Body Composition is what your body is made up of. We are interested in body fat and lean mass percentage – how much of what you weigh is fat and how much of what you weigh is muscle, fluids and organs. This is important for monitoring general health, following the progress of a diet and exercise regime and for assessing the progression of disease or recovery.

Who should get a body composition and metabolic analysis?

Everyone. In fact body composition can be a useful tool to screen for obesity, increased risks for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and for general health monitoring. Even athletes and fitness buffs will find the information useful to help fine tune their existing diet and exercise regimes.

How is body composition measured?

We measure body composition using the RJL system (www.rjlsystems.com). This system employs state of the art bioimpedance technology that accurately and reliably measures body composition and analyzes metabolic functions.

Bioimpedance is a measurement of the electrical properties of different tissues in your body. It measures the conductance of or resistance to electricity between the different cell types in your body. For example, fat resists electricity well but blood cells do not.

During your body composition analysis, a small electrical current is sent up the entire length of one side of your body via adhesive electrode pads. But don’t worry, the entire process is painless and takes about 3 minutes—you won’t even feel a thing!

The system that we use is highly accurate and the results are repeatable in men and women because the bioimpedance of the whole body is measured, unlike many other “fat analyzers” on the market that only measure the upper or lower parts of the body.

What other information does bioimpedance give?

Because we are measuring the electrical properties of the cell, we can also analyze:

1. Total body water content: Are you adequately hydrated?
2. Basal metabolic rate: How many calories are you burning per day?
3. Cellular health: Are your cells aging well?

Do I need to prepare for my body composition analysis?

Yes.  We require that you don’t exercise, take saunas, drink alcohol, caffeinr or other stimulants that may artificially affect your body fluid levels and metabolism 8 hours prior to testing.  Otherwise you can eat and drink as you normally would.

What happens after I get my body composition analysed?

After your body composition and metabolic analysis is complete, you will receive a print out of your results.   Your naturopathic doctor will discuss any health risks associated with your body composition results, recommend health goals and devise a plan to help you reach those goals.  You may repeat your body composition analysis in the future to make sure you are on track with your health goals or to monitor your treatment progress.

To book your body composition and metabolic analysis, please contact the clinic at 416 929-6958.