Most Recent Archives - A&D Medical

Beyond the Scale

Alijah Barnett — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:03:56 +0000

Beyond the Scale: Why Weight Isn’t the Only Metric That Matters

Ever feel like your weight doesn’t tell the full story of your health? That’s because it doesn’t! Your body is made up of more than just pounds—and understanding those details is the key to real progress.

More Than Just Weight—See the Full Picture

Traditional scales stop at weight, but your health is so much more. Body composition scales allow you to monitor additional metrics that significantly impact your wellness. Tracking these biometrics offers a comprehensive view of your health, enabling you to make informed decisions about your wellness journey.

Key Metrics to Track: Body Fat Index:

Understanding your body fat percentage helps you assess your risk for conditions like heart disease and diabetes. It provides a clearer picture of your body composition, beyond just weight. Without monitoring body fat, you may overlook high body fat levels, increasing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other related health issues.

Muscle Index:

Monitoring muscle mass ensures you’re maintaining or building muscle, which is crucial for metabolic health, strength, and overall physical function. Failing to track muscle mass can lead to muscle loss, reduced strength, and slower metabolism, which can negatively impact your overall health and physical performance.

Visceral Fat Index:

Tracking visceral fat allows you to assess your health risk. Unlike subcutaneous fat, it surrounds vital organs like the liver, stomach, and intestines. High levels of visceral fat are linked to serious health issues such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. You could have a weight but still be at risk for metabolic disorders due to high visceral fat levels. Not monitoring visceral fat can result in undetected high levels, increasing the risk of these serious health conditions.

Body Water:

Staying hydrated is essential for bodily functions such as temperature regulation, joint lubrication, and nutrient transportation. Tracking body water helps ensure you’re maintaining optimal hydration levels. Without tracking hydration, you may experience dehydration, leading to low energy, mental fog, increased risk of stroke, and other health issues.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR):

Importance: Knowing your BMR helps you understand how many calories your body needs at rest. This information is vital for managing your weight and tailoring your diet and exercise plans to meet your health goals.

Not knowing your BMR can lead to improper calorie intake, resulting in weight gain or loss, and potentially causing metabolic imbalances.

Seamless Integration with A&D Heart Track App

This Body Composition Scale, paired with the A&D Heart Track app, provides a seamless and effective way to monitor your wellness journey.

Discover the benefits of tracking your health metrics with A&D Medical’s Bluetooth^® Body Composition Scale here.

The post Beyond the Scale appeared first on A&D Medical.

Heart Health Month

Alijah Barnett — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 19:44:28 +0000

Celebrate Heart Health Month with These Engaging Activities!

February is Heart Health month—an ideal time to focus on well-being and encourage positive lifestyle changes. Here are simple, impactful activities to promote heart health over four weeks. These ideas are designed to inspire individuals and communities to prioritize cardiovascular wellness.

Weekly Exercise Challenges

Walk for 30 minutes (5 days/week): A low-impact activity that boosts heart health and reduces stress.

20 jumping jacks (5 days/week): A quick way to elevate heart rate and energize the day.

15 side lunges (5 days/week): Strengthens the lower body and improves flexibility.

Hold a plank for 30 seconds (5 days/week): Builds core strength and enhances stability.

15 push-ups or modified push-ups (5 days/week): Improves upper body strength and endurance.

Ride a bike or stationary cycling (20 minutes, 5 days/week): Enhances cardiovascular fitness and leg strength.

Take 10,000 steps/day (5 days/week): Use a tracker to reach this daily milestone.

Climb stairs (3 times/week): An easy way to add movement to your routine.

Heart-Healthy Eating Habits

Prepare meals with salmon or kidney beans (2 times/week): These nutrient-rich foods support heart health. Share recipes with family and friends.

Use cinnamon in recipes (2 times/Week): May help lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Snack on Heart-Healthy options: Opt for nuts, seeds, or fresh produce. Share snack ideas to inspire others.

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables (5 days/week): Incorporate a variety of colorful options for maximum nutrients.

Cook heart-healthy meals (2 times/week): Use whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Hydration and Rest

Drink 64 ounces of water daily: Essential for overall health. Adjust based on personal needs.

Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night: Prioritize consistent, restorative rest for heart health.

Mindfulness and Stress Reduction

Practice deep breathing or meditation (10 minutes/Day, 5 days/week): Reduces stress and promotes focus.

Track Your Progress

Monitor your blood pressure (5 days/week): Regular tracking helps maintain awareness of heart health.

Consult a Healthcare Professional

Before starting any new routines, consult a healthcare professional, especially if you have existing health conditions. Personalized advice ensures safe and effective results.

Stay Connected and Motivated

Sharing progress, recipes, and photos with family and friends fosters motivation and a sense of community. Working together makes building a heart-healthy lifestyle enjoyable and sustainable.

Heart Health month is an opportunity to embrace practices that support cardiovascular wellness. These activities help inspire healthier hearts and happier lives.

Click here to add your own text

The post Heart Health Month appeared first on A&D Medical.

How to Take Your Blood Pressure at Home

Monika Patel — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 18:10:05 +0000

How to Take Your Blood Pressure at Home

Maybe you were just diagnosed with Hypertension (aka High Blood Pressure), or you’ve had it for years and your doctor now wants you to start monitoring your blood pressure at home.

This can be a little overwhelming for many people, and it can bring up lots of questions, like will it be as accurate as when they take my BP at the doctor’s office? And how do I make sure I get a good reading?

But have no fear! With a little bit of background information and some practice, you’ll become a pro in no time.

Will my reading be as accurate as at the doctor’s office?

Many home blood pressure monitors are just as accurate as the doctor’s office. In fact, many doctors have started using automated BP devices in their offices because they eliminate the human error of manual methods.

But before you strap that cuff on, there are a few things to pay attention to first:

Use a clinically validated blood pressure monitor

This is more than just receiving clearance from the FDA or Health Canada, which is required for all blood pressure to be sold.

Clinical validation is an independent study that verifies the accuracy of the device using standardized medical protocols, and these studies are then published in peer-reviewed medical journals. You can view our clinical validations here. Our validations use the most recent protocols and we are included on the VDL and Hypertension Canada recommendation lists.

Use the right size cuff

Cuff size matters!

If the cuff you use is too small, your blood pressure reading will be artificially high. If your cuff is too large, you may get a lower-than-actual reading.

To determine the right cuff size for you, with your arm hanging at the side of your body, measure the circumference of your upper arm at the midpoint between shoulder and elbow.

Understand what can impact your measurements

While it might seem obvious that if you just went on a run or had an argument, you blood pressure might be a little high. But there are many other factors that can cause variations in your measurements, including the time of day, climate, altitude, and even the season.

On top of that, what you eat or drink (think caffeine) or even if you need to use the restroom can shift your measurements from your normal levels.

For 30 minutes before you take your measurement, do not exercise, drink coffee, caffeinated soda, or alcohol, and do not smoke.
Sit quietly for 5-10 minutes to relax.

https://youtu.be/k8njAaOo1Y0

How do I make sure I am taking a good reading?

Now that we’ve gotten the background information out of the way, it’s time to get started!

Sit with your back straight, your legs uncrossed, and your feet flat on the floor.
Place the cuff on your left arm or wrist (unless your doctor has advised you to use your right side).
- For upper arm monitors, wrap the cuff around the middle of your bare upper arm, about ½” above the elbow. It should be fastened snugly, but you should be able to slide two fingers underneath the cuff. Place the air hose on the inside of the arm near the crook of your elbow so that the artery position mark (if your model has one) is aligned with your brachial artery.
- For wrist monitors, with the palm facing upwards, attach the monitor to the inside of your wrist. Fasten securely with the top edge of the cuff aligned with the crease of your wrist.
Rest your arm on a table so cuff is at heart level.
- For upper arm monitors, the cuff around your upper arm should be even with your heart. Your hand should rest on the table, palm up.
- For wrist monitors, you’ll need to bend your elbow to bring your wrist to heart level. Positioning your wrist at heart level is critical for an accurate measurement.
Press start. During your measurement, do not talk, move, or eat. Any one of these things can impact your measurement.

That’s all there is to it!

Bonus Tips

If you want to go the extra mile, there are a few more best practices:

Measure two times a day: once in the morning and once in the evening, preferably at the same time each day.
Log your blood pressure in a logbook or app, like A&D Heart Track.
Take multiple readings and average the results. Some monitors have this feature built in.

If you’re taking your blood pressure at home, you’re ahead of the curve. According to the American Heart Association, 46% of adults have hypertension, and monitoring at home has many benefits, like tracking your treatment, cutting your healthcare costs, and more.

The post How to Take Your Blood Pressure at Home appeared first on A&D Medical.