Holistic Health Archives - Page 3 of 7

Calculating BMI: And Why BMI Doesn’t Matter

Have you ever gone to the doctor and seen that body mass index (BMI) chart? Supposedly, this measure tells whether you are underweight, normal, overweight or obese. While this information is good to know and having an equation give us the standard is helpful in general, it doesn’t tell the whole story.

This guy to the right is my husband (he’s so kind to allow me to put his photo online – and a bike short photo to boot!). Oh, and that’s our pup. He has very little body fat and measures in at 6’2″ and 190 pounds. He will be our case study today to demonstrate how absurd BMI really is, but first, a little about how BMI works.

Calculating BMI (body mass index)

Calculating BMI is done by a simple calculation of weight times height in inches times something else – it doesn’t matter that you know these details (clearly I don’t) since simple calculators exist online that do this work for you. Here is one good example.

Simply put in your height and weight, click calculate and voila, you know your BMI. This handsome guy in spandex clocks in at 24.4. In general, the higher your BMI, the more risk you have for certain ailments like heart disease.

Understanding BMI

Once you know your number, you need to know what that number means. Here is the breakdown:

18.5 and below = Underweight

18.5 – 24. 9 = Normal

25 – 29.9 = Overweight

30 and above = Obese

Sounds simple enough, right? Well, that’s go back to our lovely model. At a BMI of 24.4, he is on the border of overweight. Still technically normal, but not by much. Now scroll back up and look at the photo again. Do you think he looks nearly overweight?

Why BMI Doesn’t Matter

BMI, while somewhat helpful, is full of limitations. First, being underweight can be just as unhealthy as being overweight, just with a bit different implications. Secondly, it doesn’t take into account muscle versus fat. Muscle weighs more than fat and having an athletic or muscular build often comes with a higher scale number than being scrawny, but muscle and fat are very different in terms of assessing a healthy body and healthy weight.

On the flip side, people who have lost muscle and bone mass (particularly elderly or ill people), BMI might say normal but really the person has an unhealthy amount of body fat.

Simply put, BMI isn’t accurate in assessing the true health risks you have. It just doesn’t take enough information into account, like age, genetics, race, activity, body shape, fitness level, lean muscle mass, dietary habits, lifestyle preferences (smoking, etc.) and so on. All people are much more complex than BMI accounts for.

However, it is free, simple, basic and may shed light on whether you could be at an increased risk for weight-related disease. Should you learn your BMI, yes. But should you let it get you down, no. If you’re really concerned about your physical state and whether you are at increased risk for disease, get a comprehensive analysis done. One place to start is at your local fitness center. Many offer complete tests, some with really complex machinery and blood tests. Start there and ask if anyone locally offers this kind of testing.

And more so than a number or a generalized test, trust yourself on this one. Do you think you could lose a couple pounds? Than you probably could. Do you think you’re totally healthy? Than you probably are. Do you think you should put on some weight (i.e. muscle)? Than hit the gym. If you’re TRULY honest with yourself, you know where you’re at.

Calculate your BMI and tell me in the comments, were you surprised at what it said?

(For fair disclosure, my BMI is 22.1, which is in the center of normal, but I could stand to convert some fat to lean muscle mass for sure.)

What to do with Rose Water

by Amber Erickson

If you’ve been to a health food store recently, you’ve probably seen rose water on the shelves. But what the heck would you use it for?

Let’s break it down.

Uses for Rose Water

Rose water, at the most simplistic level, smells awesome. If you love to stick your nose in the middle of a bouquet of roses, you will probably love having rose water on hand. But beyond that, rose water is most well-known as a gentle astringent. Astringents are most commonly used as facial toner. While many facial products are full of chemicals or other ingredients that are hard on the skin, simple astringents like rose water are safe even on sensitive or dry skin. Rose water has anti-inflammatory properties, soothing dry skin.

Rose water is also used in cooking. Who knew, right?! Apparently it has a delightful, yet distinctive flavor, often used in Middle Eastern or Asian dishes and desserts (like baklava or rice pudding).

Here are a handful of ways to use rose water, but the options are endless, so be creative!

Spritz the rose water directly on the face, acting to protect and moisturize
Spritz yourself for a natural fragrance
Use as a post-shower rinse (on body and hair) for moisturizing and scent
Use directly on the face (mixed with some water) for a simple toner
Mix with some carrier oil to use as a makeup remover
Add to homemade lotions, scrubs or other beauty treatments
Add directly to the bath
Mist the bedsheets before bed (make a spray bottle with equal parts rose water and plain water)
Add to beverages, especially tea or smoothies

Buying Rose Water

As with any product, be careful that you’re getting what your expect. Look for 100% pure rose water – no preservatives, no perfumes, just straight up. If you’re crafty, you could also make your own. You can find instructions online (including this one).

I recently bought some rose water and love the way it smells. It’s really like sticking your face into a bouquet of roses – all natural and delicious without any chemical or artificial-ness. If you are sensitive to fragrance or just hate artificial scents, this is a nice option. The scent does fade quickly so don’t rely on it as an all-day perfume, but it’s great for a morning pick-me-up.

Do you use rose water? If so, what do you use it for?: Share your experiences in the comments.

{Photo Credit: L. Seymour}

How to Prevent Spring Allergies

by Amber Erickson

It’s still winter, but if you’re one of the many people who are plagued every year by spring allergies, now is the time to start preparing yourself. You might be able to prevent spring allergies, but you must start acting now.

Allergies in the spring are usually caused by pollen. Pollen comes from trees and even though you often can’t see it, it’s blowing in the wind hoping to land on another tree and fertilize it. With most flowers, pollination happens through bees or other insects, but trees have wind-borne spores making it much easier for it to deposit in your nose, eyes and hands.

Most of us wait until pollen season is in full swing, then start taking allergy medicines and locking the doors and staying inside. But after a long winter, who wants to stay inside all day!?

Once pollen or other allergens deposit in your nasal cavity, your body labels them as invaders and works to get rid of them. Runny nose, sneezing, coughing and other common allergy symptoms are the result of your body trying to get rid of these particles.

How to Prevent Spring Allergies

The key to preventing spring allergies is reducing inflammation and lowering your inflammatory load.

Inflammation is at the root of many health problems. What happens is poor diet, lack of exercise, too much stress, etc., causes the body to become inflamed. You might not ever notice it, but this inflammation slowly wreaks havoc on just about every part of your body. Reducing inflammation may be the cure for many ailments, including allergies, which occur as part of an inflammatory response.

We have a threshold with irritants. Think about it like if you’re cranky, maybe the day started poorly, you ran out of gas, you forgot to run an errand, your kids won’t pick up their rooms, etc. One thing on it’s own may not be that big of a deal, but as the day goes on and the little stressors compound, you end the day angry and any little thing sets you off. Your body is similar. Every little stressor on its own isn’t that big of a deal, but poor diet, a stressful job, environmental toxins and other stressors slowly tax your body. If you’re at or near your threshold all the time, every little thing will set the inflammatory response into action. But, if you are only half full of these toxins or stressors, you have more room to fill before it overflows (so to speak). Imagine coming into pollen season with less inflammation. It’s possible that you won’t suffer any symptoms because the particles aren’t enough to set you off.

So how can you reduce this load and prevent spring allergies in the first place?

Get proper rest
Eat fresh fruits and veggies, avoid processed foods and stay away from the foods that cause inflammation (many of us are sensitive to dairy and gluten, for example)
Exercise regularly
Lower your stress
Laugh more
Make time for nourishing activities, like reading, taking a bath, meditating, yoga, journaling, etc.
Do more of the things you love and less of the things that stress you out
Get some fresh air and sunshine (perhaps even take a vacation)
Use a neti pot to flush harmful particles from your nasal passages (and always then lubricate with a nasal oil)
Keep windows closed when pollen season starts
Take anti-inflammatory supplements like Quercetin, which has been found to help alleviate allergy symptoms

You might notice that the key, not only to prevent spring allergies but overall health and well-being, is to live a healthy, low-stress, high-activity lifestyle. Not easy, but so worth it.

Now it’s your turn. What has helped you with spring allergies in the past and what are you planning to do this year? Post your experiences in the comments.

Trouble Sleeping?: The Key to Better Sleep

by Amber Erickson

Getting good sleep is necessary for a happy, healthy life. Yeah, it’s that important, but many of us just don’t sleep that well. We wake feeling tired, struggle through the day and then lie awake at night. Luckily, there are some things you can do to get better sleep.

Why Sleep Matters

During sleep, your body is able to rest and repair. This rest and repair doesn’t happen during waking hours, so it’s vital to have quality, uninterrupted sleep to allow your body to work its magic. Outside of resting and repairing, during sleep you are also consolidating memories and releasing hormones. These hormones regulate everything from appetite to growth. Getting too little sleep leads to fatigue, mental cloudiness, prolonged illness, compromised immune system and an inability to heal and regenerate cells properly. Falling into REM sleep (about every 90 minutes during sleep) your brain is the focus. This is when dreams occur and the brain is being recharged for the next days’ activities. If you aren’t sleeping soundly and getting into this stage, you will wake feeling exhausted and unable to focus. This makes productivity and creativity really challenging.

For adults, 7-9 hours per night is the commonly accepted rate. There is evidence that less than 7 or more than 9 hours per night is detrimental to health, so aiming for this range is best.

How to Get Better Sleep

So how can you get better sleep? Some people have sleep disorders and may need to talk to their doctor or sleep specialists for possible treatment methods. For those of us who have busy minds and or just don’t allow ourselves to sleep enough, here is a list of solutions to help you get more restful sleep that promotes health and longevity.

1. Create a perfect sleeping environment. Keeping your bedroom cool enough will help promote sleep. Also, the key is dark and quiet. Consider noise and light reducing shades for your windows if you live in well-lit or noisy areas (cities). Earplugs can help as well. Finally, keep the room clean and tidy, decorate in a way that makes you feel happy and comfortable. Remove excess stuff, especially from the nightstand. Use your bedroom only for pre- and post-sleeping activities like sex, sleeping and dressing.

2. Avoid stimulants after noon, especially caffeine and nicotine. Similarly, avoid alcohol because while it might make you feel sleepy, it disrupts the sleep cycle.

3. Don’t eat too late (or too early). You don’t want to go to sleep too full or too hungry. Ideally you’d still be satiated, but not at the hungry stage when you crawl into bed. If on occasion you can’t help but eat late, keep it light.

4. Exercise and move your body. Movement, sweating and ridding yourself of excess energy can help you feel tired and fall asleep. Avoid late-day exercise, especially stimulating varieties, but it can be nice to end the day with very slow, restorative types of movement, like yoga. Yoga and/or mediation are great to promote sleep because you can learn to calm yourself, calm your mind and relax your body, all necessary to falling asleep and staying asleep. With consistent practice, it’s possible your body would need less sleep because during meditation your body and mind are able to rest much like during sleep.

5. Get outside. You may remember being a kid and playing outside all day and then just collapsing at night. Blame it on the fresh air, but getting outside, getting out of your chair and being active is a great way to get tired. Wearing yourself out (within reason) is a good thing for sleep quality.

6. Develop a consistent schedule. Attempt to go to bed and get up at roughly the same time everyday, including (and perhaps especially) on the weekends. You may be tempted to sleep in, but establishing a routine is better for your quality of sleep in the long run. Sticking with a schedule will teach your body to start getting tired at a certain time and to wake up at a certain time, without an alarm.

7. Create a pre-sleep routine that prepares yourself for restful slumber. Avoid electronics, which mess with the brain’s ability to tell if it’s tired. Pick a time every night when you start to wind down. At that time, shut off the t.v., put away the phones and tablets, do not work or do stimulating activities, but instead, do calming, enjoyable activities like taking a bath, reading, listening to calm music, meditating, journaling or doing restorative or gentle yoga poses. Keep lights low or use only candlelight and make the activity meaningful to you. Before bed is a great time for spiritual practices, which are often calm and peaceful activities. Taking the time to set the tone for sleep can help you feel relaxed and tired by the time you crawl into bed.

8. Reduce stress. Again, yoga and meditation can help. Often poor sleep comes because you can’t turn your mind off or you’re stressed or worried about something. Yoga and meditation can help you calm your mind and more appropriately control your emotions. Other ways to reduce stress include setting priorities, delegating tasks, simplifying your life and taking a break from your biggest stressors. one way to work through stressors and get them out of your head before bed is journaling. Sometimes just giving them your attention for a few minutes, including potential action plans or to-do’s to reduce the stressor could help clear your mind before bed.

With these suggestions you should be sleeping like a baby in no time. What else helps you fall asleep? Share your experiences in the comments.

{Photo Credit: Diane Yuri}

Prevent Colds and Flu With Elderberry

by Amber Erickson

It’s that time of year when sniffles, coughing and a sore throat are commonplace. The common cold, flu and other respiratory ailments run rampant this time of year and leave few lucky souls unscathed. Even those of use who eat well and get plenty of exercise occasionally fall prey to the cold or flu. Hopefully if you get sick, it’s not at the end of a holiday trip to see family with a 15 hour drive hanging over your head (this is my story).

So what do you do?

Before you reach for over-the-counter medicines, consider elderberry. Elderberry, also called Sambucas, is a plant – the berries and flowers are used medicinally.

Elderberry is one of the few herbal medicines with scientific research supporting its effectiveness. Not that other treatments are effective, they just probably haven’t been studied as extensively. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties and works to reduce sinus swelling, reduce congestion and boost your body’s ability to fight the illness. Elderberry can be taken in syrup, tincture or lozenge form.

One easy way to use elderberries is to make your own syrup. Try this recipe from Wellness Mama using black elderberries. I learned to make elderberry syrup with Sambucas canadensis, which is found throughout the U.S., mostly East of the Rockies, so I suspect either will work. Make sure you use ripe berries and cook them completely (otherwise they could be poisonous).

If you’re not interested/willing to make your own elderberry syrup, you can find plenty of options at your local health food store. I haven’t looked, but it’s even possible that more mainstream locations will carry an elderberry syrup. Follow the instructions on the packaging, but don’t be afraid to take sambucas before you get sick. As a preventive, take one spoonful of the syrup daily. If you get sick, up the dose to 3 or 4 spoonfuls to help recover more quickly.

As always, be sure you know what you’re taking. Herbs are generally very safe and have minimal interactions, but complications are always possible. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are cautioned against taking sambucas. Those taking diuretics, laxatives, diabetes medications, chemotherapy, immune-suppressing drugs or asthma medications should talk to their doctor before taking sambucas.

With that disclaimer, elderberry is a great option for preventing and treating colds and flu symptoms.

Have you taken sambucas before? Did you think it worked? Share your experiences in the comments.

{Photo Credit: Andrew Hill}