady drinker and you give up alcohol, you will likely experience the stress and anxiety that you were trying to blot out with your drinking.  If you are drinking to obliterate reality then you might see changing your habits as a chance to deal with your problems and traumas. 

Sometimes breaking a bad habit is not as bad as it seems especially when your start producing your own endorphins as the result of exercising more and eating right. This decreases your dependence on whatever it is you are addicted to in life whiter it be sugar, fat, salt, nicotine or alcohol.

Alcohol acts a lot like sugar does in the body and you may feel agitated if you don’t get your fix.  Giving up caffeine makes some people very moody and jittery.  Giving up gluten (breads and starches), however, sometimes gives some people an immediate relief from any irritable bowel type symptoms. Processed flours also act in the body much the same way sugar does.

Meatless Without Misery

Not eating meat can make some people feel quite lethargic as well. There are plenty of proteins and amino acids in plant-based food, without all the unhealthy fat and additives. However, if meat was the mainstay of your diet before the fast you may not feel that great and experience a lot of cravings until you get used to the idea of eating more alkaline foods.  Alkaline foods tend to be vegan whereas meats tend to be acidic in nature.

Not Everyone Has Symptoms

Some people do not have a hard time at all when they switch from an acidic to alkaline diet and almost everyone feels lighter and more energetic within a day or two of eliminating acidic foods from their diet and replacing them with more alkaline ones.

Be patient. Your physicality needs to have a chance to find its own natural balance.

After changing your diet from an acidic one to an alkaline one you are left with more balanced blood sugar and freedom from old addictions.  You will hopefully be onto a newer and healthier routine that includes the balancing of your blood sugar, weight loss and freedom from addictions.

For more information about the Healthy & Active Program please visit our website at www.healthy-active.com. You may also call us in Toronto at (41) 440-2217 and ask for Adrienne Wright Bulow or Dr. Michael Rahman or email us at adrienne@healthy-active.com.

What to Expect When You Go Alkaline!

Maintaining an alkaline body pH is a huge part of sustaining your health when you embark on the Healthy and Active Program.  This is a permanent lifestyle change. It is not just a vacation from your regular eating habits. It is about changing your lifestyle habits so that you are healthier once and for all.

Give Your Body A Head Start On Healing

When you eat the alkaline way you are giving your body the opportunity to heal itself. It might be a bit hard at first to give up all of the acidic things you put in your body but if you want to stay well or prevent a chronic disease from ruining your days then the best thing to do is give up nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, saturated fat, junk food, additives a and chemicals.

Taking Responsibility for Your Health Is Empowerment

The pH balance scale

Going alkaline is also about recognizing that you area the one responsible for the state of your own health and that in this day and age practicing preventative medicine is the ethical thing to do. It is also cheaper in the long run if you take responsibility for yourself now by keeping your body as alkaline as possible. When you decide to make that decision to eat alkaline foods, you will feel a sense of pride and accomplishment because you have made the ethical decision, not only to eat less meat and leave less of a carbon imprint in the world, but also to be less of a burden on the medical system.

In essence, you will feel good because you will have taken control of your health and also your life!

You Will Achieve An Enduring Sense of Well-Being

Eating alkaline foods has a fantastic effect on your physical, emotional and mental state. A greater sense of serenity, peace and calm often is the result of the process. Most people also achieve a more youthful appearance and a healthy, vibrant glow once they change their diet to a deliberately alkaline one.

You should also be aware that changing your diet can be physically uncomfortable for some people.  However many people do not experience any physical problems at all but some people really do.  If you do it means you are physically addicted to whatever you have eliminated from your life – it could be anything from cigarettes to booze to sugar!  The good news is that for most people the symptoms pass within just a few days.  However, if your patterns are deeply ingrained then it might be a bit more difficult for you to adjust to your new diet.  Many people get gas, bloating and other digestive upsets. However these symptoms do not usually last that long.

The good news is that if you do have discomfort of any kind from changing your diet from being acidic to alkaline that there are support therapies for making the process easier including periodic fasting, liver support therapies, acupunctures and other modalities that can help you make the adjustment easiest.

For more information about the Healthy & Active Program please visit our website at www.healthy-active.com. You may also call us in Toronto at (41) 440-2217 and ask for Adrienne Wright Bulow or Dr. Michael Rahman or email us at adrienne@healthy-active.com.

Rev Up Your Metabolism With a Daily Morning Practice

Developing a morning practice is a way of regimenting your life so that you repeat a number of healthy habits each and every morning.  Here are some suggestions for developing a daily morning practice that can help kick-start your metabolism.

1. Wake up at dawn.

The human body thrives when it is in sync with the movements of nature. If you want to rev up your metabolism then make it a habit of getting up as close to dawn as you can every day.  This helps your body acknowledge its natural circadian rhythms, one of which is the urge to empty the bowels and bladder as early as possible in the morning. If we don’t do this then our body reabsorbs toxins.

If this means going to bed earlier so you can rise at dawn then try your best to do this.

2. Drink lukewarm water with lemon.

The first thing you should drink after you wake up is a glass of lukewarm water in which you have squeezed the juice of a fresh lemon.  If it is hard for you to swallow this than you can add a dab of honey or balsamic vinegar glaze.  After you drink the lemon water follow it up with a tall long cold glass of water.  For many, this helps stimulate a bladder and bowel movement.

3. Do some stretches to limber up your muscles.

To keep your body flexible and get the blood flowing do some basic stretches.  The Five Tibetan Energy Rejuvenation Poses written about earlier in this Healthy and Active Blog are ideal for this purpose.

4. Bounce up and down!

To get your lymph moving and your metabolism set to burn mode jump rope, jog or do some rebounding.  This helps wake you up and gets the oxygen speeding through your body.  Rebounders are mini-trampolines that cost between $28.00 and $60.00 to purchase and offer an affordable way to stay in shape.

5.Speed up your metabolism by lifting weights

Lifting weights for just twenty minutes every morning helps train your body to burn fat all day and also cuts your appetite.

6.  Enjoy a caffeinated beverage.

Whether you prefer to get your caffeine from coffee, green tea, black tea, hot cocoa or even caffeinated water, it is a helpful aid when it comes to speeding up your metabolism and helping your body get moving.

Finally, there is a seventh floating step that you should try and include in your routine called  “Meditate for Ten Minutes.”  Meditating for just that short time can help you feel relaxed, wake up your brain and feel ready to focus on the day ahead.  When you meditate is a matter of personal preference.  You can meditate just after you wake up, after you empty your bowels, after you are done bouncing and lifting weights or during your cup of morning caffeine.  How you want to fit this necessary step into your practical morning routine is completely up to you.      

For more information about The Pinewood Institute for the Advancement of Natural Medicine courses including course outlines, detailed descriptions of courses and information about upcoming training sessions, please go www.pinewoodinstitute.com.  You can also send us an email using our email form at http://pinewoodinstitute.com/contact.aspx or call us at 416-656-8100. If you prefer to fax the number is 416-656-8107.