What Your BMI Indicates:

Below 20: A very lean BMI. A low amount of body fat but increased risk of poor immune responses to disease. Muscle mass is too low indicating a very poor diet. Consider gaining weight through healthy diet and good exercise.
Between 20 and 22: Indicates the ideal, healthy amount of body fat. Associated with living longest and lowest incidence of serious illness. Also happens to be perceived by most people as attractive.
Between 22 and 25: Considered an acceptable range associated with good health and appearance.
Between 25 and 30: Considered to be “hefty”. Associated with increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Consider reducing your weight by changing diet, eating habits and exercising more frequently.
Over 30: Indicates an unhealthy condition. Excess body mass is causing heart strain, high blood pressure and may result in diabetes. A BMI this high may indicate the presence of Syndrome X (insulin resistance). Also associated with gall bladder disease, stroke and many cancers.
NOTE: The chart ends at 250 pounds since no individual over that weight can have a BMI less than 30. If your BMI is above 46 or less than 15, you should be under a physician’s care.


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The Glycemic Index and Why It Is Important To You

What The Glycemic Index Is:

The Glycemic Index ranks foods based upon how they effect your body’s blood sugar levels. The Index measures how much your blood sugar increases 2-3 hours after eating a particular food. The index value is a percentage of the blood sugar normally caused by eating a reference food -- standard white bread in the U.S. White bread therefore equals 100, the standard. If a food ranks lower than 100, it produces less blood sugar than white bread by whatever percentage difference the GI shows. If a food has a GI over 100, it produces more blood sugar than white bread by that percentage amount.

 Why It Is Important:

Recent research has shown that maintaining a steady, low insulin level is one of the major factors necessary for proper weight loss. If high levels of insulin are produced, most of the food you eat is not burned for energy but stored as fat. You gain weight while feeling tired. Even more damaging to your weight loss program, high insulin levels result in alternating blood sugar "highs" and "lows" that cause you to crave snacks and eat on impulse when you are not really hungry. In addition to taking blood sugar control supplements like Chromium, Vanadium and Glucosol, the best dietary way to prevent insulin production is to eat mostly foods that have a low Glycemic Index.

Some Common Low Glycemic Index Foods:

Some Common High Glycemic Index Foods:

How Much Is Enough?

Calories

Just how much should the average person eat each day? The energy content of every food is measured in calories. The FDA recommends the following maximum daily calorie intakes:

• 1,600 calories for sedentary women over 50
• 2,000-2,200 calories for most men or women under 50
• 2,800 for very active men under 50

Each pound of stored fat equals 3,500 calories. Therefore, you will gain one pound for every 3,500 calories over the maximum amounts listed above. Extra calories are cumulative. If you eat only 500 calories extra a day for 7 days, you will gain one pound that week. If you eat 500 calories LESS each day for a week, you will lose one pound that week. You can increase weight loss by raising the “speed” of your metabolism through exercise and/or dietary supplements.

A brisk, 30 minute walk uses between 500 and 1,000 calories depending on heart rate. .

Fats

In addition to heart disease and stroke, eating excess fat has been linked to increased breast, prostrate and colorectal cancers according to the NCI’s Cancer Awareness Program. Proper fat intake is important but should never exceed 30% of total caloric intake. The type of fat consumed is as important as the amount.

There are three types of fats--saturated, polyunsaturated and monosaturated. All three have equal calorie contents. Each gram of fat equals 9 calories, (1 gram of a carbohydrate = 4 calories), but each fat type affects your health differently.

Saturated fats (meats and dairy products) raise blood cholesterol levels increasing the risk of stroke and heart disease. No more than 10% of daily caloric intake should be saturated fat. (24 grams total for a 2,200 calorie per day diet). Polyunsaturated fats (processed vegetable oils) may lower cholesterol levels but are also associated with increased cancer risks. These fats should also be limited to 10%.

Monosaturated fats (olive and peanut oils) lower cholesterol levels and appear to decrease certain cancer risks. Monosaturates also appear to increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Since total fat consumption is limited to 30% of daily caloric intake, monosaturates should also comprise at least 10% of total caloric intake if you also consume other fats. However, if you can reduce saturated and polyunsaturated fat intake levels, monosaturate fat intake may be increased a corresponding amount up to 30% of total daily calories.

Food labels list fat content in grams. To convert your daily fat intake limit from calories to grams, multiply your daily calorie intake by 0.30 (30%) and then divide by 9 (the number of calories in a gram of fat). If your daily fat intake exceeds this limit, use a Chitosan supplement to remove the fat BEFORE your body metabolizes it and stores it as body fat on you.

Example:

2,200 Calories times 0.30 = 660 calories from fat.
660 calories divided by 9 = 73 grams of fat as your maximum daily allowance.

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