The No More Excuses Diet by Maria Kang Read Free Book Online Page A

your body’s “motor.” Your lungs will hold more oxygen, your organs will more efficiently process foods, and yourblood will flow more effortlessly through your body. By checking your starting “vitals,” you’ll be able to measure the results of your journey and see your numbers improve in just one month’s time.
BLOOD PRESSURE
    Of the two major ways that doctors assess the immediate health of your heart, blood pressure represents the amount of pressure your circulating blood is exerting against the sides of your blood vessels. To measure your blood pressure, you can use a sphygmomanometer found at most pharmacies or in a doctor’s office. You can also purchase an affordable blood pressure kit from major retail stores. Normal blood pressure ranges from 110 to 150 millimeters (as the heart beats) over 60 to 80 millimeters (as the heart rests between beats). For young adults, a blood pressure of 120/80 indicates your heart is healthy (150/90 for 60 and above). If your numbers are higher, this is an indication of hypertension, or high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease.
PULSE, ORHEART RATE
    Besides your blood pressure, your pulse is an important measure of your heart health. Particularly, your pulse shows how hard your heart is working, either at rest or during activity. To measure your pulse, find the radial artery along the side of your neck, or at your wrist on the thumb side, and count how many pulses you feel in a minute. An average person’s pulse measures 60 to 80 beats perminute at rest, although an athlete’s pulse can be as low as between 35 and 50 beats. The best time to measure your resting pulse is when you wake up in the morning, before performing any activity. Lie in bed, set your timer, and count how many times your heart beats per minute. A good trick is to measure your heartbeat for 15 seconds and multiply that number by 4. As your health improves, you will notice your resting heart rate decline, indicating that your heart isn’t working as hard.
BLOOD SUGAR
    Controlling your blood sugar/glucose levels through exercise and diet will help protect you from developing type 2 diabetes and the complications that go with it, like kidney failure, heart disease, blindness, and lower-limb amputation. You can measure your blood sugar with a portable electronic device or at your physician’s office. A healthy blood sugar range is between 70 and 100 mg/dL and can rise to 140 mg/dL after eating. A friend of mine was diagnosed as pre-diabetic when his blood sugar levels hovered around 170 after eating. He cut down on his sugar intake and began walking regularly, which brought his blood sugar levels down to a healthy range.
Your Overall Fitness Level
    Any judgment of fitness focuses on function. That is, what your body is capable of doing. It’s a measurement that bridges the gap between how your body looks and how it operates. Fitness includesflexibility, cardio fitness, and strength.
FLEXIBILITY
    To measure your lower back and hamstring flexibility, simply get a sit-and-reach box (available in sports shops and online) or sit on the floor with your shoes off, legs shoulder-width apart and extendedstraight out. Tape a ruler on the ground between your feet, extending away from you. Place your hands on top of each other, palms facing down and slowly reach forward toward your toes. After making three practice reaches, hold the fourth reach for at least 2 seconds and notice where on the ruler you’ve reached. An adult male with excellent flexibility can reach anywhere between 6.5 and 10.5 inches beyond his toes. An adult female with excellent flexibility can reach anywhere between 8 and 11.5 inches.
    If you don’t want to go through the hassle of finding a sit-and-reach box or a ruler, just take a cellphone picture of how far you can stretch. Sit straight in a straddle stretch, with knees slightly bent, and reach for your toes as far as you can. Have someone snap your farthest reach and date your