BMI is what medical doctors use as screening tools together with their patients weight. They go hand in hand on their medical records. I always wonder why the medical assistant always lead me to the clinic’s weight scale the moment I enter the clinic for check up.
I never really had given it too much thought as to why they want to know my weight measurement until I got educated with Body Mass Index as of late. It seems crucial to put the dots together with family history, your diet and your lifestyle as a whole, as well as your weight and your body mass index. It will give a doctor an idea on where you stand with your health.
And it should set an alarm in my head that I am at risk for serious conditions such as stroke, heart problems, respiratory, muscle as well as joint diseases. A high BMI could indicate cholesterol and high blood pressure risks putting strain to the heart and the brain.
I never really thought how important it is to pay attention to my weight, until I’ve gained a few pounds and my blood pressure readings were high. I’ve decided to seek medical advise. My BMI was probably close to being overweight when I saw a doctor. But before that, I’ve gained weight that probably my BMI was over 25. I knew I needed to lose weight when I saw myself on photos and videos. But just looking in the mirror, there’s a sense of denial that I was gaining weight. When I started weighing myself again, reality hit that indeed it’s time to lose the excess weight. Another indicator was I felt tired easily and I was not feeling great plus I was suffering from heartburn each time I was in bed.
What’s bad with all of these was the idea that somehow planted in my head; which started from an article reading about it several years ago, that when you reach a certain age, extra weight is not bad to prevent osteoporosis or thinning of the bones– a reduction in bone mass, due to depletion of calcium and bone protein as a person gets older, especially for a woman. That made me complacent with my weight increase and I let myself go. Not a good thinking.
When I finally put two and two together and getting more understanding about my BMI, it got easier to lose those extra poundage; plus the fact that excess food consumption leads to health risks as well as an abuse of our body system and organs. Measuring my waist is very important, too; however, the medical doctors don’t pay too much attention to it more than the BMI. I can see why because as we lose weight, we will decrease our belly fat, especially if plant based foods or raw and whole foods are parts of our healthy diet. Green leafy vegetables and asparagus and fruits are full of fiber and low in calories. Berries, too are low in calories and full of fiber that give feeling of fullness and satisfaction. Avocados and nuts, and oatmeal are good sources in reducing belly and abdominal fats. The possibilities are endless in regards to flattening the tummy and these types of foods keep us satisfied. Once we’ve learned to tame our sugar addiction in the form of bad carbs from processed foods, whole foods which are the complex carbs or what they now called slow carbs will become the best tasting, wholesome eats of our lives. Just make sure they are organic grown and non-GMOs.
I am not a vegan nor a vegetarian for I eat lean grass fed meat and organic lean chicken, as well as wild caught fish and seafood; although I limit my intake of them and I interchange. I prefer more consumption of wild caught fish instead of red meat. Brown rice, quinoa, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, kimchi, saurkrauts, miso are also our kitchen staples.
I am now down to 109 pounds and my BMI is 22. My recent visit with my GP, he gave me thumbs up and he was glad I’ve lost weight. He advised me that my BMI should never go below 20 as lower than 20 can put me at risk with osteoporosis. I’m keeping that in mind.
Greatest GIFT - Naomi Jeremiah 