the metrics of health

Earlier today, one of the many food bloggers I follow posted this on Facebook:

 

This got me thinking about my own metrics of health. It's no secret that I've been wrestling with the scale for most of my life. But as I've figured out what's been going on with my body and why, and finding out what works for me in terms of overall health improvements, I've started to pay attention to more than just the number I see (almost) every morning. Here are some other factors I use as a gauge. 

Sleep: Since about the age of 15, I've been a terrible sleeper. It's incredibly difficult for me to fall and stay asleep for a full eight hours, even with sleep aids like melatonin. I've found that exercising more regularly helps tremendously. So does going to bed an hour or so early and doing something that doesn't involve a bright electronic screen (reading, journaling, meditating, etc.). 

• Questions I ask myself: How much sleep am I getting every night? How much of that is deep sleep versus light sleep? How long does it take me to fall asleep initially? How many times am I waking up in the middle of the night? 
• How I get answers: My UP wristband. In addition to movement tracking and food logging, these bands measure and report sleep patterns in ways that no other app does (that I've found, anyway). Take a look:

 

Maybe it's the Excel/stats nerd in me, but I am in love with this feature. In fact, I'd say it's the number one reason I recommend the UP. The second reason? Food tracking. It works a lot like Fooducate (in that you can scan a barcode and it automatically imports all of the nutritional information for that item). If you use the food-tracking feature regularly, it'll show you a cool little chart of what you've logged during the past week--like this, but with food: 

 

Unfortunately for me, the app doesn't allow you to log food intake after the fact. So, if I remember to log food as I'm eating it, great. If I remember to log food before the stroke of midnight, super. But if I forget to log food one day, only to remember the next morning (and I often do)...I'm out of luck. (sad trombone)

Stress: Even as a kid, I got stressed out. All the time. I didn't get the best grade in the class? Stress. I didn't get first chair at band practice this week? Stress. I had to make a speech in front of a classroom? STRESS (and then pass out). I've gotten a lot better at managing stress as I've gotten older. As I find that being prepared and staying organized helps, but like a lot of people, my career keeps me pretty amped up no matter how organized I am. Then, after I leave work, I'm still so wound up about work that I bring all that stress home with me. That's not good! What helps me get rid of it? Regular meditation, self-reflection, and yoga. I find that my stress levels are much more manageable when I take time out of every day to breathe deeply and remember that 99.9% of my stressors really aren't important in the long run. If I can accomplish that by sitting in a dark room alone for a few minutes, sitting outside when the stars are out, listening to relaxing music, stretching, meditating before bed, writing a quick journal entry, doing something small to exercise my creativity, or just loving on my dog...it all helps.

Poop: Everyone does it, right? Pre-cholecystectomy, I tried not to pay too much attention to this, honestly. Because who wants to? Since I said goodbye to that pesky gallbladder, though, my life has pretty much revolved around it, much to my dismay. For about six years pre-Paleo, I suffered from IBS like whoa. But, after discovering that most of my health problems directly relate to what I eat (or don't eat), I have learned to pay close attention to El Numero Dos. My body is really good at telling me when I'm eating the right things. And when I make poor choice, my body definitely lets me know that it's displeased. In my experience, ignoring my body's demands (or making poor choices even though I know I will regret it later) is usually not worth the wrath I will incur. That's not to say I don't make bad choices now and again, because I do (I mean, come on...it's the State Fair of Texas). I just plan ahead for them. (As the self-appointed Ambassador of Good Poops, I feel like I should share this charmingly disgusting infographic from Practical Paleo. It offers a quick run-down on what your poop should look like, and what problems you might be having if it doesn't look the way it should.)

So, that's pretty much it. The scale isn't so much an enemy of mine anymore. That's not to say that I'm satisfied with the numbers I see. I'm not. But I'm satisfied that the number is a little bit less today than it was the last time I checked. I'm also satisfied that the number is moving in the right direction at a good, steady pace. A lot of people forget that overall health is more than just a number on a scale, and I'm happy to say that this is the healthiest I've felt in all of my adult life.