General Health

The saying "youth is wasted on the young" might just hold the most meaning when talking about weight loss. In our early years, we rarely give a second thought to the consequences of splurging on late night milkshake and fries. It may create temporary uncomfortable feelings, but we can bounce back the next day with fairly little effort. And then we do it again and again, because our young, energy-efficient bodies give us the runway to do so. How wonderful, right?!...

Obesity can hurt us, and not just with greater risks of serious health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. It affects our bones, joints, ligaments and tendons, which we need for optimal mobility in our busy daily lives. When our skeletal and muscular systems are compromised, physical injuries are more likely to occur....

If you are exercising regularly, but don't see the numbers going down on the scale, you might be misguided about the best way to lose weight. Many people fall into the trap that exercise alone will make the pounds come off. The training montages in action movies, extreme weight loss programs on TV, and fitness success stories can motivate us, but they paint an unrealistic picture about the role of exercise in losing weight. How has this idea gained so much credit? ...

The process of losing weight may sometimes feel like a battle. In our modern society, the number one enemy of weight loss (a.k.a., unhealthy food) seems to be stationed at every corner. In many American 'battle fields' you can't walk or drive a mile without seeing a fast food restaurant whose main mission is to put a bulls-eye directly on your taste buds. In a war zone like this, you need all of the weapons you can get to win weight loss battles and eventually the war. One such weapon may seem highly unlikely, but it may play a very strategic role in helping you keep your weight in check for good. This weapon is gut bacteria. Bacteria? Isn't that what makes us sick? In reality, there are over 1,000 different kinds of bacteria in the stomach, some of them bad (which usually get the lion's share of attention) and some that are good. The good bacteria in your gut work to keep your body in balance against the bad bacteria. In addition to promoting overall good health, the good bacteria work to keep your digestive system healthy, which may have a direct impact on your ability to shed excess pounds and maintain a healthy weight. Let's talk about the bad bacteria first.?? These microbes, or bugs, live up to their reputation by causing cravings for unhealthy foods that trigger inflammation. Research has found that some bad bacteria send signals to the brain that influence our appetite and mood. This may cause feelings of anxiety until we can alleviate them by giving into the urge to indulge in sugary and fatty foods. . The good news is, you can recruit gut bacteria to help you fight weight gain. Probiotics are a kind of good bacteria that fight off the bad bacteria in the...

Have you ever heard the expression "Health is wealth" The message behind this saying is pretty clear taking care of your body will help you live a long and happy life, which is one of the greatest treasures of all....

Imagine you are standing in a forest. In front of you is an angry brown bear. He flares his nostrils, roars, and looks right into your eyes. Your heart starts pumping faster, your mind races. What do you do? Do you run? Do you wait to see if he'll charge? Or do you think about eating pizza? The answer to that last question is undoubtedly no, you do not think about eating pizza. You're thinking about how you are going to make it out of that forest in one piece!...

As we near the end of August and my children plan their return to the classroom, I’m busy preparing my practice for all those parents returning to their post-summer weight loss efforts. With the kids in someone else’s hands for the better part of each day, they can, and should, reclaim time to focus on their health....

Did you know that the average life expectancy in the United States is almost 79 years? That’s up by nearly a decade since the 1960s. Did you also know that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, doubles every five years after the age of 65 Well, this puts us into an interesting spot, doesn’t it?...

For those of us managing our weight, understanding what we should or should not eat can get very confusing. This is especially true of carbohydrates. "Carbs are good!" says one study while another screams, "Carbs are bad!" How in the world are we supposed to know what to do? One set of tools that may serve as a useful guide are the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load....