Getting Your Numbers Right

There are many things we can measure and track in our efforts to be healthy, happy people. Besides just tracking our total calories each day, we can also track fiber grams, carbohydrate intake, sodium levels or iron and other specifics.

Our personal health needs can point us in a direction of concern. I know for myself that because I don't eat beef or pork, and because I have suffered from anemia in the past I need to be careful about my iron intake. You may have a keen interest in other areas due to your own health and needs.

Our challenge this week involves using some of the tools on myfinesspal.com you may not have previously explored.

If you go to the Reports tab and choose nutrition you can pull up reports for the last 7, 30 or 90 days. This information tracks your intake in a variety of areas. To discover if you are getting the needed elements or not is easier for some categories than others. For example if you pull up your personal report for Iron intake, you can easily see what percentage of the daily recommended requirement you have had each day.

For other categories such as sodium intake or fiber intake the information given is the total grams each day. You would need to consult your doctor or do a google search to discover what the recommended amount is for your age etc.

I am really not trying to make your brain explode from number overload (I am a Math hater) but I would like you to do the following for this week's challenge.

CHOOSE A CATEGORY FOR WHICH YOU HAVE A PERSONAL HEALTH CONCERN. RESEARCH THE IDEAL INTAKE FOR THIS CATEGORY. FOR EACH DAY THAT YOU MEET THE DAILY REQUIREMENT FOR THIS INTAKE (but do not go excessively over) YOU EARN YOUR 5 BONUS POINTS.

*I am guessing I am going to get some questions about supplements. It is controversial whether artificial supplements are fully absorbed or utilized by the body. The ideal is always to obtain what our body needs from fresh natural whole foods. Ultimately your personal lifestyle and dietary needs may require supplementation in some categories. However, for the purpose of this challenge I would like you to choose a category of nutrients and spend this week attempting to fulfill the daily required level through eating whole and natural foods.

PLEASE E-MAIL WITH ANY QUESTIONS!

** Oh, Oh, I forgot about another tool you just MUST start using. Go on Myfitnesspal.com

1. Click on the Home tab

2. Click on the Settings tab

3. Click on Diary settings

4. You can now choose whatever nutrients you are interested in tracking. These are the items that will show every day as you enter the food you have eaten. It makes sense in setting it up to track and show the nutrients you are most interested in your daily reports.

5. Also note that at the bottom of that same page you can set your account to be viewed by whomever you like. It might be helpful to allow your partner or another supportive person to be able to view your daily input of what you've eaten so that they can be of even more help to you!