Women have been asking ‘how much should I weight?’ and ‘What’s a healthy weight for me?’

Both very difficult questions to answer and always controversial to tell someone ‘ideal measurements’, but here are our general guidelines…

It’s actually very similar to the men’s equation, but also very different.

Our equation for women (Called the Venus Equation) is as follows:

C x H³

 

Where “H”= Your height in meters and the coefficient “C” is what we use to control for age just like we do for men.  C = 10 at the age range that is associated with the highest degree of lean body mass in women… And this is where we start to see some very important gender differences.

While men are in ‘maximal muscle potential’ between the ages of about 18-25, women don’t hit this phase until much later in mid-life (around 45 years of age). I’ll explain why this is ultra-important, but first the age ranges for the coefficient C are as follows:

18-24 = 9.6

25-34 = 9.8

 35-54 = 10

 55+ = 9.8

(With the standard deviation being 0.5)

So for your average 5’6” women who is 36 years old the equations would be as follows (LBM means lean body mass):

LBM = 10 x 1.6764³

LBM = 10 x 4.711

 LBM = 47.11 KG

LBM = ~104 POUNDS

In this case ~104 pounds would be the average lean body mass for a women aged 36 who is 5’6″ tall.

Now to get the range, we use the Standard deviation. Since Lean Body Mass is normally distributed, we can use 2 standard deviations to the right or left of average to get the range that 95% of the population is likely to fall into.

In this case the range would be between:

 

9 x 4.711 and 11 x 4.711

or

94 to 114 pounds

 

And this is where it gets fun.  So we would expect a 5’6″ woman at age 36 to have a Lean body mass that would fall somewhere within this relatively small range.

***NOTE: Some people missed this part, but the equation above is for LEAN body mass, not TOTAL body mass.***

Now part of the Venus Index is trying to create an ideal look through having a well proportioned body, and this is where these numbers are so important. With men, having a high amount of muscle mass is a visual queue for ‘youth’ since the highest amounts of lean body mass are found in men usually around the age of 25. For women it is different, too much muscle can actually make a woman look older since the highest amount of lean body mass is typically found in women aged 45+. So with the Venus Index we want IDEAL muscle mass, but not AS MUCH MUSCLE AS POSSIBLE.

Ideal is almost always somewhere in this range.

But how do you tell what’s ideal on YOUR Body? For Venus we use body circumferences as our metrics. Specifically we use your waist measurement and your shoulder measurements.

***REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF BELOW****

A woman’s waist (for our measurements) is NOT at her navel.  If I were to ask a group of young girls to show me their waists they will almost always point to their belly buttons.

This is not where you measure!

The natural waist is the smallest point on the torso above the navel, and for most women it’s right underneath the rib cage. (A very short-waisted person can have her waist skim the bottom edge of her ribs.)

Make a note – when you see these equations they are not meant to be indicative of your waist circumference at your navel – even the leanest fitness models may have trouble hitting these numbers if they use that location for their waist measurement.

For most women an ideal ‘look’ typically occurs at a waist circumference that is roughly 38% of their height. Much lower than that (lower than 35%) and you start to look emaciated, much higher (anything over 43%) and you will start to lose that natural ‘shape’ as body fat will start to cover it. Similar to men, anything over 50% and you are carrying excess body fat that you simply do not need and may be detrimental to your long term health.

38% = Our Ideal

35 – 43% = Good range

Under 35% = May be lacking lean body mass, probably time to slightly increase calories

Over 43% = May be carrying more body fat than you need, time to assess.

Over 50% = More body fat than you need, possible risk to long term health.

An important part of this approach is that there is an ideal, and from our work with transformations and fitness models it is an attainable ideal. Fitness and health is not a ‘get lean at all costs’ game – we’ll leave that for runway models and people with food-issues.

Barbie has a waist that is 25% of her height, this is NOT ideal.

(Oddly enough, her natural waist is at her bellybutton, but that’s the least of her worries)

The other part of this is that equally as important to your waist measurement is your shoulder measurement. Measured around your shoulders at ‘about armpit level’ the shoulder circumference is a great indicator of overall muscle mass, without being confounded by breast size, like a simple ‘chest measurement’.

Having shoulders that are roughly 62% of your height is generally indicative of a woman who would be described as ‘toned’ or ‘athletic’ (think Kelly Ripa or Jessica Biel), but not to the point where she actually begins to look older or more masculine.

By having a shoulder circumference as a target metric it also helps keep the Venus look as a healthy look and not a ‘skinny at all costs’ kinda look.

With respect to shoulder circumference, once women are relatively lean (under 25% body fat) having a shoulder circumference that has decreased by more than an inch (consistently over several days of measurement) may be a sign to slightly increase calories, even while dieting.

Here is how you put this all together. For our 5’6″ example woman we know that at a body fat percentage of ~20%  her weight will fall around 120 to 140 pounds, it may deviate by this, but probably not by more than 4 or 5 pounds in either direction.

In this case 20% is ‘very lean’ border line fitness competitor, but it makes my math easy

Obviously this is a large range but it gives us a better way to set a target goal weight compared to what is typically done; and that is to arbitrarily pick 122 pounds as a goal weight (I have no idea why 122 is the magic number, but it always seems to show up whenever we survey women).

Once we have a good baseline weight range, we then use our metrics to dictate how much we train and eat.

If weight, waist and shoulders are low then it’s time to eat a little more and concentrate on weight training. You may think you still have ‘tons of fat’ to lose, but you really won’t know until you add a little bit of muscle to your frame. Remember, it is the muscle of your body that dictates a lot of your shape. No muscle, no shape. But be warned, at this level we would want you to eat a little bit more, aiming to bring up your weight and shoulders while SLOWLY increasing your waist circumference. If you are fasting I’d move to one 24 hour fast per week. And remember, go SLOWLY. I am not a fan of bulking for women. While bulking in men causes a decrease in testosterone and elevation in Leptin, in women it causes and increase in testosterone and an increase in leptin. So go slowly.

 

If weight, waist and shoulders are close to our ideal ranges, then it’s time to zero in on small changes in diet and exercise and see what it does to the waist measurement. Once you’re close you don’t need to make MAJOR changes, and nor should you try to. Slow consistent changes is what is best at this point. If you are fasting once OR twice a week is fine, depending on how much you like to eat on your non fasting days

If weight is in the high range, and waist is well above 43% of height (especially if it’s above 50) then we look to diet to get the waist back into the range we would like, while keeping shoulders as close to ideal as possible. You could probably handle fasting twice a week and most likely will need to explore a reduction in calorie intake even on the days you are not fasting. Calories will be low to start, but don’t worry, as you lose weight you can slowly start increasing your calories (that’s how we do it with the reverse taper diet) that’s more to come.

As I’ve said before, knowing how much you should eat is a bit of an art, but it’s a lot easier when you let your body guide you rather than aiming for predetermined calculations of what you ‘should be eating’. Our calculations are ‘best guesses’ and if there is any doubt you could always get a DEXA done to actually see how your body weight is divided between fat mass and fat free mass. Either way this all leads me to my next point.

Equations cannot tell you how much you should eat.

 

But anthropometrics can give you a good idea of what your body will look like without excess amounts of body fat.  So having a general idea of a weight range for your height, combined with the metrics of shoulders and waist give you an excellent approach to shaping your body. A body-centric or body-first approach will always lead to better results than a ‘calories first’ approach where you randomly plug numbers into an online calculator, regardless of your height or body circumferences, get an amount of calories you are supposed to eat, then you eat those calories, then get distressed when you didn’t get the results you had hoped for.

That’s just madness.

Better to start with an understanding of what’s possible for your body and with the goal of improving your overall shape. This starts with your current measurements and how they compare to your specific ideal ranges. From there use the numbers to guide your diet and exercise program. Once you are lean, you will have a very good idea of what your lean weight and metrics are then can use those as guide to help you stay lean.

If you gain weight but your waist stays relatively the same then there’s a chance that weight is muscle (especially if your shoulder circumference goes up or your strength goes up). If you gain weight and your waist is consistently measuring and inch or two higher then there is chance you have added some body fat.

We really don’t have a magic mirror that can tell you what’s going on underneath your skin, but these simple measurements can guide you during your attempts to lose fat, gain muscle, or stay right where you are.

By Steve Hefferon, CMT, PTA and co-founder of LoseTheBackPain.com

 An Anti-Inflammatory Diet Could Be the Ticket to Feeling Better

When I say the word “inflammation,” it’s likely to evoke thoughts of painful joints and muscles, swelling, and a loss of mobility. But did you know that recent research shows that chronic inflammation in your body can lead to serious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease, to name just a few?

The amount of inflammation in your body varies and is dependent on a number of factors – including your activity level, the amount of sleep you get, the degree of stress in your life, and even the foods you eat. What you have to realize is that these factors are cumulative – meaning they build up over time. And the more that any or all of these factors get out of whack, the risk for disease increases.

Early in life, these levels can be so low that you might not even be aware that you have any inflammation in your body. That’s because our bodies do a fairly decent job of controlling the inflammation – at least for a while. Then one day you wake up and you’re in your 40s and something is just not right. That’s when the fear begins to set in, and you think to yourself: What did I do wrong? or What can I do now to help myself?

The first step is to get your C-reactive protein (CRP) levels tested. C-reactive protein is produced by the liver, and the level of CRP rises when there is systemic inflammation in the body. Ask your doctor about this (you may have to demand to have the test done). All it requires is a blood sample that will be evaluated by your doctor. And because diet can play a large role in how much or how little inflammation you have, you may want these levels looked at by a registered dietician who can help you formulate an appropriate eating plan.

If you have pain due to inflammation, you may choose to take the traditional medical path, which includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroids, and even joint-replacement surgery in extreme cases. The good news is that there are natural ways to fight inflammation without the undesirable side-effects that often result from the treatments listed above.

What You Eat Makes All The Difference

The food we eat is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to controlling inflammation. The typical American diet consists of too much fat, tons of sugar, loads of red meat, and a frightening amount of processed foods – all of which are likely to increase inflammation and contribute to obesity, which itself is can cause inflammation. By switching to an anti-inflammatory diet plan consisting of healthy whole foods, you can actually decrease inflammation and ease the pain and discomfort associated with it.

The first step is to avoid processed foods, foods high in sugar, and junk food whenever possible. Instead, choose fresh whole foods, especially anti-inflammatory varieties such as lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. But choose carefully. Many vegetables and pre-packaged “health” foods can actually work against you. Use this handy list of the best and worst foods for controlling inflammation:

In addition to these dietary changes it is also recommended that you:

* Maintain a healthy weight – There is no question that eating healthy is not easy nowadays, whether you’re at home or at a restaurant. But at the very least, you must try to decrease your intake of sugars and hydrogenated oils and increase your daily intake of fiber. Ideally, you should be consuming 35 grams of fiber (that is a ton of fiber, but it’s worth shooting for).

* Get better sleep – 7 to 9 hours of sleep is a must for optimal health; getting a good night’s sleep is key to controlling systemic inflammation.

* Relax more often to lower stress levels – Find time for yourself throughout the day to focus on your breathing and clear the clutter from your mind; learn to stay focused on the most important tasks in your life.

* Exercise on a regular basis – People always ask me: What’s the best exercise to do? I always tell them: Do something you like to do and, if your body can tolerate it, aim for 15-20 minutes three times a week.

* Demand to have you CRP levels tested – This simple blood test is the best indicator of the amount of systemic inflammation in your body. Have the levels evaluated by a certified health care provider who can suggest the most appropriate action.

Most pain relief medications, including over the counter pills widely available on your local grocery store shelves, have dangerous side effects. But doing nothing when you’re in pain isn’t an option for most folks.

That’s why we’re always on the lookout for new ways to safely, naturally help you get rid of pain. For the past year, we’ve been quietly researching numerous homeopathic remedies useful for reducing joint and muscle pain.

Why homeopathy? Simply because it works… without the side effects.

And I’m not just talking hearsay and folklore either, but study after clinical study proving the effectiveness of homeopathic medicine.

For example, one hospital in England conducted a six-year study of over 6,500 patients using homeopathic intervention for a wide range of chronic diseases across multiple visits. The results were astounding for a medical field frequently dismissed by conventional doctors as “quackery.”

Over 70% of patients treated with homeopathy got better.

Again, that’s for a broad range of interventions and a large number of diseases. But we asked ourselves, what if we narrowed our focus to search for the absolute best natural homeopathic cures for muscle and joint pain… the kind of pain so many of our readers and customers experience on a daily basis?

We’ve taken our research and narrowed it down to a “short list” of eight natural substances that work wonders on back pain, muscle pain, and joint pain. Now most homeopathics, like most conventional drugs, are typically ingested in liquid or pill form. But we decided to go one better and keep this list to substances that don’t even have to be taken internally. If properly prepared, all of these remedies on our list can be safely applied directly to pain by simply rubbing them on your skin near the affected area.

Top 8 Homeopathics for Rub-on Muscle and Joint Pain Relief

Belladonna

The extract from the flowering Belladonna perennial is so powerful it has been used for centuries as an anesthetic for surgery. It reduces swelling, eliminates muscle twitches, and ends both muscle aches and shooting pains.

Ignatia

Derived from the seeds of a small tree native to China and the Philippines, this traditional Chinese medicine secret calms nerves and relieves emotional distress, allowing muscles to relax and relieve aching pressure.

Rhus Tox

Yet another long-proven natural medicine, Rhus Tox is one of the best homeopathic remedies available for relieving the sharp aching pains of arthritis, sprains, and bachache.

Naja

This rare but amazingly potent homeopathic remedy quickly calms nerve-based pain right through your skin and brings fast relief from inflammation.

Menthol

Derived from peppermint and other mint family plants, menthol provides cool penetrating soothing of muscle and joint pain. By increasing circulation it allows blood to quickly flush away muscle toxins and speed healing.

Magnesium Sulfate

This vital mineral compound acts fast to reduce muscle irritability, twitching, and painful muscle spasms. It has been shown to effectively deliver comfort by reducing pain in arthritic joints by 80% by itself.

Phosphorous

Phosphorous relieves the burning sensation of tight, painful muscles by regulating the nerves sending pain signals to your brain. It’s like throwing a bucket water over those muscle fires.

Lachesis Mutus

Another rare homeopathic remedy, lachesis mutus is especially effective at enhancing blood flow to speed up the healing process and relieve painful swelling.

Where to Find Them

You may have to search far and wide to find some of these homeopathic remedies. And if you do find them, you have to make sure they are properly formulated to get maximum safe benefit – especially for topical forms.

But we’ve done the work for you. After we wrapped up our research, we took these eight best-of-the-best homeopathic remedies and combined them in the most effective rub on pain cream we’ve ever tried. In fact, we were so thrilled with the results of our testing that we’ve made it our brand new formula for Rub on Relief.

We’ve just made this new formula publicly available and the best part is right now you can have…

All 8 Homeopathic Pain Relievers for Just 10 Cents

So give it a try on your back pain, arthritis pain, or even sciatic pain then come back and let us know how well it worked for you in the comments below.

References

Spence DS, Thompson EA, Barron SJ. Homeopathic treatment for chronic disease: a 6-year university-hospital outpatient observational study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2005; 5: 793–798.

from the healthy back institute

Your tongue helps you talk and eat. But what does your tongue say about your health? Could you be ignoring serious health warnings?

A healthy tongue is slightly pink in color, moist, and covered with tiny projections called papillae.

But when your tongue becomes discolored, swollen, stiff, sore or displays unusual features, take notice – your tongue is trying to tell you something.

Sometimes a change in our tongue is a simple vitamin deficiency or merely a sign you need to pay a little more attention to dental hygiene. But it can also be a sign of something more serious.

Take a close look at your tongue in the mirror right now, then compare what you find with these tongue health warnings:

#1:  White Tongue

Do you notice a whitish coating or white spots on your tongue? It could be one of the following health warnings:

• Dehydration – Are you staying properly hydrated? Dehydration can cause a white coating to develop on the tongue. Simply drink more water to remedy this condition.
• Oral thrush – Thrush is a yeast infection (Candida) that appears as whitish, velvety sores on your tongue and the mucus membrane lining of your mouth. Thrush is most common in infants and the elderly, denture wearers, and people with compromised immune systems. Antibiotic use also makes you more susceptible to thrush.
• Leukoplakia – Leukoplakia refers to an excessive growth of cells leading to white patches inside the mouth and on the tongue, most commonly found after the tongue has been irritated and linked to tobacco use. While leukoplakia is usually harmless it can be a precursor to cancer.

#2:  Black Hairy Tongue

Black hairy tongue can affect anyone, but antibiotic use, smoking, drinking a lot of coffee, and dehydration all increase your likelihood of developing this unsightly disorder.

When the small bumps on the surface of your tongue, called papillae, grow longer than normal they are more likely to harbor bacteria and yeast as well as become stained by the foods and drinks you consume and tobacco you use. These stains and bacterial buildup can darken the papillae making the overgrown papillae appear hair-like.

The good news: black hairy tongue is an unsightly but harmless condition that usually goes away on its own. Gently brush your tongue with a soft toothbrush or tongue scraper a couple times a day to help eliminate it faster.

#3:  Red or Strawberry Tongue

Has your tongue taken on the appearance of a strawberry with enlarged, red taste buds dotting the surface? Possible reasons for the change include:

• Kawasaki disease – Typically appearing in children under age five, Kawasaki disease (KD) can also affect older children and teens. KD is a serious disorder which causes inflammation of blood vessels throughout the body. The strawberry tongue often appears along with a high fever. Seek medical attention when a red tongue accompanies a high fever.

• Scarlet fever – This streptococcal infection  can cause a strawberry tongue. Again, contact your doctor immediately if you have a high fever and red tongue.
• Vitamin deficiencies – Check your diet. Deficiencies of folic acid and vitamin B-12 can also cause your tongue to take on a reddish appearance. Easily remedied with a quality supplement.

#4:  Bumps, Lumps, and Sore Tongue

Is your tongue sore? Are you experiencing painful bumps on the surface? It could be caused by any of the following:

• Increased stress can cause canker sores to develop and worsen.
• Smoking can irritate your tongue and make it sore.
• Trauma can occur from biting your tongue or scalding it on something hot.
• A burning sensation sometimes affects post-menopausal women.
• Enlarged papillae, due to an irritated taste bud, can swell and become painful.
• Medical conditions such as diabetes and anemia can cause a sore tongue.
• Oral cancer is a possibility. Consult a doctor if a lump or sore lasts longer than two weeks. 

#5:  Numbness or Tingling Sensations

What about the absence of feeling and sensation in your tongue?

Numbness or tingling sensations most commonly occur due to some type of damage to your nervous system. Damage to the nerve that supplies the tongue has been reported as a complication of dental procedures or surgery such as wisdom tooth extraction, implants, or root canal procedures.

Some brain conditions such as a stroke can also damage the nerves leading to the tongue leading to numbness, tingling or other loss of sensation.

How to Get and Keep a Healthy Tongue

If you’re serious about good tongue health, then you should know that brushing and flossing your teeth aren’t enough. You need to clear bacteria from your tongue, too. Either use a tongue scraper or gently brush your tongue with a soft toothbrush twice a day to help maintain good tongue health.

More Tips for a Healthy Tongue

• Quit smoking and using tobacco products
• Brush twice a day and floss on a regular basis
• Gargle with salt water
• Eat organic yogurt with natural probiotics
• Reduce alcohol intake
• Rinse your mouth after you eat

Fat doctors ‘far less likely to help obese patients lose weight’

• ‘Physical attributes of physicians have a much bigger contribution to their care of patients than I realized before’, says scientist
  

By Sadie Whitelocks

Overweight doctors are less able help patients shed the pounds, research suggests.

A study revealed that physicians with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or more were less effective at tackling obesity than those of a normal weight.

Researchers found they were less likely to diagnose obese patients, felt more embarrassed about offering weight loss advice, and shied away from discussing the topic with clients.

Medics of with a normal BMI however were more successful at treating the condition.

Lead researcher Sara Bleich, from Johns Hopkins University said: ‘Our findings indicate that physicians with normal BMI more frequently reported discussing weight loss with patients than overweight or obese physicians.

‘Physicians with normal BMI also have greater confidence in their ability to provide diet and exercise counseling and perceive their weight loss advice as trustworthy when compared to overweight or obese physicians.’

Using a national cross-sectional survey of 500 primary care physicians across the U.S., the research team assessed the impact of physician BMI on obesity care,.

The study, published in the Obesity journal, also looked at how much faith the doctors had in themselves to treat obesity – both in giving advice and in their perceptions of patient trust in their advice.