5 Foods To Watch This Year In my last post, I discussed 10 Healing Foods for 2011. Just as there are foods you should incorporate in your diet, there are foods that should be eaten in moderation. I am going to share my top 5 foods to watch this year. This list may not surprise you, but its important to keep our eye on certain foods that contribute to health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. 5 Foods to Watch in 2011 Saturated Fat/Oils—Saturated fats come from animal products such as red meat and dairy products (cheese, milk, butter). It can also be found in some plant-based ...Read more »

Did you make the resolution to eat healthier this year? By the third week of January, most people have broken their resolutions. To help you keep your commitment to become a healthier you in 2011, I am recommending 10 healing foods you should incorporate into your diet.  These foods will benefit your overall well-being and contribute to your preventive health.

Parents can be and often are the greatest teachers and role models for nutrition for their own children. When it comes to healthy eating, parents should not take the attitude of “do as I say and not as I do.” A recent study posted in the Public Health Nursing journal revealed that a child’s eating habit is influenced largely by the mother’s diet. This should come as no surprise. Children who are exposed to healthy eating choices early on will make healthy choices later in life. Ideally, it is the role of the parents to introduce fruits and vegetables to kids at a young age. Kids are creatures of habit, ...Read more »

As a board certified Addiction Medicine specialist I was compelled to respond to this question. I work with many individuals who are greatly impacted by all types of addictions. Most think of addiction in terms of alcoholism, drug or sex addition, but as the issue of obesity increases across the world, it is important to take note that food can be just as addictive.  It has long been determined that junk food is unhealthy, but there is sufficient evidence to support that unhealthy eating can affect your brain. Yes, those potato chips and candy bars can alter your brain in ways you never imagined.

During this festive season of partying and gathering, many people throw their healthy eating plans right out the window. After all, what difference will one more piece of pie really make? When making your holiday plans, you may be wondering if overindulgence during the holidays will truly “make you fat”. I have spent years educating others about maintaining a healthy weight and how to control weight gain. I am convinced that what you do daily and consistently contributes greatly to your overall health. Just as “fad diets” don’t work in terms of leading to your optimal weight, “fad eating” or one of two days of indulgence will not cause you ...Read more »

Vitamin D in the Winter I have mentioned over the years the importance of having a variety of vitamins and minerals as a part of one’s daily diet regimen. One vitamin we don’t get enough of is Vitamin D. Unlike many other vitamins, Vitamin D is not found in most foods. It is made in the body by exposure to sunlight. Since winter is upon us, it is important to take a look at factors affecting our Vitamin D status. What affects our vitamin D intake when there is not as much direct sunlight? A recent study at Emory University used twins in different geographical areas in North America to ...Read more »

As Early as 3? At what age does the notion of body image begin to impact us? I recently read a very disturbing article regarding children as young as 3 years old wanting to be thin. A small study by lead researcher Jennifer Harriger of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California suggests that when given a choice, even while playing a game, preschoolers would choose to be thin, rather than average or fat. (See the article:

When I first started working with patients with eating disorders, I was struck by how their family situations often triggered or facilitated in some way the development of their eating disorder.  Much of current treatment for anorexia has centered on individual therapy.  A current study published by Lock at Stanford notes: “The researchers evaluated each patient’s condition at the start and end of the one-year treatment period, and then again six and 12 months after treatment ended. Patients were considered in full remission if they reached 95 percent of normal body weight and had a normal score on a standardized psychiatric assessment of attitudes about eating. At the end of ...Read more »

Research has shown several factors that make it more likely for your child to become overweight or obese: Mother or father are overweight Mother was overweight before she became pregnant Parents who smoke or being exposed to others who smoke Mother smoked during pregnancy The child was overweight before age 3 Obesity is a family disease.  Genetic factors as well as early childhood factors make it more or less likely that a child will become overweight or obese. As always, the focus should be on the family.  What can your family do to improve your child’s chances of being a healthy weight?  Always practice what you preach. Eating more fruits ...Read more »

When looking at individuals born between 1976-1985 and those born 1966-1975, 20% were obese by 20-29 years of age.  Comparing this to older generations, individuals born between 1946-55 were 30-39 years of age before reaching the 20% level of obesity; those born 1956-65 were 40-49.  For individuals born between 1936-45, they didn’t reach prevalence of obesity before age 50-59. So our kids are becoming obese at younger ages.  Therefore, they will have a lifetime of struggling with their weight. What can parents do? MODEL healthy eating.  You can’t tell your children what to eat if you continue to eat poorly. Exercise together as a family even if its just going ...Read more »

Walking just two hours per week can reduce your risk of stroke by 30% or more.  The lead researcher stated: “We found that increasing physical activity including brisk walking was protective against stroke, especially ischemic stroke, in middle-aged and older women,” Dr. Hu said, “and in our study, the predominant form of physical activity was walking as well.” There was also a “dose-dependent” response between the amount of time spent walking and decrease in stroke risk in the Nurses’ Health Study, and walking pace “was independently associated with a lower stroke risk as well, meaning that women who walked faster had an even lower risk of developing stroke than others,” ...Read more »

A recent article reported that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and high-quality meat and fish may help prevent depression and anxiety.  The typical Western diet high in refined an dprocessed foods and lots of saturated fat actually may increase the risk of depression. The study was done at the University of Melbourne in Australia and found that women on the whole food diet were 30% less likely to have major depression, dysthymia and anxiety disorders compared to those on the Western diet which was associated with a 50% increase in risk for depression. Prevention is always the best medicine!