• 25Oct

    When analyzing your body composition there are two numbers that we pay most attention to: Body Fat & and Fat Free Mass.  I figured that for you to gain a better understanding of why these numbers are so important, I should take a few moments to explain what each one is and how we can strive to improve them!

    Body Fat Percentage:

    This is the percentage of your body that is comprised of fat.  Because fat plays an important role in daily body functions, you need a certain amount of fat in order to live to your fullest.  Fat is responsible for cushioning joints, protecting organs, regulating body temperature and storing vitamins.  While you need a certain amount of fat, too much fat has adverse effects on the body and is associated with health risks such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, thyroid disorder, arthritis, sleep apnea, and many more.  A healthy/desirable Body Fat % range based on your particular age and gender is located on the scale below:

    Are you in the healthy range?

     

    Fat Free Mass:

    This is your fat free mass, which is basically everything that is not fat: muscle, water, bone, connective tissue, etc.  By increasing this mass you lower your body fat percentage, so look to improve this number by gaining muscle mass or improving bone strength(through impact exercises).

    Ultimately, our goal is to have the optimal amount of body fat for maximal efficiency.  We lower our health risks by staying in the healthy range, so eating healthy foods low in trans fats and saturated fats partnered with regular exercise are an essential part of your health plan.  You can also increase your Fat Free Mass by engaging your muscles in regular resistance training.  The more muscle your body has, the more efficiently it burns calories, so you lower body fat % from two angles!

     How are you working towards the healthy body fat range?  Please share some of the things you do to stay lean and healthy!

    Want to know your numbers?  Email me at jparsons@goodmeasuremeals.com to set up your Body Comp Analysis!

  • 29Sep

    What on earth is corporate wellness?

    I will go ahead and apologize for my “on-camera” skills, but I thought I would share with you all a little about what I do here at Good Measure Meals™.  Check out the video short below on GMM Corporate Wellness.

    Click on the YouTube link to learn more about Corporate Wellness

    Corporate Wellness is one of those vague terms that are thrown around without much knowledge about what it actually comprises.  I figured I could post this week’s blog about Corporate Wellness and what I actually do to help people understand why so much focus is being placed on employee health.  Good Measure Meals™ hired me this past January to develop a Comprehensive Wellness Program that we could implement in the corporate environment.  The thought is that GMM provides nutrition to our community, but so much can be done to expand on wellness through education and program implementation that will motivate and inspire working populations to invest in their health. 

    Think about the amount of time you spend at work.  We’ll average 8 hours, which is ½ of your day that you spend awake, assuming you are getting the recommended amount of sleep.  That means that half of your time Monday –Friday is spent at work, probably sitting at a computer, or performing tasks that have minimal physical activity requirements.  Partner the sedentary workplace environment with a lunch rush that leaves you foregoing a balanced diet and also increasing stress from deadlines and bosses and we have a the elements of a perfect storm.  So why does your company care?  Well, there are many reasons that the modern company takes a vested interest in their employee’s health.  The biggest reason is insurance costs.  About $2.3 trillion is spent annually treating preventable conditions brought on by unhealthy living.  The corporate community has realized that by investing on the front end of wellness, a great deal of money can be saved by preventing chronic diseases.  While saving on insurance costs is reason enough to invest in employee health, employers also noticed that Corporate Wellness Programs we increasing productivity, employee morale, retention, and decreasing absenteeism.  The benefits of preventative measures paid off big, and now most companies large and small and finding ways to implement wellness programs into their workplace culture.

    At GMM, we are all about educating and assisting our community in adopting a healthy lifestyle, so this partnership is quite intuitive.  In the last 9 months, GMM has worked extensively with the corporate community to offer educational Lunch and Learns about Wellness in the Workplace, Nutrition and Behavior Modification, as well as create programming and initiatives to get people on the right track towards optimal health and wellness.  From city employees and teachers to lawyers and consultants, GMM has worked to develop site specific programs that engage and educate employees about investing in their health and seen great results.  An 8-week Biggest Loser competition allowed one municipality to collectively lose over 250 pounds collectively, and a series of lunch and learns at another Atlanta company sparked a companywide initiative to start accruing steps and counting calories.

    Is your company in the need of some health and wellness programing?  Click on the GMM link below to see what all we have to offer and/or email me, Jess Parsons, at jparsons@goodmeasuremeals.com to discuss how we can get your company on board or to invite GMM to your Health, Wellness, & Benefits Fair!

    http://www.goodmeasuremeals.com/products/corporate

    Does your company currently do any wellness programing for their employees?

  • 27Apr

    Last Sunday Jess Parsons, our Corporate Wellness Representative, and I gave a presentation on Healthy Living with Nutrition and Menu Planning for a group of seniors and their caregivers at First Baptist Church. This presentation was part of a six week workshop called Senior Caregiving: Challenges and Choices. Carolyn Mattingly the CEO of Advantage Senior Care, Inc. & Advantage Home Care Consulting, LLC put together the workshop.

    I spoke and did some demonstrations on menu planning basics – benefits to planning a menu, steps to menu planning, nutrition considerations, portion control and nutrition labeling.

    Jess spoke about Good Measure Meals and how the meals can meet the needs of populations that might have trouble with menu planning and getting that balanced diet on their own.

    We had a lot of fun with it!

    Good Measure Meals offers wellness education for organizations on topics related to nutrition and wellness.

    These programs include-

    Health initiative programs like weight loss, walking programs, fitness challenges, training for 5K/10K

    Corporate Lunch and Learns on topics such as nutrition, physical activity, stress management, goal setting, comprehensive wellness in the workplace

    Healthy Eating Demonstrations

    Health and Wellness Assessments – one on one fitness assessments, Consult with one of our Registered Dietitians, Wellness and Risk Appraisals

    Grocery Store Visits

    On Site Fitness Programming - classes include but are not limited to yoga, Pilates, functional training, bootcamp/conditioning.

    Support Groups

    If you are interested in investing in your health or the health of your company or want more information on the programs that we can offer contact Jess Parsons at jparsons@goodmeasuremeals.com

     

     

  • 19Apr

    This Wednesday, April 21st is a big day for Open Hand. Over 100 restaurants all over the Atlanta area will be donating 20% of your bill to Open Hand!! The fundraiser is called Dining Out for Life. It is Open Hand’s largest annual fundraiser, and helps Open Hand continue to provide freshly prepared, home-delivered meals, nutrition education, coaching and counseling to homebound seniors and individuals who are struggling with chronic, critical or terminal disease in 17 Georgia counties.

    I will be hosting at West Egg Cafe along with Good Measure Meals Corporate Wellness Representative, Jess Parsons. Jess and I had the opportunity to interview Jennifer Johnson, who owns West Egg along with her husband Ben Johnson. Check us out in the video above to get a preview of what this amazing restaurant is all about and also to learn about their new dinner menu.

    Jess and I will be at West Egg Cafe on Howell Mill Road in Midtown from 6pm-10pm. Come out to meet us and eat amazing food – all for a good cause.

    For a list of all the participating restaurants visit – http://diningoutforoh.org

    Thank you for your support.

    I hope to meet you this Wednesday at West Egg Cafe!