Dear Dr. Gourmet,
Q: I was reading your article about BMI and WHR today. I didn’t understand what one had to do with the other. What is a good Waist to Hip Ratio and what is a bad one?
A: As a physician I look to have an idea of how my patient’s health might be overall. I am looking for certain risk factors for disease and the research has come to show that being overweight or obese can be an issue. In looking at my patient’s weight I want to have a guide of what a healthy weight is but we now also know that the distribution of the weight on the body is an important factor.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is an indirect measure of weight as it relates to height. It’s not a perfect measurement but for most folks it can give us an indication of whether they are overweight or obese. Because it is an inexpensive measurement, BMI is widely used in research to substitute for much more sophisticated measures of body composition, including such things as body fat percentage. Because the measures only take into account height and weight, the measure can be inaccurate for those who are very muscular (they may weight a lot, but the weight is in healthy muscle not fat). This is where Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) comes in.
Q: I am a Coumadin user. Recently one of my physicians suggested that I take a dietary supplement: “Dr. Sears ZONE – Metabolic Digestive Support” on the condition that I could find out if the ingredients in the supplement would interact with Coumadin. Usually, I go to the pharmacist for such information. This time, I was told that the ingredients in the supplement are not in their system and they cannot help me, except to verify that the Green Tea Extract would change my Protime.
I am seeking your help. The following are the active ingredients in the supplement: “Green Tea Extract – 250mg; Bromelain (600 GDU) 600mg; Querceint – 50 mg; M.E. Complex 3000mg. In a proprietary blend of papain, lipase, pancreatin, ajowan extract, fennel extract, lactase, multi enzyme complex. Other ingredients: Gelatin, microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate and silica.”
A: I would be very careful about consuming any product that contains Green Tea Extract. While it appears that green tea itself can be healthy, this may not be the case with the extract.
Q: Is sushi high in cholesterol?
A: Sushi in general should not be high in cholesterol. The fish used does contain cholesterol. For instance, a 1/2 ounce piece of tuna that would be served in a typical nigiri sushi contains about 7 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol. Salmon and other fatty fish served at sushi bars like mackerel, eel and abalone can be higher in cholesterol in the range of 10 – 15 mg per piece.
That said, cholesterol content of foods is important to consider, but a more important factor in eating a healthy diet to lower cholesterol is the amount of fat and types of fats in the foods you choose.
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