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Showing posts from March 2, 2014
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  Body fat testing.... How do Bio-electrical Impedance and skin calipers work?  BIA is one of the quickest and easiest methods for predicting body fat It is measured when a very small electrical signal carried by water and fluids is passed through the body. Impedance is greatest in fat tissue, which contains only 10-20% water, while fat-free mass, which contains 70-75% water, allows the signal to pass much more easily. By using the impedance measurements along with a person's height and weight, and body type (gender, age, fitness level), it is possible to calculate the percentage of body fat, fat-free mass, hydration level, and other body composition values. Why they can be inaccurate. Using BIA to estimate person's body fat assumes that the body is within normal hydration ranges. When a person is dehydrated, the amount of fat tissue can be overestimated. Factors that can affect hydration include not drinking enough fluids, drinking too much caffeine or alc

Make it a PHAT Tuesday:

Today is Fat Tuesday, and that means a lot of things to a lot of people. For someone who grew up Catholic (me), it signifies the beginning of Lent. And even though I might not be a practicing Catholic so much anymore, I still partake in several of the cultural holidays throughout the year. Lent is definitely one of them. When I was a kid I did things like give up pizza and chocolate and candy. As I got older Lent became less about materialistic sacrifice and more about making room for better habits and releasing the habits that caused stress or unhealthy behavior. Last year my promise was to remove self-doubt from my life for the 40 days of lent. It was a glorious 40 days. I started thinking a lot about it today as I realized Lent was beginning and had to examine my life as it is right now. What am I happy with and what could be removed to make things a little simpler, happier, and healthier? So… on this Fat Tuesday and beginning of Lent, I propose a challenge to you.