•Measurable
•Attainable
•Realistic
•Time Bound
There are tracking tools in the appendices to help you develop your goals. Here are some examples:
Food Choices
I will cut down on sugar and fat in my diet, and eat more vegetables.
•Week 1: cut out 1 soda and substitute water, take ½ tsp. sugar in coffee instead of 1 tsp., add 1 extra vegetable to lunch and dinner
•Week 2: no soda, ¼ tsp. sugar in coffee, no white foods, 1 less serving of red meat this week
Exercise
I will start to get more aerobic activity first and later add weights.
•Week 1: park car far away and walk 15 minutes before I get to my desk
•Week 2: walk 30 minutes
•Week 3: start weight routine with 1 set for each muscle group
Go: Action!
Assess: What’s Aging You?
Knowing what your most vulnerable areas are can help you focus on your weakest part. You are only as young as your”oldest”part, and that part may fail first. Think of your health as an iceberg beneath the surface: There is a lot you can’t see. You wake up one morning and you lose your balance and fall. You can’t open a jar or see the fine-print anymore. The TV has to be turned up louder. Getting up the stairs is harder and painful.
Even without equipment or a professional to measure, there are some things you can assess on your own, and others you will need to ask your doctor for.
Visit Your Doctor
Get a baseline of your measurements to assess your risk for cardiovascular disease, obesity, and weight-related illness as well as to track progress. Here are some important numbers:
•Height
•Weight
•Blood pressure
•Pulse
•Body mass index (BMI)*
•Body composition (percent fat)
•Waist size
•Hip size
•Waist-to-hip ratio
*NOTE: Body mass index (BMI) is a relationship between weight and height that is associated with body fat and health risk.
Basic blood tests are essential to determine if you have any underlying illness and can be early indicators of risk for developing illness. Some basic tests that assess your metabolic function are:
•Fasting blood sugar
•Metabolic panel or chem. screen
•Complete blood count (CBC)
•Lipids (cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides)
Advanced testing for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome are emerging as important in determining risk for disease and can guide treatment options:
•Lipoprotein particle analysis
•C- Reactive Protein
•Homocysteine
•Fasting insulin
•Hemoglobin A1c
Other age- or gender-specific tests that are early markers for cancer, osteoporosis, and hormone deficiencies or imbalances are:
•Prostate specific antigen (PSA)
•Pap smear
•Mammography
•DEXA bone scan
•Hormone levels
Refer to the appendices to determine your risk and record your findings.
Prioritize
Knowing your personal risk factors can help you prioritize. Your doctor or a metabolic anti-aging specialist can help you find the common thread and assist you in focusing on the areas that will the greatest impact. However, just following some basic lifestyle principles can improve your health.
Put your plan of action on paper or in your computer. Now you are ready to begin.
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