BlueSkies Newsletter - November 2008
Welcome to the November edition of the BlueSkies newsletter.
We hope that you find the articles informative and useful.
In this month's newsletter read our articles on:
Also, find out why rowing is good for both your fitness and disadvantaged kids in the UK, why clementines are good for you and find out where to buy health risk indicator tape measures.
What Is Your Waist Measurement Telling You?
For a while now, we've known that waist circumference is one of the strongest indicators of health risks and new research has confirmed this. Carrying excess fat around your waist dramatically increases the risk of early death, even if your weight is 'normal'.
Historically, Body Mass Index (BMI) has been used to assess mortality risk but waist meaurement is now thought to be a more reliable indicator of early death. In addition, it is much easier to measure your waist than work out your BMI. BMI is your weight in kilos divided by your height in metres squared.
The stats
This latest study showed that:
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Men with waist measurements above 47 inches (119cm) are twice as likely to die early compared to those with waists smaller than 31.5 inches (80cm)
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Women with waist measurements above 39 inches (99cm) have double the death rate of those with measurements below 25.5 inches (64.7cm)
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An increase of 2 inches (5cm) on your waist measurement increases the chance of early death by 17% for men and 13% for women when BMI is unchanged
The following table identifies 'risk' associated with waist measurement.
|
Gender |
Male |
Female |
|
Low Risk |
<31.5 inches <80cm |
<25.5 inches <65cm |
|
Increased Risk |
31.5-39.8inches 80-101cm |
25.5-34.3 inches 65-87cm |
|
Moderate Risk |
39.9-47.0 inches 102-119 |
34.4-39.0 inches 88-99cm |
|
High Risk |
>47.0 inches >119cm |
>39.0 inches >99cm |
The importance
As one of the lead researchers states,
"There aren't many simple individual characteristics that can increase a person's risk of premature death to this extent, independently from smoking and drinking."
A high waist measurement, independent of BMI or other factors, can quadruple a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It is also known to increase the risk of developing high blood pressure and certain cancers.
Although the reason for this link between waist measurement and mortality risk is not completely understood, it is thought to be due to the type of fat that accumulates in this area. The fat that accumulates around the waist is different to that which is found elsewhere in the body and it may directly influence the development of chronic diseases.
How to measure your waist
Waist measurement is important as it is so easy to do and also so cheap! To accurately measure your waist, all you need is a tape measure - click here to see BlueSkies colour coded tape measures that identify your risk.
Watch this video to see how to measure your waist!
You can measure your waist by following these guidelines, it is sometimes easier to have a partner take your measurement for you:
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Take your waist measurement against bare skin or in minimal clothing
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Stand upright and relaxed with your feet together
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Pass the tape measure around your torso at the level of your belly button
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N.B. Men - this is not the same measurement as your trouser size
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Take your waist measurement after your breathe out but before you take your next breath in
What if your measurement is high?
Unfortunately, there are no magic diets or exercise regimes that will target your waist circumference despite what you may read! The best way to reduce your health risk is to increase the amount of activity and/or exercise that you do whilst following a healthy, balanced diet. For more information on how to achieve this, click here to visit our advice pages.
Product Of The Month - BMI Tape Measures
Our handy BMI Tape Measure has dual functionality.
- 1. The tape measure is colour-coded to identify waist measurements that increase mortality risk.
- 2. There is a BMI calculator wheel on the front allowing easy assessment of weight in relation to height.
At just £5, they’re are selling fast so click here to get yours!
Activity Of The Month - Rowing
Rowing is an excellent way to keep fit - if you're not convinced, just think back to the Olympics! This sport is highly demanding as it requires physical fitness, strength and a high level of co-ordination. To the uninitiated it may seem a primarily upper body exercise but a single rowing stroke requires forceful extension of the legs, extension of the trunk and contraction of the arms - it truly is a whole body exercise.
Now, as well as helping your fitness, rowing can also help disadvantaged kids through the Row 4 Kids campaign which turns your efforts on the rowing machine into coaching and sports activities for children throughout the UK. To find out more about Row 4 Kids, click here.
Your Questions Answered - Nutrition & Diet
At BlueSkies, we get asked a lot of nutrition and diet related questions so we thought we'd make the answers to the most common available to all of you. If you'd like to submit a question whether it be nutrition & diet, fitness or general health related, please e-mail it to us by clicking here. We will post answers to the most common questions in next month's newsletter or on our FAQ pages.
Here are some of the questions most commonly submitted to BlueSkies and the answers. To view all of these, click here to visit our FAQ page.
Question 1. Skinny Coffees - are they worth it?
Regarding cafe culture and milky coffee - what do you think of all this? I love latte coffees and cappucinos, are skinny lattes and cappucinos that much better - or should these sorts of drinks be a weekend treat rather than a daily habit ?
BlueSkies Response
With regard to coffees, yes they can add unnecessary calories to the diet!
The average skinny cappuccino will contain around 70-100 calories and the average skinny latte around 100-150 calories - compare this to a skinny Americano with around 20-30 calories. Skinny drinks are much, much better than full fat or even semi skimmed and you can easily save yourself 100+ calories per drink by switching to skinny from full fat.
There is no real problem with having these drinks everyday but if you are watching your weight they are an easy swap to make.
Question 2. How can I get my children to eat more healthily?
Any hints on how to change the childrens tastes to accept more healthier options? For example eating brown bread and pasta over white, eat more fruit and veg, eat any fish at all?
BlueSkies Response
Acquiring the taste for new foods is, in theory, simply a matter of exposure. However, convincing someone to try something enough times to acquire the taste for it is a challenge!
Children tend to have a very strong dislike of bitter tastes such as green vegetables or strong tastes such as some fish. This is a natural effect of evolution - if it tastes bad it's probably not good to eat or it may be off or poisonous. However things that have worked for people we know include -
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'hiding' vegetables in sauces made with things they do like - carrots and tomatoes are often fine
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making food fun by getting children involved in the preparation
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eating around a table together and making sure you eat the veggies and talk about how nice they are
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only giving a small amount e.g. 1 small floret of broccoli and making it a game to 'be a dinosaur and eat the little tree!' or engage them to play using whatever they are into
It's much, much easier to get little ones used to food before they can say no so unfortunately you're going to have some work on your hands! With older children although they’re likely to be resistant at first, don't deprive them of the things they’re used to all of a sudden but reason with them, treat them with respect like a grown up and encourage them to eat more healthily with you.
Question 3 - Can I eat fats and carbs at the same time?
Regarding fats and carbohydrates, I have read quite a lot about not mixing them in the same meal. Also, that fat is fine if there is not too much carbohydrate as the body will then process that fat to use the energy. And, if carbohydrates are mixed with fat, then the body will use the carbohydrates which it can get the energy from more easily and store the fats away. So whilst you should eat both fats and carbohydrates, it is best not to mix them in the same meal. What comments do you have on this?
BlueSkies Response
We're not believers in the Hay diet or any other macrobiotic or food combining theories. It is almost impossible to find foods (fruit and vegetables excepted) that don't have a mixture of all 3 macronutrients in them and the human body has evolved for millions of years eating whatever it can whenever it gets it.
Overconsumption of readily available, high calorie food sources is a modern, man-made problem which has brought with it the weight and health problems common in today’s society. The enzymes that digest the different nutrients will all be present in the various secretions at different stages of the digestive tract and unless there is a medical reason otherwise, nutrients will be absorbed when eaten alone or in combination.
The way the body uses the fatty acids and glucose once absorbed has little to do with when they're eaten as there will be adequate glycogen stores and fatty acid stores all the time, the key thing for losing weight is how many calories are eaten and not the timings or combination of nutrient intakes.
Question 4 - Will sugary foods before bed help me to sleep and is it better to add high fat foods to sugary ones to lower the glycemic index?
Is it OK to eat sugary foods before bed to help me sleep? I was surprised to see foods like cornflakes and bread are high on the GI rating is it OK to eat them if things like butter or cheese are added to the meal to reduce the blood glucose response?
BlueSkies response
Eating high sugar foods before bed is not a great idea but starchy food like potato, bread & cereals in the evening will help to raise levels of serotonin and help you sleep as will certain meats like turkey.
The GI is based on experimental methods rather than theory so often there are surprises as foods traditionally thought of as starchy or 'complex carbs' come up higher on the GI than things that are considered sugars or 'simple carbohydrates'. This is because of the type and structures of the carbohydrate in the food and is affected by adding fat or protein containing foods in a meal with a high GI carb which tend to lower the glycemic response. However, this doesn't necessarily make it a 'better' meal if these are high fat foods.
Question 5 - Are smoothies a good way to get my fruit servings?
In an effort to get more fruit into my diet (I pretty much only like apples!) I have been drinking some smoothies from a local shop. They are made mostly from fresh fruit (you can see them make it) but they also include pro-biotic yoghurt which I don't really know anything about. Is that a good way to increase the amount of fruit I eat?
BlueSkies Response
Smoothies are a great, convenient way to get fruit into your diet and the ones you're having, made fresh in front of you are the best as you can see they don't strain out all the good bits of skin and fibre like some of the pre-bottled ones do.
Smoothies only really count towards one of your daily fruit servings though but the pro-biotic yoghurt is an extra dairy serving, gives you extra calcium and protein and although there is some conflict in the research as to how beneficial the probiotics are they certainly won't hurt you (unless you're trying to lose weight and they're full fat yoghurts).
For more FAQs, please click here. To submit your own questions about nutrition & diet, fitness or general health, click here.
Food Of The Month - Clementines
Clementines are a traditional festive favourite that are in season from November to February. These are the smallest and sweetest of the orange fruits that you will find on the shelves but they are packed with goodness. However, the nutrient content of clementines will deplete quite quickly once peeled so they are best peeled just prior to eating. Clementines are particularly high in Vitamin C with 1 serving (2 fruits) providing almost 300% of the recommended daily intake of this nutrient. What's more, they're fat free, sodium free and a good source of fibre and low in calories so enjoy them whilst they're in season!
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