What is my ideal weight?

One of the most common health questions asked is, “How do I find my ideal weight?” While it may seem at first glance to be a simple task, discovering your ideal weight is actually a complex science.

 

If you do an online search for “Find my ideal body weight” you’re likely to come across dozens of free Body Mass Index (BMI) calculators that are simple to use. Type in your height, weight and gender, and voila, your BMI is calculated.

 

Private health insurance companies reference BMI charts to, in part, determine health insurance coverage and premiums, based on if an individual falls within a healthy weight range. Since its widespread use in the 1970s, the BMI has been one of the most popular determinants of whether a person is underweight, average, overweight or obese.

 

Problems with BMI

But the BMI, just like your bathroom scale, fails to take into consideration important factors such as:

• Body fat percentage
• Lean body mass percentage
• Water weight
• Body composition (thin-boned, average, or stocky and muscular build)
• Fitness level

According to the BMI, many professional athletes (take NFL or NBA players for example) would be considered overweight. Even a non-professional, physically-fit male who stands 6 feet tall and weighs a muscular 180 pounds would actually be considered slightly overweight by BMI standards.

 

Instead of relying on BMI or any other methods that don’t take the above parameters into account (for instance, the Met Life Table), if you want to figure out what your ideal weight should be, first don’t be so focused on a set number on the scale.

 

If the BMI isn’t perfect, what’s a better way to determine my ideal weight?

How do you currently look and feel? Do you feel bloated? Does it look like you’re belly or buttocks has gotten flabbier? If so, your goal shouldn’t necessarily be losing weight or even finding your ideal weight. Instead, be determined to shed body fat and gain more lean muscle mass.

 

If your goal is to drop 10 pounds so you can fit into a wedding dress, keep in mind that going on a diet and skipping meals may lead to a lower number on the scale but it’s really not worth subjecting yourself to low energy and mercurial moods that come with a typical starvation diet.

 

Are you a goal-oriented person who needs to set a numeric target, say 10 pounds? Modify your goal statement. Try this one: “I will lose 10 pounds of body fat in 12 weeks.”

 

This will only be accomplished by daily moderate-intensity exercise and altering your diet. Avoid sugary foods and simple carbohydrates that easily convert into sugars, which when not burned off, ultimately get stored as body fat.

 

Try to eat the fewest calories possible and consume nutrient-dense foods that will give you the longest lasting energy. For example, ditch the orange juice and instead eat an orange. The natural fiber and longer-burning fruit sugar of the orange will help you reach your ideal weight better than chugging orange juice will.

 

Keep in mind, however, that even though a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat, muscle, per square inch, does in fact weigh more than fat. So if you don’t notice the pounds coming off right away, don’t be discouraged.

 

The scale in your bathroom can be your best friend or your worst enemy. But even when you think it’s your best friend, it’s a false one at that. It’s not telling you the whole picture. Pay attention to how your clothes fit, how your body looks and what you’re feeling.

 

It’s not a bad idea to strive for a more ideal weight, but you might want to instead set a goal of simply feeling better, looking better and not being so focused on what you weigh.

Think you have a wheat allergy?

Almost everyone loves cakes, cookies and other baked goodies. Eating these foods, however, can cause numerous health problems for those who have wheat allergies.

 

Not sure if you’re one of them? Well, if you’re wondering why your nose is congested and your eyes are watery, itchy and have dark rings, you might have sensitivity to products containing wheat. These are all wheat allergy symptoms.

 

It’s more common for children to display more obvious symptoms of wheat allergies but if you’ve been bombarding your system with wheat products for decades, your immune system could start turning against you.

 

A wheat allergy is an abnormal immune system reaction to one or more proteins found in wheat. The immune system has developed a specific antibody (a pathogen fighter) to one or more of the four major wheat proteins, including gliadin, which is the bane of all people with Celiac Disease.

 

People with Celiac Disease (an autoimmune disorder) have to go on a 100 percentgluten-free diet. Although not everyone who has a wheat allergy needs to go totally gluten-free, many people with wheat sensitivity follow similar dietary restrictions.

 

Other wheat allergy symptoms

For those who are allergic, eating pizza, muffins, fried-battered foods, soy sauce and other foods with wheat could induce hives, difficulty breathing (including asthma) and nausea.

 

A rare but very strong reaction to wheat proteins can cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. People severely allergic to bee stings or peanuts can relate all too well, and often carry with them an “EpiPen”, which is an injectable dose of epinephrine (adrenaline).

 

Diagnosing Wheat Allergies

Skin test: An allergist or doctor who is able to do food allergy testing may choose to drop tiny particles of wheat allergen extracts onto the forearm. About 15 minutes after the drops are left on the skin, if you develop red, itchy bump where the allergens were placed, you know you have at least intolerance to wheat (more on the distinction between allergy and intolerance below)

 

Blood test: If you’re taking medications or if you have some other skin condition, your doctor may forgo the skin test and choose instead to draw some blood that screens for specific allergy-causing antibodies to various common allergens, including wheat proteins.

 

Wheat intolerance vs. Wheat Allergy

If you have a true wheat allergy, you’re a rare breed. It’s estimated that less than one percent of the U.S. population suffers from wheat allergies, whereas some estimates peg those with some form of wheat intolerance at nearly 20 percent.

 

Allergies usually trigger a response from the immune system; intolerances don’t involve a major immune response and can often be subtle and take hours to develop. It may show up days later as eczema, a belly ache, or even some mood swings; a true allergy can exhibit symptoms within minutes.

 

Avoiding wheat: easier said than done

Obviously, if you have an intolerance or allergy to wheat, it’s best to avoid wheat all together. But realize that even if you do your best to avoid wheat, you may end up being exposed to it when consuming other products like oats, as the wheat may have been in contact with the oats during the production process.

 

Reading food labels will tell you if a specific food was made in a facility that also processes wheat. To be on the safe side, opt for gluten-free products, although there is no governing body to certify gluten free foods. You can call the Celiac Foundation or visit their website to inquire about a particular label.

 

Some sources of wheat proteins are obvious, such as the aforementioned baked products and bread. If you are intolerant or allergic to wheat, it’s wise to avoid all flours as much as possible. (Again, cross-contamination is the main concern.)

 

Not-so-obvious sources of wheat 

• Beer
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Soy sauce
• Condiments such as ketchup
• Meat, crab or shrimp substitutes
• Coffee substitutes
• Meat products, such as hotdogs
• Dairy products, such as ice cream
• Natural flavorings
• Gelatinized starch
• Modified food starch
• Vegetable gum

Too Skinny? Here's how to slow metabolism

Most people look for ways to boost their metabolism, but for a minority of skinny-minnies, Olive Oyls, and other ectomorphic types, the challenge is how to slow metabolism.

 

For those who need to preserve every ounce of precious body fat or even pack on a few extra pounds, here are some tips to trick your body into burning fewer calories.

 

In general, you’ll want to:

• Eat a diet rich in natural fats and protein
• Eat only one or two big meals per day
• Avoid caffeine and other stimulants
• Avoid sugary and artificially sweetened foods and drinks
• Cut down on lengthy durations of cardiovascular exercise

I’d like to gain a couple pounds … should I scarf down a couple Big Macs?

If you’re trying to gain weight, yes, you should consider eating foods with higher fat and protein contents. But choose a diet consisting of whole foods that are ideally not processed or minimally so. Big Macs, unfortunately, don’t fit those criteria.

 

Dietary fat helps to slow metabolism. One gram of natural fat (think avocados; olive and coconut oils; nuts; hormone-free and all-natural meats and cheeses) contains nine calories, compared with four calories in one gram of carbohydrates and one gram of protein.

 

Chances are, if you are underweight, you burn up carbohydrates too quickly. Eating a diet containing liberal amounts of natural fat will help to give you longer-burning energy and avoid that sluggish and bloated feeling you might get after eating pasta or rice and baked goods.

 

I thought eating several meals a day was good for your metabolism

If you’re trying to stoke your internal engine, i.e. your metabolism, yes, eating several smaller meals throughout the day is an excellent way to boost metabolism. But if you’re tying to slow your calorie-burning mechanism, you’ll want to eat less frequently in the day.

 

Used to eating four or five times a day? Try cutting out one or two meals at first and then gradually reduce the number of times you eat in one day.

 

For example, try eating a large breakfast (with two whole eggs with cheese, minimally processed bacon or sausage, some sautéed spinach and whole grain toast), followed four-and-a-half or five hours later by lunch (salmon salad with lots of olive oil) and then a similarly sensible dinner loaded with protein and natural fat.

 

Over time, you may even be able to cut down to one or two heavy meals per day. A word of caution: don’t sacrifice good energy for the sake of slowing your metabolism. It’s more important to have steady energy throughout the day then trying to put on a couple pounds. Make sure you’re eating enough during the day so you’re focused on your job, raising your kids or whatever demanding tasks you have.

 

No caffeine? Are you serious? I can’t live without my grandé hammerhead.

If you really need your caffeine fix, try and limit your intake to one 8-ounc cup of coffee per day, preferably in the morning after you’ve had some water and breakfast.

 

Drinking coffee first thing in the morning before eating, if you’re trying to slow your metabolism, is like pouring fuel on an already quick-burning fire.

 

Consider a slower-burning caffeine buzz like green tea if you really need caffeine fix.

 

Overweight people consume lots of sugar; won’t eating it help me gain weight?

It’s more important to add muscle mass — not fat mass — so ingesting large amounts of sugar will most likely lead to fat accumulation in areas that aren’t very attractive (saddlebags, buttocks, hips, etc.).

 

Individuals with hyper metabolisms who consume large amounts of sugar are, just like in the aforementioned caffeine example, pouring fuel on an already out-of-control fire, not to mention the potentially dangerous consequence of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

I thought cardio was good for you

Cardiovascular exercise builds healthy heart tissue and blood pumping efficacy. But if you’re trying to slow your metabolism, limit the duration of your cardio sessions. For example, if you’re used to doing 45 of 60 minutes on the elliptical or treadmill, try reducing to 20 minutes and instead, add a challenging weight-training routine that limits the amount of repetitions to 10-12 per set.

 

After all, muscle weighs more than fat, and if you’re trying to pack on a couple pounds, what better way to gain weight than turning your body fat into muscle?

Egg nutrition: Get the facts

Over 75 billion eggs are produced in the U.S. each year. That’s a lot of omelets. Most people know that eggs contain protein, but what else? Here are some egg nutrition facts.

 

A single large egg laid by a hen contains 70 calories, as well as:

• 5 grams of fat (2 grams saturated)
• 6 grams of protein
• 0.5 grams of carbohydrate

More than 60 percent of calories in an egg come from dietary fat. About 35 percent come from protein. But when it comes to eggs, here’s the question many people debate: should I eat the yolk?

 

To eat the yolk or not?

Fat-phobic dieters usually chuck the yolks before they reach the frying pan, but what many egg-white-only eaters don’t realize is that about half the protein in an egg is found in the yolk.

 

There are other benefits of eating the yolk as well.

 

Choline, though not a highly-touted nutrient in diet articles, plays an essential role in fetal brain development. Pregnant women need to eat the yolks to help prevent birth defects. Two whole eggs contain 250 milligrams of choline, about half the recommended daily value.

 

Yolks also contain two other nutrients that pregnant women need, including B vitamins, crucial for fetal nervous system and spinal cord development. The other nutrient is iron. Though an egg has only 5 percent daily value of iron, the iron found in eggs is a healthy mix of both sources of iron—heme and non-heme.

 

Eating two eggs, then, supplies a pregnant or breast-feeding woman with 10 percent daily value of iron, lowering the chance of developing anemia, something to which pregnant and breast-feeding women are more susceptible.

 

What if I’m not pregnant or breast feeding?

You should still eat the whole egg. In addition to the B vitamins, almost the entire amount of the following vitamins and minerals are found in the yolk:

• calcium
• iron
• zinc
• selenium (nearly 25 percent of daily value)
• phosphorous (10 percent of daily value)
• Vitamins A, D, E, and K (the fat soluble vitamins)

The yolks also contain heart-healthy Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids.

 

And yet another reason to eat the whole egg is that yolks contain the full spectrum of essential amino acids. Eating only the whites will require food combining to make sure you get the complementary essential amino acids.

 

But what about cholesterol? Don’t the yolks contain a lot of it?

To some doctors and nutritionists, yes, an egg yolk may indeed have a lot of cholesterol. One whole egg contains approximately 200 milligrams of cholesterol, or roughly 70 percent of suggested daily values.

 

Don’t panic if you just gulped down a three-egg omelet. Your body naturally produces cholesterol for a variety of purposes, including making sex hormones, Vitamin D, and bile acids to help digest fat.

 

If you eat foods containing cholesterol, your body doesn’t have to work as hard to produce it.

 

Conservative recommendations usually allow for one whole egg per day.

 

Yolks also contain the antioxidant lutein, which is thought to promote eye health.

 

Are eggs the best source of protein?

Eggs are considered by many the gold-standard of protein, especially for an all-natural source of food. One egg contains for an average person, over 10 percent of the daily value for protein.

 

More than 90 percent of a whole egg’s protein is absorbable by the body, which scores eggs way up high on the protein bioavailability scale.

 

Many bodybuilders place whey protein on a higher muscle-building pedestal than eggs, but whey protein isn’t a whole food like an egg.

 

Eggs cost roughly 25 cents each, making them one of the least expensive sources of complete protein, plus they’re easy to cook. Being a naturally-nutritiously dense food, it’s no wonder eggs have been eaten for thousands of years.

How to build muscle

What's the best way to get stronger and develop just-in-time-for-summer ripped muscles? Hopefully, you're not thinking anabolic steroids or cosmetic surgery. Instead, try these tips on how to build muscle, with long-term safety and wellness in mind.

 

Any muscle-building regimen requires these three components:

• Resistance Training
• Nutrition
• Rest

To build muscle, you need to stimulate and challenge your musculoskeletal system with resistance training. For some people that have been struggling for years with being overweight, resistance training conjures up an intimidating image of massive bodybuilders pumping iron at the local gym.

 

But resistance training doesn't have to be a meat-headed, sweaty, earth-shattering-barbell-drop-to-the-floor affair; your own body weight is more than enough to encourage muscle growth.

 

Even if you don't have the strength to do a single military-style pushup, doing a modified version on your knees can greatly increase strength and encourage muscle growth.

 

Start with knees under hips, hands shoulder-width and elbows pointed straight back and close to the ribs. Rock your bodyweight slightly forward on the lowering phase and exhale as you push back up. Perform at least 3 sets to near failure, even if you can manage just a few repetitions.

 

Other bodyweight exercises like bench dips and squats can build muscle.

 

I'm fine with going to the gym. What should I do to build muscle? 
Trainers love to debate the merits of free weights versus machines. But to build muscle, it really doesn't matter what equipment you use.

 

Certainly, you've heard the term "atrophy." Perhaps you've broken a bone in the past and your doctor explains how the inactive muscle around the bone will become atrophied. The opposite of atrophy is "hypertrophy" and no matter the resistance training method you choose, be it barbells, dumbbells, machines, your own bodyweight or a combination, make sure you are training for hypertrophy.

 

Theoretically, hypertrophy occurs at the 8-12 repetitions mark. This means that, say you’re doing some biceps curls, you would want to lift a weight that is light enough for you to be able to do at least 8 reps but heavy enough that you would reach failure at no more than 12-15 reps.

 

Perform three to four sets of each exercise and target large muscles like the glutes, thighs and back. You can even build muscles in your abdominals by doing weighted crunches. (This is better than wasting your time with 100 crunches.)

 

Am I building muscle if I do more than 15 reps? 
Picking a weight that allows you to do 15+ reps encourages muscular endurance, which is an important element of overall health. For resistance training beginners, it's a good idea to first concentrate on muscular endurance before training for hypertrophy. After three months or so of regular resistance training (3-6 days per week), reduce your repetitions to the 8-12 range to build muscle.

 

What foods should I eat to build muscle?
We know that anabolic steroids build muscle, albeit with potentially harmful consequences. But to encourage muscle growth, you need to eat anabolic foods. After food is digested, it will either have an anabolic or catabolic chemical reaction.

 

Catabolic foods encourage the wasting away of muscle tissue; anabolic foods encourage muscle-tissue growth.

 

Anabolic foods include:

• Lean, antibiotic-free, all-natural animal protein
• Eggs
• Whey protein powder
• Green leafy vegetables
• Healthy natural fats

For most people, the majority of carbohydrates that comprise the typical Western diet are catabolic. To build muscle, the only carbs you should eat are lots of vegetables and moderate servings of fruit and whole grains.

 

Is it really important to eat after a workout? 
The most important time to "feed your muscles" with anabolic foods is within one hour after a resistance training workout. Lifting weights causes micro tears in muscle tissue. Make sure you encourage tissue repair and growth within the hour, if possible.

 

What else can I do to build muscle? 
Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Your muscles don't repair and grow at the gym; they do so at night, while you're sleeping. Also make sure you are drinking at least 8-10 cups of water a day to help saturate your muscle tissues and hydrate the joints around them.

Clear skin diet: Foods that bring acne relief

Pimples, pustules, blackheads and rosacea … oh my! What to do if you have acne and want your skin to get clearer? Try eating a clear skin diet.

 

Thanks to the book, "The Clear Skin Diet" by Alan C. Logan and Valori Treloar, and other tomes on the subject, there are now some studies that demonstrate how certain foods can help improve your skin.

 

Some of the foods and nutrients that the "Clear Skin Diet" authors suggest to combat problematic skin include:

• whole grains
• fiber
• antioxidants
• Omega-3 fish oils
• green tea
• zinc
• selenium

Although genetics may play a factor in the appearance of your skin, watching what you eat may improve skin quality tremendously.

 

What’s the most critical nutrient for clear skin?

Acne has a reputation of attacking soda-drinking teenagers’ faces. But adults can suffer from acne, as well. One way to flush out toxins is to make sure you’re drinking enough water. Drinking at least 8-10 cups a day — and eliminating sugary drinks, both soda and juices — may help reduce acne. [Related on MNN.com:Healthy beverages]

 

Most teenagers — and adults — do not drink enough water. Dehydration leads to older-looking skin and possibly skin conditions like acne.

 

If you drink milk and suffer from unclear skin, you may need to eliminate milk and dairy from your diet. You might have a food allergy, which could manifest as skin problems.

 

Foods that spike your blood sugar, such as white bread, pastries and soda cause your pancreas to make extra insulin in an attempt to regulate blood sugar levels. But insulin also signals the sebaceous glands to manufacture and secrete an oily substance called sebum, which in elevated amounts causes the bacterium P. acnes to proliferate and clog up the hair follicles. 

 

OK, I’ll drink more water. But what else should I eat?

Eat foods that don’t promote inflammation. Inflammation can manifest in many different ways from heart disease to unhealthy-looking skin. Foods like vegetable oils (especially cooked ones, which are prevalent in fast food) and refined grains are all high in Omega 6 fatty acids.

 

Opt instead for foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. Although it may seem counter-intuitive to some people with bad skin that fatty foods can clear skin, cold-water oily fish like salmon have anti-inflammatory properties. Does fish gross you out? No problem, there are other sources of Omega 3-rich foods including walnuts, beans and flaxseed oil.

 

Squirting a teaspoon’s worth of cold-pressed seed oils like flaxseed in a low-sugar, high-protein smoothie will reduce inflammation.

 

Be honest with yourself: are you eating enough vegetables? You don’t have to eat plain, raw broccoli, but do boost your intake of fresh vegetables as they contain several compounds like antioxidants, which can help clear up skin.

 

Besides the obvious like more water and vegetables, what else can help my skin?

Some people who suffer from acne and other skin disorders have poor digestion, especially with dietary fats, which may cause skin pores to clog. Taking dietary supplements like digestive enzymes and apple cider vinegar may help. Aloe vera juice also helps with digestion as does supplementing with zinc and B vitamins.

 

Also, azealaic acid cream is well-known in alternative medicine circles for being a highly effective antimicrobial.

 

I don’t eat fried foods, which I know are bad for my skin. What else should I avoid?

Alcohol should be severely restricted (and obviously avoided if you’re under age 21). After all, alcohol is a sugar. As mentioned above, sugar can spike insulin levels, possibly leading to an acne-producing domino effect.

 

For overall health and wellness, including skin quality, eat a diet that is overwhelmingly comprised of all-natural and unprocessed foods. Your skin is your largest organ. Eating lots of junk food will ultimately lead to less than optimum health — and unclear skin. 

How to increase serotonin

All of us are susceptible to catching a case of the blues every now and then—it's part of the human condition.

 

For those who have been battling blue moods more frequently, here's how to increase serotonin, one of the body's natural mood-enhancing compounds.

 

If you're currently taking antidepressants (which boost serotonin levels), don't stop taking your medication without first consulting your doctor. Those with severe depression may not be able to naturally boost serotonin levels.

 

But for those with moderate mood swings, there are plenty of ways to naturally increase serotonin.

 

Boost your immune system

The majority of your immune system and your serotonin lie in the gut. The healthier your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the healthier your immune system. The healthier your immune system, the more serotonin you'll have.

 

Making sure your immune system is operating to its fullest capacity — and thus increasing the likelihood you’ll boost serotonin naturally — means you'll want to pay attention to the following:

• Diet
• Exercise
• Sleep
• Exposure to sunlight
• Stress levels
• Intimacy

The food-food connection

Eating cakes, cookies, pastries and any other comfort foods with refined sugars and white flour might give us a temporary mood lift but it can suppress the immune system. Carbohydrate-rich foods may indeed actually increase serotonin levels, but only temporarily.

 

That sugar crash you feel after you've eaten a simple carbohydrate like a brownie leads to low-blood sugar levels and the release of insulin. Insulin spikes can lead to the release of adrenaline, which in turn caninterfere with the production of serotonin.

 

So while carbohydrates may indeed boost serotonin, the high feeling you'll get after a sugary snack is a false friend. Opt instead for slower burning carbohydrates like oatmeal and whole grains. These foods have the amino acid tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin.

 

Alcohol and caffeine should also be enjoyed moderately as excess levels can interfere with the body's natural ability to produce serotonin. Limit coffee to one cup in the morning.

 

Does exercise increase serotonin?
There have been numerous studies linking exercise to elevated natural mood enhancing neurotransmitters and chemicals like serotonin, dopamine and endorphins.

 

The good news about exercise and serotonin is that it doesn't take a two-hour workout to boost serotonin levels. Most medical experts recommend 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five to seven times per week.

 

In other words, you don't need to train for an Ironman competition to reap the benefits of your body's ability to increase serotonin. Actually, high intensity exercise can stress the body. Although high intensity exercise can produce a powerful endorphin effect, it can also lead to elevated levels of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone.

 

Splitting up three 10-minute moderate intensity exercise sessions can be very effective at increasing serotonin.

 

Speaking of stress
Even if you exercise moderately and daily, eat a healthy balanced diet, and don't abuse stimulants, your body's ability to increase serotonin will be diminished if your job and relationship are stressing you out.

 

Take control of stress. One way to do this is to keep your nervous system operating like a finely tuned engine. Meditation can be profoundly effective at keeping stress at bay and boosting your immune system.

 

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man … increase serotonin

Although everybody is biochemically unique, most of us have similar circadian rhythms. In a healthy human body, cortisol production should be lowest at night and highest first thing in the morning. Staying up late can stress the body’s immune system. If possible, shut off all lights and as many electronic devices as possible by 10 p.m.

 

And speaking of light, try to get 15-20 minutes of sunlight exposure per day to activate production of serotonin. If you live in an area that gets little natural sunlight at certain times of the year, there are full spectrum lights that can prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

 

Hugs, not drugs … and lots of laughter

Intimacy and laughter are well known to elevate serotonin and endorphin levels. But too much serotonin can actually suppress sex drive. This is a common side effect of antidepressants. When you artificially flood the body with serotonin, the body becomes satiated, eliminating the desire for sex.

 

If you are on antidepressants and have the desire to boost your sex drive, speak with your doctor about some of these ways to increase serotonin. You may eventually be able to ditch the drugs.