Thursday, January 1, 2009

Know Your Body Composition

January 1st, always offers new beginnings to us. The number one thing most people want to change is their weight. They want to look better, but don't always stop to think, how it is affecting their health. This month the blog posts will be geared toward weight loss, and will give you important keys to make weight loss easier and make you healthier this new year.
Key to Weight Loss: Know Your Body Composition
Weight loss should be more then just dieting. Gaining a healthy body composition is really the bottom line. With weight gain, which is now considered an inflammatory disease, there is altered body composition, which can eventurally create chronic health conditions.
By reducing body fat, a healthy body composition can:
  • Improve insulin sensivity and glucose tolerance.
  • Improve blood circulations in all parts of the body, reducing the risk of heart disease.
  • Promote healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
  • Reduce respiratory infections, breathlessness, and improve overall lung function.
  • Improve quality of sleep.
  • Relieve strain placed on you knees, hips, and lower back - which can reduce pain.
  • Increase energy and endurance.
  • Improve mood and self-confidence.

Knowing your body composition is important because it tells your fat percent and your fat to muscle ratio, how much of your weight is excess water, how well your cells are replicating themselves, and most importantly, how many calories are you burning in a day. The best way to get this information is with a Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). It is a simple, quick test that many FirstLine Therapy practitioners use.

Knowing your daily caloric consumption is a key factor to weight loss. From there, a dietary program that balances proteins, carbohydrates, and good fats can be developed specifically for each individual. Include other nutritional support your body may need, along with a fitness program and it becomes easy to follow. You will be delighted with the results.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Nice post Kathy! I want to hear more ... :-) Happy New Year!

Take care,
Lisa Bender
http://www.ClickThisHome.com