Category: Nutrition

The Best Explanation of Metabolism. Ever.

I am often frustrated with all references in the media, popular culture, or personal conversation to metabolism.  Most people refer to metabolism in an amorphous way as if it is a magical force that, if properly manipulated, will determine the course of one’s weight loss journey.  It’s some energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.  Wait, that’s the force as described by Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars.  Regardless most people’s concept of metabolism is just as fantastical and fictional.  Continue reading “The Best Explanation of Metabolism. Ever.” →

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But I Don’t Eat That Much!

serving sizesI was sitting in the nurses station at the hospital yesterday when I overheard the telemetry tech talking with one of the nurses about her weight loss plans. My ears perked up and I eavesdropped on their conversation. Perhaps this wasn’t the polite thing to do but considering this weight loss education hobby of mine I let my curiosity win the day.   Continue reading “But I Don’t Eat That Much!” →

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Fat is Making a Comeback

dietary guidelines committee3There are expected to be changes in the upcoming reset of the government’s dietary guidelines that come out every 5 years.  These are the guidelines that inform the public on the healthiest way to eat.  You may remember the food pyramid or the most recent choosemyplate.gov.  It has a strong influence on the food industry and school lung programs.  It also has a strong influence on our waistlines.   Continue reading “Fat is Making a Comeback” →

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Warm Sweet Potato Salad

warm sweet potato salad 1I love sweet potatoes.  They are nutritionally equivalent to white potatoes but they add a lot more flavor which means you need less quantity to get better quality in terms of flavor.  If you want to add protein and make it a meal, throw in some chicken breast to make it more substantial.  Regardless, this recipe is a good low calorie healthy one with a bit of spice thrown in to help you keep warm in the cold winter months.  I got this one from http://deliciouslyella.com.  Enjoy!

Continue reading “Warm Sweet Potato Salad” →

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What 2,000 calories looks like…

cdc-time-to-scale-back-infographicIt is clear when exploring the research on obesity  that people have no idea how many calories they are consuming (see my prior post on the topic Why you can’t be trusted for more info).  What has happened is that the size and calories of our foods have steadily increased over the past few decades in an imperceptible way.  In addition, the size of our population has also grown.  What this creates is a situation where a new normal is created.  We all judge what is normal by an evaluation of the world around us.  If everyone around you is a healthy weight, then a healthy weight is normal.  If everyone around you is overweight then overweight becomes the new normal.   Continue reading “What 2,000 calories looks like…” →

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This is what happens when you drink 10 cans of Coke every day….

c039ab8a39a2431d5c508e76ef6f5b3eIt think it all started with the attempts by former NYC mayor Bloomberg to restrict the size of sugary drinks sold in the big apple.  Like, many, the idea seemed ridiculous.  I mean, what’s the difference between a large coke and a piece of chocolate cake?  Calories are calories, right?  I was inspired set off on a bit of a research project and came across some interesting literature about the difference between drinking your calories and eating them (you can click here to read more about that).  I also became fascinated about the research on the difference between calories obtained from carbs vs. other nutrition sources.  I can already feel your boredom.  Ugh, there he goes again with all that boring science.  I hear you.   Continue reading “This is what happens when you drink 10 cans of Coke every day….” →

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What’s in your supplements?

snake-oilIt all started back in the early 1990s.  Actually, it probably started long before that.  It probably started the first time someone decided to sell a substance on the claim that it improved health.  Fast forward a few millenia with some advances in chemistry and much better marketing techniques and you get the multibillion dollar nutritional supplement industry. Continue reading “What’s in your supplements?” →

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Not losing weight with exercise?

You can't out exercise a bad dietHopefully, many of you have embarked on my 4×4 fitness challenge as many at my work have (shout out to Erika D.  for being the Carroll Hospital leader so far!).  If you haven’t , it’s not too late – click here.  People have already started to see improvements in their fitness levels.  Many can now pound out pushups and burpees in week 3 which they couldn’t do so well in week 1.  In spite of their hard work there is a recurring issue that people bring up to me all the time with respect to exercise and weight loss.  People often complain that, in spite of exercising regularly, they are unable to lose weight.  The root of this problem lies in the way that exercise affects appetite. Continue reading “Not losing weight with exercise?” →

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The ‘Magic’ of Whole Grains

smoke-mirrors-coverAn interesting fact of life is that when you’re eating a bowl of cereal, the nonsense on the box becomes some of the most interesting reading material you can find.  I’m not sure why this is.  The other day I was engrossed in a colorful maze on the back of my kids cereal box when I noticed a banner touting the fact that this very box contained oodles of whole grains.  Isn’t that fantastic!  This instantly inspired images in my brain of golden wheat blowing in the breeze.   Continue reading “The ‘Magic’ of Whole Grains” →

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