What is my niche? Mentors keep asking this question of us, asking us to narrow down our prospective clientele to a specific niche. The field of natural nutrition and health coaching is so broad, with so many interesting areas that I want to learn more about. However, it seems like the people I am beginning to work with all sit on the cusp of some very serious diseases, a cusp known as 'pre-diabetes' or 'metabolic syndrome'.
When I first read about metabolic syndrome, it occurred to me that the list of symptoms probably includes the majority of the people I see each day in Calgary. Carrying a bit (or a lot) of excess weight is a precursor to disease, as is elevated blood pressure, blood glucose, blood cholesterol and blood triglycerides. While the latter are not as easy to see in someone's physical presence, the shape of one's body can indicate that that person may be on a path to diseases like Type II Diabetes, cardiovascular degeneration, and liver complications.
How can you tell if you likely have metabolic syndrome?
There are a few methods that have been used to pre-screen people for this health issue.
BMI:
Since one's body weight cannot tell us a person's individual height or muscle mass, many practitioners look to the Body Mass Index (BMI). Both height and weight are considered when measuring BMI.
Calculate your BMI here.
The World Health Organization has classified people as overweight if their BMI falls between 25 and 29.9. Obesity has three classes of BMI and the higher the BMI, the more likely one is to experience disease or even early death. A BMI over 30 is a high risk factor for disease and likely means a person is at least experiencing metabolic syndrome.
Waist Circumference:
Measurement of waist circumference is a simple method for determining if someone is overweight.
For men, if the waist circumference is greater than 102 cm (40 inches), and for women, if the waist circumference is greater than 88 cm (35 inches), they are considered overweight.
Waist to Hip Ratio:
This is another calculation that can indicate a person's risk of health issues. This calculator will tell you whether you are at risk or not.
Waist to Height Ratio:
The Waist-to-Height Ratio is often considered a better indicator of healthy weight than BMI and can identify a person's risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
A waist to height ratio of less than 5.0 indicates a healthy weight. Your waist should measure no more than half the length of your body!
As the ratio increases, so too does your risk for disease.
Use this calculator to check your Waist-to-Height ratio.
Back to My Niche:
While I do believe that Western medicine has its place in specific disease, I also believe our doctors are over-prescribing drugs to treat symptoms rather than cure disease. One of my goals as a holistic nutritionist is to educate people on early risk factors to help them avoid the need for toxic drugs. Making people accountable for their own health through nutritious, whole food choices and ensuring the correct types and amounts of nutrients are consumed will help keep people off of these prescription drugs.
I often hear stories of how people can no longer travel to places they once loved because insurance is so tough to get once a new drug is introduced (or a dosage is changed). I want people of all ages to enjoy life to its fullest and not be hampered by their prescriptions! Prescribed, legal drugs should not be holding people back from their ambitions and goals. It's sad.
Let me help you take a stand against disease and improve your health naturally!
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