How do you assess your own health? (Personal Health Assessment)

Many of us make new resolutions on special days like New Year's or birthdays. You might be thinking things like, "This time I'm going to lose weight," "I'm going to start exercising ," "I'm going to control my eating habits." This resolution is a great thing. But, before we start this journey, we need to do something very important. That is, to know exactly where we are starting this journey. To be precise, to have a clear understanding of the current state of your health, that is, the 'baseline'. Without it, there is no way to measure your progress. So today, let's talk about what we need to know about ourselves before laying the foundation for a healthy life.

Let's first look at weight and waist circumference.

When it comes to health, it's not just the number on the scale that matters. However, your weight is an important indicator of your risk for a number of diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.

To find out if your weight is at a healthy level, first weigh yourself. Then you need to find out your body mass index, or `BMI (Body Mass Index).` This is used to calculate whether you have a healthy weight for your height. Because, a weight of 60 kilos affects a person who is 6 feet tall and a person who is 5 feet tall in different ways. Generally, a healthy BMI is considered to be between 18.5 and 24.9 .

Next, grab a tape measure. Even if your BMI is normal, having excess fat around your waist (abdominal obesity) increases your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease. A healthy man should have a waist circumference of 40 inches or less. For a woman, the figure should be 35 inches or less.

Things to know about blood tests

If you don't already know your cholesterol levels (including good cholesterol `HDL` and bad cholesterol `LDL`), blood pressure, and blood sugar levels, now is the time to see your doctor. These are the normal values ​​for a healthy adult.

What is the exercise like?

Any physical activity you do is better than doing nothing. However, according to the guidelines , adults should get at least 2 1/2 hours of moderate-intensity exercise per week. That means exercise that is a little strenuous and makes you sweat.

If you're not a gym goer, that's fine. But to see how much you walk each day, try using a pedometer for a week. Many phones have this app. Most experts recommend walking at least 10,000 steps a day. That's about 5 miles (8 kilometers).

Be careful about food and drink too.

The leftovers from your child's plate, the snacks you eat during a meeting at the office... We easily forget about these little things. But over time, these little things can add up to have a big impact.

To be more specific about what goes into your mouth, write down everything you eat and drink in a journal for at least a few days. You can also use a smartphone app. Be as detailed as possible. Rather than writing "I ate biscuits," write down things like " I ate 4 cream cracker biscuits with tea ." Also, if you write down when you ate, where you ate, who you were with, and how you felt, it will be easier to understand the patterns in your eating habits .

Don't forget about what you drink, just like what you eat. Sugary drinks (`soft drinks`) and `energy drinks` are full of `empty calories` that have no nutritional value. These are a major cause of obesity.

But don't skip the water. To stay healthy, an adult should drink about 8 glasses of water a day. If you forget to drink water, keep a record of how much you drink in your food diary. Don't forget about alcohol, either. Women should have no more than one `drink` a day. For men, the maximum is two.

How is your sleep?

Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a day. But this can vary from person to person. If you fall asleep while driving, doing your daily chores , or rely on caffeine (such as coffee or tea) to get through the day, you may not be getting enough sleep.

Keeping a record of your sleep is a good first step. There are various devices and `apps` for this as well.

Mood

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. In fact, the two are interconnected. When mental health is poor, it can reduce your energy and focus, and even increase your risk of heart disease.

If you constantly feel stressed, anxious, or worried and can't figure out a way to get out of it, seek help from a mental health professional. It's never a sign of weakness.

Those who support you

Who can support you on this journey?

Your own doctor.

It's important to have a doctor you can trust and ask for advice about any health concerns you may have. If you don't have one, make it a priority to find one. Your primary care provider is the one who will remind you about your vaccinations, cholesterol tests, mammograms, and colonoscopies, and help you get them done on time. If you have a long-term condition, you may also need to see a specialist (e.g., an endocrinologist or a cardiologist).

Social support

This is also very important. Having friends and family who support your goals and encourage you will give you a lot of strength to continue this journey. Maybe a friend who will come to exercise with you, someone you can talk to about anything that's on your mind, will make this journey easier than you think.

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