Imagine yourself after a hectic day at the office or following last-minute holiday shopping. You’re relaxing and watching TV when you begin to hear voices – soft at first, then building in volume. They seem to be coming from the kitchen. Now they’re recognizable – it’s Ben and Jerry, and your name is being called from the confines of your freezer. You initially resist, but then you begin to think of reasons to answer. After all, you want what they have to offer. Since you are a little hungry and also bored, you believe you really need them as friends. Plus, you’ve had a really hard day, so you convince yourself you deserve them. In the end, willpower alone is usually not enough so you, Ben, and Jerry have a little party. Sound familiar?
There’s a way to prevent this from happening. It’s by not letting Ben and Jerry into your house and freezer to begin with. Safety from their temptations, and also successful weight loss, begins at the supermarket. If you tend to make friends like Ben and Jerry, who will sabotage you when you are at your weakest, then avoid the aisle where they reside. Or, if you must be in their neighborhood for some other reason, certainly don’t invite them into your shopping cart. Along the same lines, if there are certain restaurants that don’t serve foods to help make you slim, then don’t go there to dine. By avoiding such places, you won’t be forced to make decisions you may later regret.
Control your environment. If you do, you won’t need supernatural willpower when you are most vulnerable to fend off “friends” that are really your weight-loss enemies.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Fiber - It Even Works for Dogs
Last evening my wife, step-daughter, and I attended a holiday party at a good friend’s home. As we arrived we were greeted by Molika, his Rhodesian Ridgeback hound. I hadn’t seen Molika in some time, but she was noticeably more fit, agile, and sleek appearing than I remembered from before. In talking to her master, I discovered that Molika had lost about 20 pounds. How did she do it? By eating green beans! That’s right – green beans. At every meal, Molika gets her usual dog food, but in smaller amounts, because the rest of her portion is comprised of green beans. She likes how they taste, and they fill her up, not out. I kept this in mind as I went through the serving line at the party. I filled up on fiber foods by eating a green salad, tabouli, carrots, and a dish made from cauliflower and broccoli. Because of this, I didn’t feel deprived when I split a piece of baklava with my wife for dessert. What worked for Molika worked for me. And it will for you too.
Remember Molika, the green-bean-eating Rhodesian Ridgeback, every time you eat. Fill yourself up on fiber foods like beans, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. When you do this, you will naturally eat less of the foods that caused you to gain weight. You won’t feel deprived, and before long, you will be fit, agile, and sleek – just like Molika!
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Remember Molika, the green-bean-eating Rhodesian Ridgeback, every time you eat. Fill yourself up on fiber foods like beans, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. When you do this, you will naturally eat less of the foods that caused you to gain weight. You won’t feel deprived, and before long, you will be fit, agile, and sleek – just like Molika!
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Trading Winstons for Whoppers
I remember the days when restaurants were smoked filled. It was common to see people smoking in grocery stores and when travelling by air. Television prime time was filled with commercials for cigarettes. Remember the Tareyton "I'd rather fight than switch" black eye, the Marlboro Man, or the Tiparillo Girl? During hospital rounds I would call ahead and tell the floor nurses to have my patients extinguish their cigarettes before I arrived, so I wouldn't smell like smoke the rest of the day. Then culture began to change, and it is hard to imagine the smoker's world we once lived in. No smoking on planes or in restaurants, grocery stores, or hospital rooms now. No television advertising for cigarettes. And because of the reduction in smoking these changes have brought about, the lifespan of Americans was increased.
However, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on December 2nd, reveals that health gains derived from reduced smoking have been more than offset by the negative health effects of America's growing waistlines over the last few decades. It seems that all we have done is traded in our Winstons for Whoppers.
Ideally our future world won't have a drive-thru on every corner, people will actually eat meals cooked at home using real food, and cars won't be designed around supersized cup holders. Maybe someday we will think back and remember school lunch programs dominated by the fast food industry, or TV ads for the Taco Bell fourth meal, and we will shake our heads in disbelief at how foolish we once were. Possibly. But I'm not sure I would bet your health or pants size on it happening anytime soon, and in the meantime the world is starting to tip on its axis more than is natural.
You don't need to wait for culture to change in order to be slimmer, and healthier as a result. Just start by doing a few simple things. Use whole wheat bread instead of white; eat 5 servings of your favorite vegetables, 3 to 4 servings of fruit, and a cup of cooked beans every day; take the stairs instead of the elevator or park at the far end of the parking lot instead of near the door.
Do those things and you may be a real trend setter, decades ahead of the crowd.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
However, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on December 2nd, reveals that health gains derived from reduced smoking have been more than offset by the negative health effects of America's growing waistlines over the last few decades. It seems that all we have done is traded in our Winstons for Whoppers.
Ideally our future world won't have a drive-thru on every corner, people will actually eat meals cooked at home using real food, and cars won't be designed around supersized cup holders. Maybe someday we will think back and remember school lunch programs dominated by the fast food industry, or TV ads for the Taco Bell fourth meal, and we will shake our heads in disbelief at how foolish we once were. Possibly. But I'm not sure I would bet your health or pants size on it happening anytime soon, and in the meantime the world is starting to tip on its axis more than is natural.
You don't need to wait for culture to change in order to be slimmer, and healthier as a result. Just start by doing a few simple things. Use whole wheat bread instead of white; eat 5 servings of your favorite vegetables, 3 to 4 servings of fruit, and a cup of cooked beans every day; take the stairs instead of the elevator or park at the far end of the parking lot instead of near the door.
Do those things and you may be a real trend setter, decades ahead of the crowd.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Health Care Reform – What’s the Point?
Last year Americans spent $86 billion treating the health effects of obesity. According to the America’s Health Rankings study recently released, by 2018 that number will quadruple to $344 billion. This is because obesity in this country is on an upward trajectory that is stratospheric, to say the least. The fattest state in the country now is Mississippi, with an obesity rate of 38 percent. But don’t point a finger at them as being bad examples - the same study predicts that in 2018 nearly 45 percent of all Americans will be clinically obese. Along with that excess body fat come chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and high blood pressure. This carries not only a huge physical cost, but an economic one as well - just because we can’t put down our Big Macs and fries and substitute them with a bowl of beans and rice, or a plate of fresh vegetables.
Much to-do has been made over the potential for health care reform in America. But, what’s the point? It doesn’t matter what sort of health care system we have, or develop, in this country if we continue to insist on literally eating ourselves to death. We simply won’t be able to bear the economic burden of our communal fatness, if the above predictions hold true. Health care reform or not, we will not be able to afford the costs of the diseases we will bring upon ourselves.
Maybe losing weight for personal reasons has not made it a priority for you. Then consider doing it for the good of your country. For starters, just add more fiber foods into your diet. All fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts contain fiber. Drink more water – at least 6 to 8 glasses per day. Don’t eat when you’re not hungry and stop eating before you are full. Move a little more.
Do these things and you’ll get slimmer and healthier. You may even feel a sense of patriotic pride.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Much to-do has been made over the potential for health care reform in America. But, what’s the point? It doesn’t matter what sort of health care system we have, or develop, in this country if we continue to insist on literally eating ourselves to death. We simply won’t be able to bear the economic burden of our communal fatness, if the above predictions hold true. Health care reform or not, we will not be able to afford the costs of the diseases we will bring upon ourselves.
Maybe losing weight for personal reasons has not made it a priority for you. Then consider doing it for the good of your country. For starters, just add more fiber foods into your diet. All fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts contain fiber. Drink more water – at least 6 to 8 glasses per day. Don’t eat when you’re not hungry and stop eating before you are full. Move a little more.
Do these things and you’ll get slimmer and healthier. You may even feel a sense of patriotic pride.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Does the Diet Book Have Recipes?
What is the first thing you do when you pick up a new diet book? If you are like most people I have talked to, you check out the recipes. Does the diet book have a lot of recipes? Are they easy to follow? Are the ingredients familiar, inexpensive, easy to find, and items you like? Are your favorite types of dishes represented? If the answers are “no,” then you move on.
Recipes are a common reason why a diet book is rejected. Another way to say this is that recipes are really just a common excuse for not starting or staying on a new diet. Everyone seems to want recipes even though few use them in their day to day meal preparation. Aside from baking and special occasions, most of us can throw together a salad, sandwich, soup, or even a complete meal without a recipe. You may have a few recipes you pull out from time to time, but we usually just search the kitchen to determine what we can quickly make. The average person has a limited number of different meals they rotate on a regular basis and they don’t typically pull out recipes to make them.
Why do most think they need to use recipes when they start eating healthy? Why is it commonly assumed that lack of recipes is the problem that has caused weight gain? Or, that cooking with new recipes will fix the problem? With The Full Plate Diet™, you can throw the recipe excuse out the window. No special recipes are required in order to start getting results – today!
For long term successful change, you need to do what fits best into your lifestyle. If you cook with recipes all the time and are an avid cookbook collector, you can easily power-up your favorite recipes with more fiber foods. All whole plant foods contain fiber. If you don’t use recipes, you don’t have to start. Simply stock your kitchen with more fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, and then add them to your typical meals. Put some berries on your cold cereal, canned beans in your chili, frozen vegetables in your tomato soup, whole wheat bread on your sandwich. Ever try kidney beans in spaghetti sauce or on a salad?
Start by eating more fiber foods you like and have readily available. For great ideas, check out the The Full Plate Diet™, or go to www.fullplatediet.org. You will be surprised how fast you can increase your fiber amounts and decrease your hunger.
Less hunger means you eat less…and you know what that will mean in your future.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Recipes are a common reason why a diet book is rejected. Another way to say this is that recipes are really just a common excuse for not starting or staying on a new diet. Everyone seems to want recipes even though few use them in their day to day meal preparation. Aside from baking and special occasions, most of us can throw together a salad, sandwich, soup, or even a complete meal without a recipe. You may have a few recipes you pull out from time to time, but we usually just search the kitchen to determine what we can quickly make. The average person has a limited number of different meals they rotate on a regular basis and they don’t typically pull out recipes to make them.
Why do most think they need to use recipes when they start eating healthy? Why is it commonly assumed that lack of recipes is the problem that has caused weight gain? Or, that cooking with new recipes will fix the problem? With The Full Plate Diet™, you can throw the recipe excuse out the window. No special recipes are required in order to start getting results – today!
For long term successful change, you need to do what fits best into your lifestyle. If you cook with recipes all the time and are an avid cookbook collector, you can easily power-up your favorite recipes with more fiber foods. All whole plant foods contain fiber. If you don’t use recipes, you don’t have to start. Simply stock your kitchen with more fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, and then add them to your typical meals. Put some berries on your cold cereal, canned beans in your chili, frozen vegetables in your tomato soup, whole wheat bread on your sandwich. Ever try kidney beans in spaghetti sauce or on a salad?
Start by eating more fiber foods you like and have readily available. For great ideas, check out the The Full Plate Diet™, or go to www.fullplatediet.org. You will be surprised how fast you can increase your fiber amounts and decrease your hunger.
Less hunger means you eat less…and you know what that will mean in your future.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
One Hundred Years of Wisdom
He is 101 years old, new to my practice, and I was asked to pay him a medical visit at his home. I didn’t know what to anticipate, but this new patient turned out to be the highlight of my day. He vividly told me how he had fallen last May in his bathroom – a “silly mistake that was my own fault” – and as a result he had broken his hip. A hospitalization and rehab followed, but he had not regained the strength he needed in order to live independently, or to do much other than be in a chair during most of his day. He also had a urinary catheter placed during his hospitalization, and nearly died from a urinary infection last August. But other than a few injuries he had sustained in the distant past, this gentleman is amazingly healthy and his mind is as sharp as a tack. His blood pressure is as good as a teenager’s. He takes no medication. He drove a car until he was 100, never having a traffic violation or accident. Until he broke his hip last May, he went to work in his wood shop every day, operating power tools such as lathes, saws and drills. He has a good appetite, goes to bed at 9 every evening and arises at daylight. He reads books during the day in order to keep his mind strong. In fact, he had just finished reading a book about Chinese consumerism, manufacturing, and exports, and the effect this may have on world economy. He proudly told me “I love my life.”
I’d like us to learn from the wisdom and habits of my new patient. In talking to him and his son, a couple of items stood out regarding the way he lives his life – clues, I believe, to his amazing longevity and the quality of life he continues to enjoy. The first is his mental attitude. He loves life, even with the recent adversity and challenges it poses. He realizes the value of making mistakes, and doesn’t beat himself up over having made them. To put it in his words, “The only thing wrong with making mistakes is if you don’t learn from them, or if you keep on making them.” The second significant item relates to his diet. It isn’t so much about what he eats, but rather how much he eats. He stops eating when he isn’t hungry and before he is full. He has done this his entire life, and I am sure it is related to how well he has done over the years. He is at his ideal weight. Third, he has been active physically and mentally all of his life – this continues even today, to the extent possible for him.
One hundred years of wisdom can be summarized as follows:
1. For today, and each day forward, keep a positive attitude. Learn from mistakes you have made and use that information to help you in the future.
2. Don’t eat if you aren’t hungry and stop eating before you are full.
3. Move more and look for ways to increase your physical activity. You don’t need to join a gym – start by parking further away when you shop, and build from there.
Do these 3 things and your health will improve, you will probably live longer, and your quality of life will be better. Impress your doctor when you are 101!
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
I’d like us to learn from the wisdom and habits of my new patient. In talking to him and his son, a couple of items stood out regarding the way he lives his life – clues, I believe, to his amazing longevity and the quality of life he continues to enjoy. The first is his mental attitude. He loves life, even with the recent adversity and challenges it poses. He realizes the value of making mistakes, and doesn’t beat himself up over having made them. To put it in his words, “The only thing wrong with making mistakes is if you don’t learn from them, or if you keep on making them.” The second significant item relates to his diet. It isn’t so much about what he eats, but rather how much he eats. He stops eating when he isn’t hungry and before he is full. He has done this his entire life, and I am sure it is related to how well he has done over the years. He is at his ideal weight. Third, he has been active physically and mentally all of his life – this continues even today, to the extent possible for him.
One hundred years of wisdom can be summarized as follows:
1. For today, and each day forward, keep a positive attitude. Learn from mistakes you have made and use that information to help you in the future.
2. Don’t eat if you aren’t hungry and stop eating before you are full.
3. Move more and look for ways to increase your physical activity. You don’t need to join a gym – start by parking further away when you shop, and build from there.
Do these 3 things and your health will improve, you will probably live longer, and your quality of life will be better. Impress your doctor when you are 101!
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Be Assertive!
How often have you started a new diet only to be derailed by well-meaning family or friends: your mother arrives at your door with your favorite homemade brownies, or your office buddies give you a surprise birthday party at your favorite all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant? Even before these situations happen, you need to plan for them. If you desire ideal weight and good health, let your family and friends know your goals and then be assertive about keeping yourself on track.
To be non-assertive is to say, “Others matter, and I don’t.” On the other hand, if you are aggressive, the message is “I matter, and others don’t.” You need to find the place in between the two extremes. Being assertive states, “I am equal to others and we all matter the same.” Give assertiveness a try. Tell you mother that you love her brownies so much you can’t just eat one, and it would be more helpful for your weight loss goals if she could make you a high-fiber dessert like baked apples. Explain to your office mates that all-you-can-eat establishments are too tempting at this time and suggest a restaurant where the menu better fits your weight loss plan. It may take a bit of practice, but its well worth the effort. Assertiveness is probably one of the most important tools you will need to succeed.
During the holidays, don’t hesitate to assert your rights to have fiber foods available at the family gatherings, even if it means you bring the veggie platter or salad. Look at it as an opportunity to share your healthy new way of living with those you love. Everyone will benefit. When you find yourself at a restaurant with no menu items that fit into your weight loss goals, don’t be afraid to explain to your waiter exactly what you need. Ask for a steamed side of whatever fresh veggies are available in the kitchen. Or ask that your entree be broiled instead of fried. Odds are, the chef will be glad to break out of the same old menu routine and will welcome the opportunity to be creative. You will be a breath of fresh air!
Try on assertiveness for size, and wear it often. It will look good on you.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
To be non-assertive is to say, “Others matter, and I don’t.” On the other hand, if you are aggressive, the message is “I matter, and others don’t.” You need to find the place in between the two extremes. Being assertive states, “I am equal to others and we all matter the same.” Give assertiveness a try. Tell you mother that you love her brownies so much you can’t just eat one, and it would be more helpful for your weight loss goals if she could make you a high-fiber dessert like baked apples. Explain to your office mates that all-you-can-eat establishments are too tempting at this time and suggest a restaurant where the menu better fits your weight loss plan. It may take a bit of practice, but its well worth the effort. Assertiveness is probably one of the most important tools you will need to succeed.
During the holidays, don’t hesitate to assert your rights to have fiber foods available at the family gatherings, even if it means you bring the veggie platter or salad. Look at it as an opportunity to share your healthy new way of living with those you love. Everyone will benefit. When you find yourself at a restaurant with no menu items that fit into your weight loss goals, don’t be afraid to explain to your waiter exactly what you need. Ask for a steamed side of whatever fresh veggies are available in the kitchen. Or ask that your entree be broiled instead of fried. Odds are, the chef will be glad to break out of the same old menu routine and will welcome the opportunity to be creative. You will be a breath of fresh air!
Try on assertiveness for size, and wear it often. It will look good on you.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Set the Right Goal to Lose Weight
I talk to a lot of patients who don’t set the right goal as they try to lose weight. They get side-tracked and focus only on the amount of fiber they eat, instead of what they really need to be concerned about – getting thinner.
If you focus only on how much fiber you eat, there is a possibility that you may succeed in achieving your fiber goal, but fail at dropping pounds. This is because the benefit of eating fiber foods can be overcome be overeating, or by eating too much of fiber foods that also are high fat. I’ve heard stories about people eating a meal that had over 40 grams of fiber – a giant burrito, for example. But the real issue is whether or not they needed to eat that much food at one meal because they were still hungry, or if they did so just because they thought stuffing themselves with that much fiber would in and of itself cause weight loss.
Your goal should be to lose weight. Eating more fiber is just a tool you use to achieve the goal. Fiber satisfies those hunger pangs and helps stop the need for snacking between meals. Eating more fiber is the roadmap that helps you get there. So don’t lose your direction. Eat more fiber foods as a means to an end – but don’t let it be the only tool you use.
To reach your weight loss goal you also need to stop eating when you aren’t hungry. You may only need to eat half of that 40-gram burrito to feel satisfied, for example. Just because it is lunchtime, you don’t have to eat lunch if you aren’t hungry. Try to skip a meal or put it off for hours, and wait until you are truly hungry – just remember to stop eating as soon as the hunger pangs disappear, and to eat slowly. Also, keep in mind that feeling hunger is not a state of emergency. Look forward to the feeling—it means you are reaching your goal by burning body fat.
Getting thinner is your destination. Put fiber foods to work, and then the pounds will melt away.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
If you focus only on how much fiber you eat, there is a possibility that you may succeed in achieving your fiber goal, but fail at dropping pounds. This is because the benefit of eating fiber foods can be overcome be overeating, or by eating too much of fiber foods that also are high fat. I’ve heard stories about people eating a meal that had over 40 grams of fiber – a giant burrito, for example. But the real issue is whether or not they needed to eat that much food at one meal because they were still hungry, or if they did so just because they thought stuffing themselves with that much fiber would in and of itself cause weight loss.
Your goal should be to lose weight. Eating more fiber is just a tool you use to achieve the goal. Fiber satisfies those hunger pangs and helps stop the need for snacking between meals. Eating more fiber is the roadmap that helps you get there. So don’t lose your direction. Eat more fiber foods as a means to an end – but don’t let it be the only tool you use.
To reach your weight loss goal you also need to stop eating when you aren’t hungry. You may only need to eat half of that 40-gram burrito to feel satisfied, for example. Just because it is lunchtime, you don’t have to eat lunch if you aren’t hungry. Try to skip a meal or put it off for hours, and wait until you are truly hungry – just remember to stop eating as soon as the hunger pangs disappear, and to eat slowly. Also, keep in mind that feeling hunger is not a state of emergency. Look forward to the feeling—it means you are reaching your goal by burning body fat.
Getting thinner is your destination. Put fiber foods to work, and then the pounds will melt away.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Ethics of Eating
The last few years of my professional, as well as personal, life have been dedicated to helping others lose weight. The mantra has become simple – eat more fiber foods, drink more water, don’t eat when you aren’t hungry, and move a little more. But in the course of delivering this message, I am afraid a more deeply philosophical point has often been overlooked. This is understandable, because it is disregarded by almost every American on a daily basis. What I am referring to is the ethics of eating.
Let me give just a few examples. Our planet’s resources are slowly being depleted, and at the same time population is increasing. Growing fiber foods is 10 times more efficient than raising livestock. Because of this, eating fiber foods contributes far less to water and air pollution than eating, say, a steak. Wouldn’t ethics dictate that we should eat more fiber foods and not eat when we aren’t hungry?
Here’s another. Childhood obesity is rising at an alarming rate, and the health of our children is suffering as a result. It is now estimated that children being born today will be the first generation who don’t live longer than their parents. A major contributor is the standard American diet, consisting of processed and fiber-poor foods. Ethics would dictate that parents should not only defend their children from a diet that harms them, but adults should also set an example by eating the healthiest diet possible themselves. This just so happens to be a diet high in fiber foods. Think of it this way – naturally occurring fiber in a food is a marker for other healthy nutrients. The more natural fiber there is, the healthier the food.
There are many more examples – too many to list. What I am asking is this – just give thought to what you eat, and ask yourself whether or not you are eating ethically. For every instance you can think of, consuming a diet rich in fiber foods and not eating when you aren’t hungry will always be the most principled way to live. And besides, it helps you slim down, look great, and feel years younger.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Let me give just a few examples. Our planet’s resources are slowly being depleted, and at the same time population is increasing. Growing fiber foods is 10 times more efficient than raising livestock. Because of this, eating fiber foods contributes far less to water and air pollution than eating, say, a steak. Wouldn’t ethics dictate that we should eat more fiber foods and not eat when we aren’t hungry?
Here’s another. Childhood obesity is rising at an alarming rate, and the health of our children is suffering as a result. It is now estimated that children being born today will be the first generation who don’t live longer than their parents. A major contributor is the standard American diet, consisting of processed and fiber-poor foods. Ethics would dictate that parents should not only defend their children from a diet that harms them, but adults should also set an example by eating the healthiest diet possible themselves. This just so happens to be a diet high in fiber foods. Think of it this way – naturally occurring fiber in a food is a marker for other healthy nutrients. The more natural fiber there is, the healthier the food.
There are many more examples – too many to list. What I am asking is this – just give thought to what you eat, and ask yourself whether or not you are eating ethically. For every instance you can think of, consuming a diet rich in fiber foods and not eating when you aren’t hungry will always be the most principled way to live. And besides, it helps you slim down, look great, and feel years younger.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Just move a little more and eat more fiber – it’s as easy as that
A few days ago I was in a large discount department store picking up a few things. In the checkout line there was an overweight couple placing their items on the conveyor. They were buying a large package of skinless chicken breasts (no fiber), a large beef roast (no fiber), and a Wii game remote control. Then I noticed that the cashier was nowhere to be seen. She soon returned from a special area of the store, carrying a Wii console (to go with the remote) as well as a Wii Fit game package. It all made sense to me then. The couple had decided to lose weight and become fit. Apparently their plan was to eat a low-carb, high-protein, near-zero fiber diet, and use the Wii Fit for exercise. All of this at a cost of several hundred dollars at the register, plus the potential health risks of following a diet lacking in nutrition. I suspect in a few weeks or months, the Wii won’t be seeing the light of day. Since studies show a low-carb diet is nearly impossible to stick to long term, it will also likely be abandoned. Any weight lost will probably return, in amounts greater than before.
It would be much more effective, healthier, and cheaper to simply eat more fiber foods, and stop eating when not hungry. Fiber foods satisfy and prevent hunger, causing you to eat less. They also contain vitamins, anti-oxidants, and phytochemicals not found in foods that contain no fiber. This is a simple plan that can be followed for life. Add to this just a little more activity – take 10,000 steps per day, for example – and the pounds will melt away. No Wii required.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
It would be much more effective, healthier, and cheaper to simply eat more fiber foods, and stop eating when not hungry. Fiber foods satisfy and prevent hunger, causing you to eat less. They also contain vitamins, anti-oxidants, and phytochemicals not found in foods that contain no fiber. This is a simple plan that can be followed for life. Add to this just a little more activity – take 10,000 steps per day, for example – and the pounds will melt away. No Wii required.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
What Sort of Role Model Are You?
The National Obesity Forum of the United Kingdom earlier this month announced their recommendation for midwives to measure the body mass index (BMI) of all pregnant women and their partners during the 12-week prenatal visit. For those found to be obese (BMI over 30), it was further recommended that the expectant parents be counseled on how to change their eating habits, for the sake of their unborn child. What prompted this recommendation were results of a recent British study, revealing that daughters of obese mothers were 10 times more likely to develop obesity, and sons of obese fathers were 6 times more likely. Excess weight in these children had typically developed by the age of 5 years.
The vital point of this study is that children will mimick the habits of important role models in their lives. Parents who have lifestyle habits leading to obesity will most likely pass those habits on to their children, and the obesity pyramid continues.
So, if you are a parent-to-be, or are a parent or grandparent of small children, ask yourself the question "What kind of role model am I for the little ones I love?" To help yourself answer this question, find out what your BMI is by using the calculator at http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/. If your BMI is over 30, not only is your own health at serious risk, but you may not be the role model you wish to be.
More later on how to get that BMI in the range you want it to be - less than 25. But for now, eat more fiber foods, drink 8 glasses of water per day, and don't eat when you aren't hungry. Also, get a copy of The Full Plate Diet - it will help you jump start your weight loss program. Visit http://www.fullplatediet.org/ for details on how to order a book, to download a free electronic advance reader copy, or to listen to a free audio version.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
The vital point of this study is that children will mimick the habits of important role models in their lives. Parents who have lifestyle habits leading to obesity will most likely pass those habits on to their children, and the obesity pyramid continues.
So, if you are a parent-to-be, or are a parent or grandparent of small children, ask yourself the question "What kind of role model am I for the little ones I love?" To help yourself answer this question, find out what your BMI is by using the calculator at http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/. If your BMI is over 30, not only is your own health at serious risk, but you may not be the role model you wish to be.
More later on how to get that BMI in the range you want it to be - less than 25. But for now, eat more fiber foods, drink 8 glasses of water per day, and don't eat when you aren't hungry. Also, get a copy of The Full Plate Diet - it will help you jump start your weight loss program. Visit http://www.fullplatediet.org/ for details on how to order a book, to download a free electronic advance reader copy, or to listen to a free audio version.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Friday, September 18, 2009
The Quick Fix?
During a recent 5-day Stopping Diabetes Workshop, a patient presented me with a packet of material for review and comment. The information was professional in appearance and design, marketing a product that claimed to be a solution for the chief complaint of most diabetics - fatigue. According to the material, all one needs to do is consume 1 to 3 servings of their "energy drink" per day, at a cost of $1 per serving, and fatigue will disappear. What is this amazing product? Nothing more than an effervescent multivitamin, priced 10 to 20 times higher than standard, and comparable, multivitamin pills. A multivitamin will not treat the underlying cause of your fatigue, nor will it help your diabetes or weight problem.
Fatigue does commonly accompany diabetes, and can be caused by a variety of factors: being overweight, sedentary, or depressed; and in uncontrolled diabetes it may be due to an inability to efficiently convert blood sugar into energy.
In my clinical experience, most patients with type 2 diabetes feel a total lack of control over their disease, and with that lack of control comes depression and fatigue. The ultimate solution is to gain control. There is a way to do this, but it is not found in a pill, an energy drink, or any other "quick fix." Gradual weight loss, acheived by eating high-fiber foods as recommended in The Full Plate Diet, combined with becoming more physically active, will cause blood sugars to lower and become stable. What follows is a sense of control and hope, and you realize "I can do this!" Energy levels increase as a result. Making big changes is not required - even taking small steps can lead to big results.
Today this is what you need to do - eat more fiber and take a 15-minute stroll after every meal.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Fatigue does commonly accompany diabetes, and can be caused by a variety of factors: being overweight, sedentary, or depressed; and in uncontrolled diabetes it may be due to an inability to efficiently convert blood sugar into energy.
In my clinical experience, most patients with type 2 diabetes feel a total lack of control over their disease, and with that lack of control comes depression and fatigue. The ultimate solution is to gain control. There is a way to do this, but it is not found in a pill, an energy drink, or any other "quick fix." Gradual weight loss, acheived by eating high-fiber foods as recommended in The Full Plate Diet, combined with becoming more physically active, will cause blood sugars to lower and become stable. What follows is a sense of control and hope, and you realize "I can do this!" Energy levels increase as a result. Making big changes is not required - even taking small steps can lead to big results.
Today this is what you need to do - eat more fiber and take a 15-minute stroll after every meal.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Today is always the most important day of your life
You can't live in the yesterdays or the tomorrows of time. You may have good memories of the past, or great anticipation of the future, but today is the day you are living. It is today that choices will be made, and results obtained. Because of that reason, it will always be the most important day there is.
So what does this have to do with your health? Everything! You can't change the past. Likewise, you can't live in the future. To try to do so is a waste of time and effort. But the decisions you make today, the most important day of your life, will be the ones that can begin to restore you. Most decisions we face are not big, however little ones can have big consequences. The secret is in making the best decision most of the time, when it counts the most - today. If you do this, every tomorrow you experience will be better than all of the yesterdays.
Stay posted - you will learn how to be an expert decision-maker, and can be on your way to looking and feeling better than ever before.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
So what does this have to do with your health? Everything! You can't change the past. Likewise, you can't live in the future. To try to do so is a waste of time and effort. But the decisions you make today, the most important day of your life, will be the ones that can begin to restore you. Most decisions we face are not big, however little ones can have big consequences. The secret is in making the best decision most of the time, when it counts the most - today. If you do this, every tomorrow you experience will be better than all of the yesterdays.
Stay posted - you will learn how to be an expert decision-maker, and can be on your way to looking and feeling better than ever before.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
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