Count sheep, not calories

Sleep, fibre are more important benchmarks

Sometimes, we track, count and obsess over numbers that don’t matter very much for our overall health. Or worse, we ignore numbers that do matter.

I was curious about which numbers my fellow dietitians consider the most important. I sought feedback from 20 experts who work in either hospitals or private practice. Here are the data that have the most clinical importance. Half your plate. Dietitians recommend that clients simplify food decisions by using a plate model. That means filling half your plate with vegetables and some fruit; one-quarter with protein-rich foods such as fish, poultry or beans; and the final quarter with whole grains. 25 to 35 grams. That’s how much fibre a day we need for optimal health. Fibre helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, prevents certain cancers, eases constipation and keeps you feeling full for longer, which is helpful for weight management. 7 to 8 hours. Are you getting that much sleep every night? Lack of sleep has short-term consequences, such as poor judgment, increased risk of accidents, bad moods and less ability to retain information. Poor sleep over the long term has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. 150 minutes. That’s the recommendation for how much physical activity (equivalent to 2.5 hours) you should get each week, preferably spread through the week. This level of activity helps combat heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, dementia and cancer. 100 mg/dl. Your doctor can test your fasting plasma glucose level to check for Type 2 diabetes (a normal reading is less than 100 mg/dl). Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable by eating well and getting enough exercise. If you have diabetes, lifestyle changes can actually help you reverse the diagnosis. A diagnosis of prediabetes is 100 to 125 mg/dl., and a diagnosis of diabetes is 126 mg/dl. or higher. 120/80 mmHg. Left untreated, high blood pressure is a risk factor for having a heart attack or a stroke. Normal blood pressure is120/80 mmHg (millimetres of mercury) or less. Elevated blood pressure is 121 to 129 over 80. High blood pressure is130 to 139 over 80 to 89.