BODY MASS CALCULATOR

 

Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women.

 

Please enter your weight and height located below and then click on “Calculate BMI” and your BMI will be displayed.

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What is a healthy diet?

 

A healthy diet is the same if you have diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure or most any other illness, as if you are healthy. You don’t need to completely eliminate your favorite foods. A healthy diet should include variety. Carbohydrate, protein and fats are all necessary daily. The amount of these nutrients and calories for each person is dependent on many variables, such as weight, height, activity, metabolism, family history, health history, and much more. Contact a dietitian to find out your specific needs.

 

Avoid fad diets that eliminate whole foods or food groups from you diet. Don’t be afraid to eat carbohydrates or fats. You will need a variety of fruits, vegetables, dairy, protein, grains and good fats to be completely healthy. You should avoid empty calories found in sodas, sugary beverages, sweets, and fried foods.

 

If you have diabetes, you should count your carbohydrates (95% of a carbohydrate turns to blood glucose within 10 minutes to 1 1/2 hours after you eat). The bigger the amount you eat at one sitting, the higher your blood glucose. Protein and fat do not turn to glucose, but watch out for saturated fats, because of your cholesterol. To count your carbohydrate, use your food label. Look primarily at the Serving size, and the Total Carbohydrate. You do not need to look at sugar, because these are included in the total.

 

Example: Cheerios - Serving size is 1 cup, and they have 20

rams of Total carbohydrate. If you eat 2 cups you then have 40 grams of carbohydrate.

 

Each person needs a different amount of carbohydrate at a meal, but generally you should get between 45-60 grams per meal.

 

Keeping a food diary and testing your blood glucose before and 2 hours after meals can tell you how you are doing. In general, you should not see your blood glucose rise more than 20-50 points from the start of the meal to 2 hours after.

 

Goals for Diabetes Meal Planning

 

1. Eat small to moderate amounts of carbohydrates at a time. Spread your carbohydrates over the entire day. You may need snacks between meals. Carbohydrates are from Starch and sugar of any kind. Carbohydrates are what raise your blood sugar. By eating small servings, you can avoid high blood sugars. You may need insulin or medication to keep your blood sugar down. Don't completely avoid carbohydrate.
2. Limit Saturated (animal) fat to help control your cholesterol.
3. Limit sodium to help control your blood pressure, and fluid retention.
4. Balance your calories you consume with those that you burn (if you are sedentary, you do not need that many calories). If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.

 

Healthy eating guidelines:

 

1. Eat at least 3 to 5 half to 1 cup servings of fresh or frozen vegetables per day. Mix up the color for      better nutrition.
2. Eat at least 2 to 3 half cup servings of fresh or frozen fruits per day. Again, use a variety of type and color. Citrus fruit berries, and melons have the most vitamin C.
3. Eat or drink at least 2 to 3 servings of low fat dairy products a day.
4. Eat at least 3 one ounce servings of 100% whole grain with 2 or more grams fiber per serving. Get at least 14g fiber for every 1000 calories that you eat.
5. Choose less than 5-8 ounces of lean/unsaturated meat choices per day. These include skinless poultry, beef sirloin, round, flank, tenderloin or pork loin, broiled seafood or egg whites.
6. Choose only healthy oils. Avoid Saturated fat (SFA), which comes from fat that is solid at room temperature or that is from an animal. Monounsaturated – olive, peanut, or canola oil, or polyunsaturated – corn, safflower, vegetable or soybean oil are healthy but should still be used in small portions. Include omega 3 oils often. These omega 3’s include oil from fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines or flax seeds.
7. Limit empty foods that are high in calories like desserts, regular soda, candy, cookies, or fried foods.  It takes a huge amount of exercise to compensate for these calories. One 3 inch cookie needs 1.5 miles of walking to be burned Plan ahead. Most bad decisions about diet or deficiencies in healthy food groups occur because of lack of time and spontaneous decisions about meals.

 

Are you an apple or a pear?

 

Apple shaped people tend to have higher risk for chronic illnesses than pears. You should try to increase your exercise and activity along with a healthy diet to lower your BMI to the normal range and prevent illness.

 

How active are you?

 

Most of the health organizations like the American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes Association recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of aerobic activity per day, such as walking. You also need to strengthen your body and maintain balance and flexibility. A dietitian or a certified personal trainer can help you with the right exercise routine for you.