| The best body size gauge isn’t your weight! A BMI is a nice number which is more informative than your weight in pounds or kilograms. A BMI is an abbreviation for body mass index. This is how you calculate it: 1. Multiply your weight in pounds by 703. 2. Take your height in inches and square it. 3. Divide the number you get in #1 by the number you get in #2 and that’s your BMI. It’s handy to know the formula, but here’s a quick and dirty way to determine it from the CDC’s (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) website. Just plug your height and weight into the BMI Calculator. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html Since we’re in the New Year and you may be bridging that weight loss resolution, it’s a good time to familiarize yourself with this number and what it means. What you’ve recognized is that it doesn’t just take into account your weight, but also your height. In essence, a BMI helps indicate your overall size and body fat. The BMI is a tool used by many healthcare providers and in the fitness industry as a screening tool, especially if it’s used along with other measurements such as skinfold thickness. The government uses it to assess the overall population for obesity. It’s simply a great way for any of us to compare our own BMI in the charts to the rest of the general population. I actually keep the BMI table of values tacked on my refrigerator as a frequent reminder of where I am on the chart, or where I could be if I fall out of range. I noticed recently after a Doctor’s visit that my calculated BMI was printed on the office visit’s summary report. It’s becoming more widespread as a useful tool. Normal BMI’s range between 18 and 25. Here are the standard weight status categories: BMI Weight Status Below 18.5 Underweight 18.5 – 24.9 Normal 25.0 – 29.9 Overweight 30.0 and Above Obese | Just know that if you’re going to monitor your BMI and use a BMI graph, use one for adults as children fall into a different interpretation because of differences in fat and body water percentages. Also, the rationale of obese BMI’s doesn’t work for some people such as bulked-up solid weight lifters. They are a different breed altogether! Enjoy 2014 and make it a happy and healthy New Year. Incorporate new ideas into your fitness plan, and that may include monitoring your BMI! Feel free to leave comments below after the recipe and sign up on the right sidebar for new posts to my blog. For more health pearls, check out my book “Younger Next Decade” on this website. ********** Here is this week’s recipe. With fresh zucchini and a little kick from Pepper Jack cheese, this is a mouthwatering quiche. Served with a simple salad, you can’t go wrong! Farmhouse Quiche * 9 inch pie crust 2 T. olive oil ½ red pepper, diced ½ green pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup zucchini, diced 2 T. fresh basil, chopped 4 eggs, beaten 1 c. half & half 1 t. salt, ½ t. pepper 8-oz package shredded Pepper Jack cheese 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 3 plum tomatoes, sliced Pierce bottom and sides of pie crust with a fork. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes; set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; sauté peppers, garlic, zucchini and basil until tender. Whisk together eggs, half and half (or milk), salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in vegetables and cheeses. Pour into pie crust and top with sliced tomatoes. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Makes 6 servings. This recipe is from a Gooseberry Patch book titled “Summer in the Country.” ********** |
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