Health Tips for November 5

Health Tip: What's on Your Plate?

If you're trying to lose weight or create a healthy meal plan, the first place you should look is right on your plate.

According to the American Diabetes Association, you should perform this review of your plate at mealtime to be sure that it contains these portions of different food types:

• About one-fourth of your plate should contain starches such as rice, pasta, potatoes, corn or peas.
• Another fourth of your plate should be filled with protein such as chicken, fish, meat or tofu.
• One-half of your plate should contain non-starch vegetables like broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, salad, tomatoes or cauliflower.
• Finish off the meal with a glass of skim milk, a piece of fruit or a small roll.

Health Tip: Calculating Your BMI

Body-mass index (BMI) is a good indicator of whether you are at a healthy weight.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine says BMI is calculated by multiplying your weight in pounds by 703, and dividing that number by your height in inches. Then divide the result again by your height in inches.

The agency offers the following ranges for interpreting BMI:

• A score below 18.5 indicates being underweight.
• Between 18.5 and 24.9 means a healthy body weight.
• Between 25 and 29.9 means you are overweight.
• Between 30 and 39.9 indicates obesity.
• A score of 40 or higher indicates morbid obesity.