November 2019 – Health is Wealth

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Let’s talk about BMI today. What is BMI? Body Mass Index, BMI for short, is a measure of how your body is proportionate to your height. It is calculated by dividing the body mass in kilograms by the square of the body height in meters squared. A body mass index calculator can be accessed on the internet for anyone to calculate his BMI.

The BMI value is used to estimate how far an individual adult body weight departs from what is normal compared with a person’s height. From the value of the BMI, we can tell whether a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. Knowing one’s BMI is a good guide to health maintenance too.

In underdeveloped and poor countries, a low BMI of less than 18.5, is prevalent which may indicate malnutrition or other health problems. In other countries, a high BMI of more than 25 may indicate a society of overnourished individuals who are either overweight or obese. In developed countries, low BMI may indicate eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

The following table indicates how in general, how health risk can be anticipated with the value of BMI

Health Risk	BMI (kg/m²)
Risk of developing osteoporosis and nutritional deficiency syndrome.	Under 18.5
Low Risk (Healthy Range).	18.5 to 25
Moderate risk of developing heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and diabetes.	25 to 30
High risk of developing heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and diabetes.	Over 30

Overweight and obese individuals are associated with a 51% increase in mortality compared to normal weight persons due to a greater risk for the following diseases:

Coronary artery disease
Dyslipidemia (high cholesterol)
Type 2 diabetes
Hypertension
Osteoporosis
Stroke
Sleep apnea
Cancer
Gallbladder disease.

The next question that arises is, ‘How do we get an ideal BMI?’

We must take control of the situation to take control of our life.

Before taking any drastic action, if your BMI is relatively high, it is advisable to get a thorough medical examination. From the results of the medical checkup and with a qualified physician’s advice and monitoring, one would be more confident in achieving success. You never know your heart or kidneys are already compromised and you cannot suddenly embark on a rough exercise protocol. If you are still medically fit, then you can make plans to change your lifestyle habits. Change your diet to eating healthy and go on morning walks, cycle or join a taichi group. Getting enough rest (sleep) is also important.

low impact exercise healthy diet

If you are already diagnosed with any hypertension or diabetes, it is good to have a daily record of what you eat against readings from a glucometer and a blood pressure monitor. Investing in monitoring your health is a great investment for good health management.

Below are 3 links for you to explore how to improve your health or the health of loved ones with diabetes and hypertension. Simple exercises and change of diet will improve, if not reverse your diabetes and/or hypertension. Feel free to click the links below:

reverse your diabetes

reverse your high blood pressure

keto diet
Continue reading “Body Mass Index (BMI)”

What is a Healthy Lifestyle?

Today we will continue to talk about what a healthy lifestyle living is.

What does it take to be healthy and lead a happy and stress-free life?

Healthy people get to do what they want when they want, assuming they have no financial worries. People leading a healthy lifestyle get to go traveling on long journeys, enjoy leisure activities for fun and relaxation like walking, swimming, playing games, visiting friends and keeping up with their family and relatives. For those who are more adventurous, they may venture into activities like hunting, fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, cycling, rock climbing/hiking or even skiing.

So, what is a healthy lifestyle?

A healthy lifestyle would include the following:

1. Adopting a healthy lifestyle diet of balanced and nutritious meals. A balanced meal has the right proportions of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins. The relative proportions would vary between an adult, a child, and an elderly person.

2. Maintain an optimal weight BMI (body mass index). A good score for a normal person is a BMI score of 18.5 to 24.9. An overweight person would have a BMI score of 25.0 to 29.9. You are obese if you have a BMI score of 30.0 and above.

3. Participate in exercise or sports activities for attaining body fitness and feel-good feeling.

4. Getting adequate sleep is the fourth factor of a healthy lifestyle. When you have done all of the above, you will automatically find that you can get to sleep easier and there are fewer worries and less stress in your life.

5. Adopting good personal hygiene habits. The human body is a conducive host to germs, bacteria, and parasites to thrive. So practicing good personal hygiene is encouraged. Good hygiene includes taking regular showers, brushing the teeth at least twice a day, washing the hair with shampoo at least once a week, and washing hands with soap after visiting the restrooms. Other good personal hygiene habits would be to washing hands with soap before preparing and eating food, wearing clean clothes, and avoiding overcrowded places.

5. To complement the above healthy lifestyle habits, one should not smoke, drink alcohol, consume drugs and practice safe sex. It is better to stick to one partner than have multiple partners. You should also protect yourself from the ultraviolet radiation from the sun and get medical screening tests done at least once a year.

A healthy lifestyle means your life is more structured and less unpredictable.
A poor diet and lack of exercise would lead to obesity and a multitude of health problems like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.
A lethargic lifestyle is an unhappy lifestyle, so let’s get moving for a healthy life and increase our longevity.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle.

To most British people or British educated people, when they meet, the greeting is often, ‘ Hello, how are you?’. It is as if they are concerned over your well being. Who do people want to be healthy? What can healthy people do that unhealthy cannot?
You may have heard the saying that ‘health is wealth’. Having tons of money without good health to enjoy it, is meaningless.
Why do I hear chats behind my house so early in the morning by exercise freaks jogging or cycling? You see my house is located at the edge of a water catchment area where it is still green and we can still enjoy the fresh air and wildlife around it. The jogging and cycling track runs at the corner from the back to the front of my house.
Why do people sacrifice their sleep to hit the treadmill, push their bikes and butts out? Besides that, why do they watch what goes into their mouths, avoid sweet, salty and oily meals and go for nutritive and healthy lifestyle diets?

One would be rewarded for making a wise investment to lead an active and healthy lifestyle by regular exercise, adopting a healthy diet, conducting regular health screening and preventive maintenance at the healthcare clinics. The importance of a healthy lifestyle is supported by the following benefits:

1. DELAYS AGEING- INCREASE LIFE EXPECTANCY
A healthy body and mind will have no health issues The appearance of the skin, teeth and nails would improve.
The facial glow will make the person look younger. An increase in life expectancy would follow.

2. A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE
A healthy person will have the opportunity to enjoy his interests and hobbies like love for travelling. He also has the chance to
help those in need and contribute back to society.

3. INCREASE IN ENERGY LEVELS
A healthy person will have good mood swings and high energy levels. The good endorphins released during exercise promotes the
feel-good feeling.

4. AVOID DISEASE, PAIN, ILLNESS
Free radicals are being reduced in a healthy body. Coupled with the release of toxins from diet and exercise, the immune system is boosted and a healthy person would have good readings of blood pressure and cholesterol and also a reduced risk of contracting diabetes and heart disease.

5. REDUCE MEDICAL BILLS
With no life-threatening illnesses, a healthy person will have no hospitalization bills nor regular medical bills for medication and doctor visits. It is rather expensive to be unhealthy.

6. MORE PRODUCTIVE AT WORK, CLARITY OF MIND
A healthy person with high energy levels and clarity of mind would be more productive in whatever work or recreation he indulges.

7. LOOK BETTER, MORE CONFIDENT
A healthy person carries himself with confidence.

8. BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH FAMILY AND PEERS.
A healthy person enjoys a better relationship with his family and peers as he has peace of mind and mental stability as he is not
saddled with health worries and other distractions.

Being healthy is not a choice but a must-have. Although often not everyone is blessed with good health, one must try his utmost best to attain it while he still can. We will talk about how to get a healthy lifestyle in the coming articles.

Please feel free to comment and add what it means to you to be healthy.

Regards,

Annhariz