Other Ways to Check If I am Healthy

 12-2-2020 Other Ways to Check If I am Healthy

Okay, I get it, my weight is just one way to figure out if I am healthy or not...and not even the best/most accurate way to do so. 

We all know people who are on the thin side that have health problems. Just as we all know people who are on the heavy side that get a clean bill of health from their doctors every year. I really think it is different for each person.

For me, I know my weight is a problem. 

I may love my age, love my body, and not be ashamed of my weight; however, I hate feeling sluggish all the time. I also hate the gastrointestinal problems I have had for a while now (read: chronic constipation and gas build up). I also hate how tight my muscles feel, especially in my jaw. I hate how hard it is to bend over and tie my shoes or give myself a pedicure. And honestly, I do not like how I look in photos (more on that later).

I do know that my waist measurement is another way to tell if I am healthy. I recently read an article in Insider that discussed nine biomarkers besides weight to help you determine how healthy you are overall. You can read it here.

Following the article's list, I still have a health problem.

1 - Waist measurement: as shown in my last post, my waist circumference is a little high and therefore I am at risk for certain diseases.

2 - Glasses of water: The article says that each person is different for the amount they need to drink. My doctor told me I need to drink 4 liters of water a day. I barely get 1 liter of water in. This is one of those yo-yo areas. If I put a lot of time and energy into tracking and drinking, then yeah, I can do 4 liters of water a day. Unfortunately, the slightest thing can throw me off track. 

3 - Blood pressure: The article recommends getting checked regularly by your doctor. I check my blood pressure every morning. A habit I got into after my husband's heart attack and surgery. Since he needs to check his every day, I check mine as well and then keep track of our numbers on a chart. My blood pressure is all over the place. I have had a lot of dental problems this past year and I think the pain involved is affecting my numbers. It is disheartening to see those high numbers.

4 - Vegetables are eaten: Oops, another one I struggle with. I do a much better job of getting enough fruits eaten, not so much with vegetables. I love salads. Unfortunately because of my dental problems I can't eat salads. I try to have some kind of vegetable soup every day and I want to make more green smoothies...and yet, I struggle. This is part of my emotional eating. It is also a weird hang-up I have about trying new foods or a new way of eating when other people are around. And the whole family is around every day thanks to Covid-19 and the shutdown. I need to work on this one.

5 - Cholesterol levels: Again, the article suggests getting checked regularly. I know my dad has struggled with high cholesterol levels for years and he now has Diabetes. I assume the two are linked. The last time I had my cholesterol levels checked they were high. I can't remember the last time I was checked. I know I need to eat more whole grains and less sugar. I also know I need to ask to be checked at my next physical.

6 - Blood sugar levels: Again, the article suggests getting checked regularly. All be honest, except for the nasty sugar test I was forced to do with each of my pregnancies, I don't think I have ever had this test. I will add this to the list of things to have checked when I go in for my next physical.

7 - Time spent moving: The article suggests 30 minutes a day. It also says to move throughout the day. I actually do pretty good at this one and really hate it when I can't get my walk in. I walk every day for 30 minutes because I enjoy it. I love walking with people. I prefer walking outside. I enjoy hiking. I don't mind the elliptical or treadmill. What I want to get better at is doing exercises for strength, flexibility, and balance. I really struggle to make those a part of my day. My secret hope is to sprinkle movement throughout the day and have it total around 90 minutes by the time I go to bed.

8 - Alcoholic drinks consumed: I don't drink alcohol so I didn't even read this section.

9 - Hours spent sleeping: The article suggests between seven to nine hours of sleep a night. I happen to know I have always needed more sleep than most people so the goal...the dream...is to get nine hours of sleep every night. Oh, I can be in bed for nine hours...I am just not always able to sleep. My brain has a hard time turning off at night (I will discuss this in another post). My husband or children will forget I have gone to bed and wake me up...or legit have a problem and need me. My husband likes to be on his computer before going to bed...and the computer is in our room because he works from home. I am a super light sleeper and will almost always wake up when he turns on his computer. 

And yes, all of this sounds like excuses. Except, I know that when we were first married I was able to sleep throughout the night without waking up. And yes, we had a computer in our room back then. I woke up briefly when he turned on his computer and then fell right back to sleep. Now? I fully wake up. I also wake up randomly throughout the night dreaming I am choking on something. Or I wake up because I think I heard the doorbell or someone knocking on the door....and my bedroom is on the second floor. Basically, I know the quality of sleep sucks. I really want it to be better.

Bottom line? I have some work to do. Of the nine items, I know five of them are bad and need to be improved. I am pretty sure 2 of them are bad but will get hard numbers at my next physical. 1 item is pretty good, but I want to improve it. And the last number is great because I don't drink alcohol.

I guess what I am saying is that I know I am unhealthy regardless of what the scale says or what chart is used to determine my "healthy" range.

What about you? How do you tell if you are healthy or not?