Know Your Numbers...

There are a lot of health indicators that are important that can be simplified to just numbers and these are numbers that you should know now and keep track of throughout your life in order to promote a healthy lifestyle and optimize your health...

Disclaimer: Before undertaking any dietary or lifestyle changes, please consult with your physician for appropriateness and additional guidance. The information here is just that...information for educational purposes only, not to provide medical advice or treatment...

Here are the indicators (and as such) the numbers, you should know...

1. Know your weight - this goes without saying, and around the holidays is often an afterthought for everyone. But you should have a reliable scale in your home and use it at least weekly. If you are trying to lose weight, use it daily - preferably first thing in the morning for accuracy. If you are just trying to maintain weight and have good control over your diet, weekly will do just fine.

2. Know your basal metabolic rate. You can utilize any Google or Weight Loss App Calculator to get your BMR, which is also referred to as your body's metabolism. You should know your BMR as this will help you know how many calories can be taken in on a daily basis. Knowing this number will keep you from gaining weight, or lead to weight gain or weight loss. This is important to know before you begin any exercise or weight loss program when combined with calorie counting from your diet. Also, don't forget to consider the calories burned during exercise as part of your daily caloric burn.

3. Know your resting heart rate. Your heart rate is affected by many things, it is typically lower at night while at rest and obviously faster during exercise or increased stress. However, you can get a sense of your resting heart rate. Once established you will be able to watch for any changes in your heart rate that may be a sign of trouble. Its important to get a sense of what is normal for you and to seek help quickly should it abruptly change or if you experience palpitations (sensation of heart flutters).

4. Know your baseline blood pressure. This is another number to become familiar with - you should measure this over the course of five days with a reliable blood pressure cuff. Initially, it would be helpful to use those at a drug store or with your neighborhood fire department (some offer free blood pressure checks) that may prove reliable. Either way, establishing a comfortable knowledge about what is normal for you is an important first step, if it is above 120/80 then follow-up with your health professional for a full evaluation.

5. Know your sodium intake. This involves a two-fold approach, on the one hand even if you are completely healthy you should have a general idea how much sodium/salt you are taking in to your body. So, track your nutrition charts for your foods and account for nights eating out. The second part to this is if you suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease or kidney disease you should try to keep your sodium intake under 1500 mg (with 2,000 being the acceptable daily intake for those without those conditions).

6. Daily check in numbers - this is an EHC favorite. Everyday, give yourself a number 1 to 10 on how you are feeling - this might include any feelings of pain, fatigue, stress or depression and anxiety. Be mindful that this will fluctuate from day to day but what you are looking for is persistent changes in the wrong direction. The best number for you will be 1 and the worst will be 10, but don't be troubled if you aren't there everyday or very often as that is the ideal not the goal. You want to be somewhere around 2-4 ideally and when trending about 5 or more to be mindful of it and seek help if your numbers approach 6 or greater. It can be hard to recommend which health professional to seek out, but your primary care physician or health professional will be able to help you sort it out. The most important thing to do is to seek help as soon as possible.

7. Know your optimal sleep time or numbers. The last set of numbers to keep in mind is your optimal sleep time, this may be as little as four hours or as much as ten but is usually around six to eight hours of sleep each night. Sleep deprivation for as little as one or two nights leads to reduce dietary control, elevated cortisol levels, elevated blood pressure and increased stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Prioritize getting a good night's sleep above all as it will promote healthier lifestyle and help keep all your other numbers within check.

Disclaimer: Before undertaking any dietary or lifestyle changes, please consult with your physician for appropriateness and additional guidance. The information here is just that...information for educational purposes only, not to provide medical advice or treatment...