This column will explain the measures that I use to keep my ‘good health’ in line. Many do not agree with me that the BMI (Body Mass Index) is a good measure to follow. I need a measurable factor to evaluate myself.
To start off this discussion, I will explain how simple the BMI is to calculate. There is a BMI Calculator which can be found by googling “the BMI calculator” on Google. If I factor in my ethnicity, white, male and age my BMI is 16.8 and slightly underweight. What do I learn from this? BMI, like everything else, needs accurate input to give me accurate results. I need to add some pounds, not the reverse. I use the values for weight, height and age. Simple, eh? The ethnicity factor lowers my BMI – I don’t know why.
The simple BMI is a measure of my body with respect of height and weight. The idea is that my body has a healthy body weight. My simple BMI measurement is 22 without my ethnicity factored in.
A BMI between 18.5 and 25 is considered to be healthy – this is always my target.
A BMI over 25 is considered to be overweight – I have been there and didn’t feel good.
A BMI of over 30 is considered to be obese – I’ve never been there and never will be there.
Waist Circumference (WC) is also a good measure and is easy to do. The best way to measure fat around the middle is simply to measure around your waste half way between the hip bone and the lowest rib. Men should be under 40 inches (increased risk at 37 inches) and women under 34 inches (increased risk at 31 inches). The extra fat found around the middle is an important factor in health, even independent of BMI. This waist circumference just measures the extra fat around the middle, which is an important indicator in the evaluation of my health.
The BMI and WC are not only the only measure that I use to calculate my health. I also use:
Fitbit watch: My Fitbit watch keeps track of my steps (activity) per day, my pulse and my sleep.
Heart monitor: I have a Kardia Mobile 6L EKG, which allows me to view my heart rhythm, on demand.
Glucometer: I can test my blood glucose on demand. It is a simply prick of a finger and putting the drop of blood into the glucometer.
Blood pressure: I don’t have a blood pressure gauge because I use the one at the pharmacy, for free.
My ‘Seven Pillars’ for positive health include lifestyle, diet and exercise, and I try to perform to acceptable standards in all three.
For example: my mandate for lifestyle is “nothing in excess.” Take it easy – remember, I am old (82 years old). Whether losing or gaining weight, I must remember to progress slowly – one to two pounds change per week, at the maximum. I eat more or less to change my weight. I do not change the type of food I eat. Preferably, while I am trying to affect a weight change or stability, I want to eat small and healthy every two hours or so.
The BMI, plus the WC, gives me a good read on my body. The brain is another matter. How my brain is being fed through the blood brain barrier may relate directly to how well I am doing in following my diet guidelines – minimum sugars and virtually no processed foods, etc., and lots of fruits and vegetables. New cancer drugs are being considered for me in the next week or so, as I have multiple small melanomas.
The discipline to follow such a regime is difficult. At my age, I really do not have much of a choice. My brain is affected by my dementia and my body is affected by my dermatomyositis (DM). I’m reviewing all this now because next week is a tough one. At least two days at the hospital. Basically, I need my brain and my body to be operating at top efficiency to allow these cancer drugs to eliminate all my melanomas quickly and efficiently. I try to remember, “the brain runs the body and the body feeds the brain.”
On Tuesday, I have an appointment with my plastic surgeon to check my surgery and melanomas. Also, I expect to get the cancer blocker pills from my oncologist next week. I have been reading about these pills and they make note of a number of side effects similar to those with the DM. Apparently my DM is caused by the melanomas. If the pills eliminate my melanomas, I hope that the DM will also disappear. I will also be getting six hours of IIVg infusion over two days next week. This is to increase antibodies that my body is unable to produce naturally. This should correct most infections in my body. My health issues are not just simple aging issues but serious disease issues that I have experienced over the last nine months. Medical issues dominate my life!
I intend to keep writing these columns as long as I can. So, I hope you will stay tuned.
As I have said before, life is interesting and it is worthwhile to keeping going – and golf season will be here soon.
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Bob Murray is retired from the graphic communication (printing) industry and has been living in Seaforth since 2015. Murray was diagnosed with dementia in 2013 and works hard to stop the progress of the disease to AD. He shares his experiences in his column entitled “My Voyage with Dementia.” Follow him on his blog entitled Voyage with Dementia – https://myvoyage55326.wordpress.com.
