The Lifestyle Checklist includes both behaviors like healthy nutrition and factors, sometimes called biomarkers, that are indicators of good Health, such as blood pressure values. For each health behavior or factor, you can keep track of compliance with a simple yes or no.
At times two measures of the same indicator of health are listed. For example, “LDL-Cholesterol is no higher than 100 mg/dL” and “LDL-Cholesterol is no higher than 70 mg/dL” to indicate both a good level of LDL-C and a more optimal level. It is good to keep in mind that numerical scores are not attached to the Checklist, just a simple yes or no. This is because the importance to health of each factor is not the same, and there is no way to scientifically numerically rank or sum the factors. How frequently you use the checklist is up to you but, perhaps, monthly monitoring will suffice to alert you to progress and show where improvement is needed. Just keep in mind that the more “yes” answers you have, the healthier you will become and stay.
The Lifestyle Checklist
- I don’t smoke or use tobacco
- My diet is healthy
- I am not obese–BMI 30 or greater
- I am not overweight–BMI 25-29.9 or greater
- I am physically active with aerobic exercise
- I am physically active with resistance exercise
- I do not misuse alcohol or other drugs
- My blood pressure is normal—120/80 or lower
- My LDL-Cholesterol is no higher than 100 mg/dL
- My LDL-Cholesterol is no higher than 70 mg/dL
- My triglyceride is less than 100 mg/dL
- I protect my brain from dementia
- I manage stress
- I protect the health of my skeleton
- I get recommended cancer screening
- I get enough sleep
- I safeguard my reproductive health
- I avoid unneeded dietary supplements
- I get vaccinated and protect against infectious diseases
- My fasting blood glucose is 100 mg/dL or lower
- I avoid harmful environmental exposures
- I practice accident prevention
- I protect my hearing and vision
- I protect my oral health
Future blogs will describe how to reach each of the items on the checklist as does my book, The Building Blocks of Health.
This blog presents opinions and ideas and is intended to provide helpful general information. I am not engaged in rendering advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures and suggestions in that are presented are not in any way a substitute for the advice and care of the reader’s own physician or other medical professional based on the reader’s own individual conditions, symptoms or concerns. If the reader needs personal medical, health, dietary, exercise or other assistance or advice the reader should consult a physician and/or other qualified health professionals. The author specifically disclaims all responsibility for any injury, damage or loss that the reader may incur as a direct or indirect consequence of following any directions or suggestions given in the book or participating in any programs described in this blog or in the book, The Building Blocks of Health––How to Optimize Wellness with a Lifestyle Checklist. References for most of the health related information in this blog can be found in the book, The Building Blocks of Health now available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Building-Blocks-Health-Lifestyle-Checklist-ebook/dp/B08RC3XRCY/. Copyright 2020 by J. Joseph Speidel.
