Just like you, I hate diets. Although they may help you lose a few pounds quickly, they don't work in the long run. If you have tried to lose weight in the past, you know how hard it is, not just to lose it initially, but to keep it off. Research shows that only about 20% of people who diet are able to successfully keep the weight off for more than a year. If you look further out, that statistic gets even worse. Successful weight loss requires a lifestyle change.
Wow that was scary, but survived and now it's time to make sure that never happens again. According to the CDC 735,000 Americans have a heart attack and 610,000 Americans die from heart disease each year, making it the #1 killer of Americans. An unhealthy diet, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes & pre-diabetes, Smoking & Physical inactivity are the top risk factors. Maybe your doctors, family or friends had told you that you need to get in shape, but you didn't take seriously. Nothing like a good scare to adjust your priorities. So now that you are committed to making a change, what should you do?
It's a new year, and everything seems possible again, even finally losing that extra weight. Congratulations on committing to improve your health. I'd like to give you some tools that will help you succeed with your goals.
Do you continue eating when you already feel full or find yourself eating even though you don’t feel hungry? For many people, weight gain happens when our hunger and sense of satiety (how full you feel) become disconnected from what we are eating. Mindful Eating is a strategy that aims to change people's eating behavior rather than the foods they eat. The focus is to be mindful of what you are eating. This will allow you to more fully enjoy the food you do eat, while eating less.
Recently the New York Times, as well as many other news organizations, reported on a new study comparing the effects of a low carbohydrate diet to a low fat diet. The study concluded that a low carbohydrate diet is better for weight loss and heart health than a low fat diet. On the surface, the study is very impressive and the general media was quick to praise it, but some subtle problems with the study's design create a critical flaw.
Vitamins
When I tell friends I am pursuing a masters degree in nutrition I often get asked about multivitamins. In this blog entry, I will explore what vitamins are, their history, and give you tools to make an informed decision.
What are they?
Nutrients are parts of food that are needed for one of many functions in the body. Nutrients can be broken down into two major categories, macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats, protein, and water. Micronutrients include all vitamins and minerals as well as a newly discovered class of nutrients called phytonutrients or phytochemicals.
