I hear people my age, and especially younger than my age, say that they never go to the doctor and have a physical because they don't have anything wrong and it's a waste of time. Oh my! If you get your health in line when you are younger and take preventative measures to stay there, it's so much easier than trying to fix it when it's broken!!
The first step to a healthy lifestyle is to have a physical and have your numbers checked. Case in point, Chad and I are the same age, eat the same foods, exercise together, but guess what, his cholesterol is high, and he has high blood pressure even though his weight is good. Why?? Because of something none of us can control. Heredity! SSSHHHHHH ....he will kill me for using him as an example and telling you this info!! Those are silent things that have no symptoms. Thankfully, his nurse wife knows a physical every year is important, and he takes medicine to keep those in check, (natural medicines here when possible :D ). I love my Dr's office! They draw everything on us from vitamin panels to hormones and more. But, what are the key ones that are so important to your overall health?? I am so glad you asked!
Blood Pressure
Measures the pressure put on artery walls when your heart beats and between beats.
140/90 mm Hg or above is high
120/80 to 139/89 mm Hg is prehypertension
Less than 120/80 mm Hg is normal
Know the "good" (HDL), the "bad" (LDL) and the fats (your triglycerides). The higher your HDL, the lower your chance of heart disease, while the more LDL and triglycerides you have, the greater your chance of heart disease.
Total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL
HDL levels at 50 mg/dL or above are ideal
LDL levels should be below 130 mg/dL (even lower with certain health issues)
Triglycerides should be below 150
is the measure of how much sugar (glucose) is in your blood. High blood sugar can signal diabetes.
Fasting levels below 100 mg/dL are healthy
Fasting levels between 100 mg/dL and 125 mg/dL are considered prediabetes
Fasting levels of 126 mg/dL or higher typically result in a diabetes diagnosis
Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI indicates whether or not a person is overweight, or obese. Weight (in pounds) ÷ heighth (in inches) X 703 = BMI. While it is not a perfect measure and does not take in to accountant bone mass for each person, it is a very close and good indicator.
19 to 25 indicates a healthy weight
26 to 30 is overweight (excluding well-muscled individuals)
31 or higher is considered obese
Calculate your BMI.
Waist Circumference
The number of inches around your unclothed abdomen, just above the hip bone, can indicate your risk for some diseases like diabetes.
A measurement of less than 35 inches is desirable for a woman and less than 40 inches for a man. Not really fair, why do they get to have more inches!
Chad and I go to the doctor every January and start our year off right. If you haven't gone in a long time, it's time to go find out your numbers! Your body will come thank me :D
Brandy Kisner
Health & Wellness Coordinator
