Body mass index

Your weight matters, but it has to be considered in the context of how tall you are. Body mass index takes the two numbers into account. Like waist circumference, BMI is an indirect measure of risk, but a higher measure correlates with greater risk. The catch, however, is that it is not always entirely accurate. A person in excellent condition who has a lot of muscle mass may have a high BMI.

Too much excess weight is associated with diabetes, heart disease and stroke, some cancers, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, and complications in pregnancy.

Bottom line: People with BMIs less than 18.5 are underweight. Target BMI range is between 18.5 and 24.9. Overweight is considered between 25 and 30, and a BMI above 30 puts you in the obese category.

(credits to YahooNews)

Empty Sweets

Refined sugars make up around 21 percent of the calories most people eat -- more than 30 teaspoonfuls per day. Much of this sugar is well hidden in food and beverages. To reduce the sugar in your diet, start by substituting naturally sweet foods for sugared snacks.

Reducing the Sugar in Your Diet

Sugar contains no nutrients or fiber. It's high in calories and can crowd more nutritious foods out of your diet. If Sugar has a grip on you, here are three simple tips to help you reduce your dependence without eliminating sweet treats altogether.

1. Indulge Less Frequently

    How often do you eat desserts or sweet snacks? You may choose one.

          * 1-4 times/week

          * 1-2 times/day

          * 3-4 times/day

          * More than 4 times/day

   If you answered more than once a day you would benefit from reserving treats for special times.

2. Eat Smaller Servings

   When you do eat sweets and sugared foods, learn to savor small portions. Eat slowly, and make your portion last. You can train yourself to be satisfied with a smaller serving.

3. Make the Low-sugar Choice

   Choose low-sugar alternatives when shopping. It's not always easy to tell how much sugar a product contains, because sugar can be disguised as fructose, sucrose, corn syrup, and other ingredients. When possible, however, buy products you know are low in sugar.

Your Turn

Think of some ways you can reduce the amount of sugar you are eating. You may list them on a sheet of paper.

Your Challenge

Try a fruit smoothie. Also, observe how many sweets and other sugary foods you are eating and then cut back to a healthier level.

Is Your Heart Broken?

Sugar intake

It's not just the savory flavors that'll get you; sweets, too, can ultimately become a cause for concern, says the American Heart Association. Like salt, sugar creeps into the processed foods that make up much of the American diet, and sweetened beverages—soda, juices, and sports drinks—are especially loaded with the stuff. Here's some disturbing math for you: A 12-ounce can of soda has about 8 teaspoons (or 33 grams) of added sugars, totaling about 130 calories. (A gram of sugar translates into 4 calories.)

A can of Coke or Pepsi, then, basically takes you to the AHA's new upper limit on the recommended amount of added sugar Americans should ingest on a daily basis. The association's primary concern is the number of excess calories that added sugars sneak into our diets and pile onto our waistlines, which can contribute to metabolic changes that increase the chances of developing a host of diseases.

Bottom line: According to the AHA, women should get no more than 100 calories per day of added sugars and men should stop at 150 calories per day.


(credits to YahooNews)