A recent article over at AOL Body caught my attention because it was titled “5 Food Fixes for Flat Abs.” I read the title and thought to myself that it couldn’t be possible to eat certain foods to trim my abs, so I read on to see what it meant. The gist of the article was this – foods alone aren’t going to trim your mid-section, but they’ll certain help. Here’s their advice for getting a flatter tummy:

• Eat Fruits and Veggies (duh!) – in particular, orange ones like carrots. Researchers believe that foods like carrots are loaded with antioxidants which ward off ab fat.
• Eat foods with Selenium – apparently selenium is a cancer fighting mineral that also helps lower rates of abdominal obesity. This one is tricky though because the levels of selenium you get will vary based upon where the foods were grown. They suggest to get a supplement if you don’t think you’re getting enough.
• Incorporate protein – Protein helps keep you full, boost your energy, and can help reduce the amount of fat being stored in your mid-section.
• Drink a glass of wine – It’s not that you should start drinking, but if you already drink a glass of wine each day, know that there are some benefits!
• Eat healthy fats – like olive oil and Omega 3s!

We’ve talked a little bit before about BMI and what it is. BMI stands for body mass index and it is used as one tool to help you evaluate your weight. Using your BMI alone isn’t enough (the image below helps explain why) to determine whether you’re overweight, underweight, obese, or just right, but it is a good thing to know.If you’ve ever wondered how to calculate your BMI, go no further! Today I thought I’d explain how to do it manually, but also point you to a site that does the calculation for you.

There are two important measurements involved to do the calculation, weight and height. Therefore you’ll need to know your weight in pounds, and your height in inches. Once you have those two numbers, follow the steps below.

Manually Calculate Your BMI

1. Multiply your weight in pounds by 703 (example: 136lb x 703 = 95,608)
2. Multiply your height in inches by your height in inches (example: 5′4″ = 64inches so I’ll multiply 64×64 which equals 4,096)
3. Divide the number in step one by the number in step two (example: 95,608/4096 = 23.3)

Now I know that my BMI is 23.3

So what does that number mean? Lets take a look at the BMI categories to determine this:

• Underweight = BMI of less than 18.5
• Normal weight = BMI of 18.5-24.9
• Overweight = BMI of 25-29.9
• Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
• Morbidly Obese = BMI of 40 or greater

So for a person that’s 5′4″ and weighs 136 pounds, they fall under the “normal weight” category. Aside from BMI, you’ll also want to get a measure of your waist which also helps to determine your overall health. We talked about that here, so feel free to reference it to determine if your waist size combined with your BMI means that you’re at a healthy weight.

Calculate your BMI with an Online Calculator

If you’d like to use an online calculator to determine your BMI instead of manually doing the math, you can find a BMI calculator here.

Most people underestimate the nutritional value (or lack there of) of the fast food that they eat despite the fact that most fast food restaurants make this information readily available online. Perhaps it gets ignored on purpose? If people only realized the amount of calories, fat, and sodium that they were putting into their bodies, they’d likely think twice (at least I’d hope so) about the choices that they made. Below you’ll find nutritional information for some of the most popular items at fast food restaurants. It came from the fast food vendors themselves, and you can easily find this information yourself at www.mcdonalds.com, www.burgerking.com, www.wendys.com, and www.arbys.com.

Amazing, isn’t it? Of course none of the items I listed would be considered a “healthy” choice at these restaurants, but unfortunately, the majority of people choose these types of items over salads or grilled chicken options. The next time you’re thinking about pulling up to a drive-thru, take the time to visit the restaurant’s website so that you can view the nutritional information and get an idea of what you’re putting into your body. And remember, it’s not just the calories that count – it’s the fat, trans fat, and sodium that you should be looking at as well. Keep in mind, eating fast food (unhealthy) regularly is definitely something that could eventually cause you problems with your health.

USA Today has an article today about how obesity rates in the United States are climbing. Surprised? Me neither. Many people who are obese according to their body mass index don’t even know it. I know when I weighed my highest, I certainly didn’t think I was considered obese. Overweight, sure. Obese, no. But I was obese. I assume that many people just think of themselves as overweight because they paint a picture of an obese person as someone who can hardly walk because of the weight, or someone who has a hard time getting themselves out of bed if they’re even able to do that. Those images translate into someone who is morbidly obese, or someone who has a BMI well over 40.

To give you an idea of how BMI works, I’ll use my height as an example. I am 5’4” tall, and below I list where I’d fit in the different BMI categories, but first, what are the BMI categories?

• Underweight = BMI of less than 18.5
• Normal weight = BMI of 18.5–24.9
• Overweight = BMI of 25–29.9
• Obesity= BMI of 30 or greater
• Morbidly Obese= BMI of 40 or greater

For my height, here’s where I’d fit in:

• Underweight at 5’4” would be 108 lbs or lower
• Normal weight at 5’4” would be 109lbs – 145lbs
• Overweight at 5’4” would be 146lbs – 174lbs
• Obesity at 5’4” would be 175lbs – 232lbs
• Morbidly Obese at 5’4” would be 233lbs and above

For some of you, these numbers are really going to come as a surprise.  If you’d like to determine your own Body Mass Index (BMI), there’s a website that you can go to where all you have to do is enter in your height and weight, and it will calculate your BMI for you. The BMI calculator can be found here.

The article also talked about how the lack of exercise is such a huge factor in obesity rates as well as poverty. So why is it that those living in poverty are more likely to be obese? A lot of it has to do with the fact that healthy foods like fruits and vegetables are more expensive than other foods that aren’t so healthy.The five poorest states were all in the list of the most obese states.

With obesity rates climbing, I’d like to see more attention placed on living a healthy lifestyle and I think part of that attention can come on the local level within our communities or even throughout our states. The state of Iowa, where I reside, has a great program in place that other states could learn from. It’s called Lighten Up Iowa, and it’s a “statewide,web-based, and teamwork driven wellness program designed to help participants make positive and lasting changes over the course of four months that will enable participants to lead a healthier lifestyle. Our goal is to teach participants how to incorporate health into everyday life to create a culture of wellness.”

I love the last few words, “A culture of wellness” because it sounds all-encompassing. There are so many different ways that we all can create a culture of wellness that would help those obesity rates drop. It’s just a matter of doing them, which we know, is the challenging part. If you have ideas on how we can create a “culture of wellness” around us, feel free to share.