Body mass index is a measurement used by the medical community to determine healthy body weight. It is the standard used to decide if patients are overweight or even obese. For years, it has been considered the most telling sign of overall health. Considering the importance placed on this figure by the medical community, a surprising number of people are unaware of what body mass index is, and why – or why not – it is considered significant to their overall health.

Body mass index, or BMI, is derived by relating your height to your weight. An ideal, healthy adult should have a BMI that falls between 18.5 and 25. BMI does not take into account body fat content, which is another significant indicator of health. For this reason, BMI is not effective on those with a very muscular or athletic build. The BMI indicator would show them to have a mass far too great for their height, which this scale presumes to be unhealthy.

Because of this, other factors are now being used in place of BMI. One of these is waist circumference. One common area that they body store excess fat is around the middle or the body, and often indicates health risks for high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. For women, the cut off for a healthy waist circumference is 32 inches; for men, 37 inches. This measurement should be taken at the smallest point of the waist.

Another method now used to supplement a BMI measurement is size ratio of the waist and hips. Recent studies have shown that waist-hip ratio is in fact the best indicator of excess body fat and increased risk of heart disease and high cholesterol. This is due to the fact that after the waist, the hips are the most common area for the body to store fat. The waist measurement should again be taken at the smallest point of the waist; the hip measurement is taken at the widest point. The ratio is waist in inches over hips in inches. For women, a ration under 0.8 is considered healthy; for men, 1.0 is the healthy cut-off.

As research continues to emerge, our knowledge of how to measure our body’s health will continue to improve. There is not currently sufficient research to support any one measurement as a blanket statement of health. Instead, take into account several measurements, and other health factors such as your level of activity, alcohol intake, and diet. If you are getting conflicting measurements, or are unsure about the healthfulness of your lifestyle, the best person to discuss concerns with is always your doctor.

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The human body is made so that it needs certain fats to function. These fats can actually help you stay healthier and can increase nerve function as well as helping your cells keep their integrity. These fats are known as Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. When you hear someone talk about good fats these are the two fats to which they are referring. Let’s take a look at both of them to see what you can gain by making sure you get enough of them in your diet.

Monounsaturated fats will actually help lower your overall cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol according to many doctors. In addition to these benefits they can also raise your good cholesterol levels. Some of the best sources of monounsaturated fats are actually quite tasty. They include foods such as almonds, avocados, and peanuts. You can also find many different oils that contain monounsaturated fats such as olive oil.

Polyunsaturated fats performed much of the same benefits that monounsaturated fats do. These fats are typically found in fish and the popular Omega-3 fatty acid is actually a member of this group. Certain vegetable oils such as corn, and sunflower oils have high levels of polyunsaturated fats and can be very good for you.

It is important to remember however that some fats are bad. Saturated fats are probably the most well known. These are the fats will impact your blood cholesterol levels badly. Unfortunately, saturated fats are the most common fats and the majority of us may not even know just how harmful they could be. You can find saturated fats in many meat products as well as dairy. However there are a few vegetable oils you may also want to avoid such as coconut oil and palm oil.

Last but not least, we have trans fats and these are actually created through a process called hydrogenation. You’ve probably seen the term hydrogenated oil on food labels before but you may not understand how this process works. In order to get hydrogenated oil you have to take regular oil and force hydrogen through it. This does provide benefits such as making the oil lasts longer without spoiling, but it unfortunately it is not very good for you. Trans fats are usually found in fried food, but may also appear in foods such as margarine,

Now that you know which fats are good and bad don’t forget to read your food labels to make sure that what you are eating is actually good for you.

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The truth is eggs are good for you but, like many other foods, only in moderation. The concern comes from the cholesterol found in the yolks of the egg. The American Heart Association warns that you should only consume 300 mg of cholesterol per day and the yolk of one large egg contains about 210 mg. So, you can eat an egg a day as long as you control how much other cholesterol you eat.

There are two sources of cholesterol – the food you eat and the amount your body makes. Most of your consumed cholesterol comes from animal fats though there are trace amounts in some plants. Your body’s production (the reason why genetics plays a role) of cholesterol is in reaction to what you eat, so manage that and you can play a small role in controlling your cholesterol.

Bottom line – an egg a day is safe as long as you manage your other cholesterol consumption.

Later on, I discovered that avocado was remarkably good for you. It’s surprisingly rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, the same good stuff that’s in olive oil. Monounsaturated fatty acids has been shown to lower the bad LDL cholesterol levels while increasing the good HDL cholesterol levels. In addition to those benefits, avocados also contain fiber, potassium, magnesium, folate, and antioxidants.

I don’t know if the creators of salsa and guacamole knew this but combining the lycopene in tomatoes and the vitamin E in avocados heightens the positive health benefits of both (especially enhancing antioxidant effects). You add in some onions and the oligosaccharides will boost the tomatoes’ lycopene benefits. Seems like eating lots of salsa and guacamole is pretty good for you.

So, if you’ve never tried avocado, give it a try. If you love the stuff, good for you because it’s good for you too!

(Photo: avlxyz)

Here are the high level numbers:

• Calories: 2,000
• Fat: 30% of calories – 65g
• Saturated fat: 10% of calories – 20g
• Carbohydrates: 60% of calories
• Protein: 10% of calories
• Fiber: 11.5g per 1,000 calories
• Sodium: 2,400 mg
• Cholesterol: 300 mg

That’s a ballpark estimate, obviously younger people who are growing will need more calories and those who are older will need less.

‘Daily Values’ Encourage Healthy Diet [FDA.gov]

If you have no idea, welcome to the club because until about fifteen minutes ago I had no idea either. I just knew that olive oil was supposed to be good for you and that you should be buying extra virgin or virgin olive oil if you want the best bang for your buck (the other types suck). So, why is it good for you?

Well, there are two aspects about olive oil that make it healthy for you to consume:

• High content of monounsaturated fatty acids, and,
• High content of antioxidants.

The oleic acid from the olives in olive oil offer good protection against heart disease because they help regulate the “bad” LDL cholesterol while raising the “good” HDL cholesterol. The first pressing, or extra virgin grade, is especially good because it has the highest concentration of antioxidants such as Vitamin E and phenols. Most of the fatty acids in olive oil are the omega-9 group, so it doesn’t affect omega-6 to omega-3 ratios.

It’s been shown that 25 milliliters of olive oil each day for a week reduces LDL cholesterol and increases antioxidant compounds in the blood.

So… that’s why it’s good for you, but 25 mL is enough (don’t chug it!).