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Set an Example When You Set the Table
Tweet Share on Facebook February 14, 2013 CommentWhether it's for a birthday, a holiday, or just for no reason at all, we shower our kids with gifts throughout their lives. As our children grow, their closets and dressers see many articles of clothing come and go, but how many of those items will remain indelibly etched in their minds? When making memories, it's not usually the material items that get remembered and re-emerge on a daily basis; it's the life lessons that really penetrate.
The other day, my middle son was about to embark on his first business trip. Right before he left for the airport, he asked, "Could you teach me how to iron?" That question hit me like a ton of bricks. All I could think about was: "My father was a tailor ... how could I have never taught my kids how to iron—or sew, for that matter?" I proceeded to pull out the ironing board that was neatly nestled in the closet and quickly enrolled him in Ironing 101. And it was after his plane took off that I thought about one of the most important lessons I have taught my children: I showed them how to have a wonderful and healthy relationship with food.
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How to Serve Dinner for Breakfast
Tweet Share on Facebook February 14, 2013 CommentI love breakfast. It calms my early-morning hunger and includes foods I adore, like oatmeal and eggs. But not everyone feels this way about breakfast foods. Over the years, many of my patients have complained that they simply don't like cereal, hate yogurt and cottage cheese, and have no love for eggs. My response to them has always been the same: OK, but that shouldn't stop you from eating breakfast!
Breakfast is defined as the day's first meal. In other words, you simply need to start the day with food, which certainly doesn't need to be typical breakfast foods if you don't like them. The key is to find foods that provide the important nutrients we should begin our days with—especially fiber and protein. You can find these nutrients in many foods, including those served at dinner.
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There's No Cure for Obesity
Tweet Share on Facebook February 13, 2013 CommentDespite what you may see in breathless advertisements, or read from the latest diet book guru, or hear from celebrity diet spokespeople, there simply is no cure for obesity. Although you probably already know that in your bones (after all, if there were a cure, the world would certainly not be struggling with weight), I'm guessing that you may still approach weight-management efforts as if a cure was possible.
In my experience working with thousands of people, the majority seem to believe that there are two phases to weight management—the weight-loss phase and the weight-maintenance phase—and that the losing phase will require far more restriction than the maintaining phase.
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How Health-Related Disclaimers are Fooling You
Tweet Share on Facebook February 12, 2013 CommentIf Skechers had included a disclosure in its advertising for Shape-ups and Resistance Runner shoes, it might have avoided a class action lawsuit last year—not to mention a $40 million settlement to provide customer refunds. Skechers was accused of making fitness claims that were poorly supported by the scientific research it cited. But current marketing research suggests that consumers might have been just as likely to buy the shoes even if the weight loss and glute-toning promises came with a disclaimer. In fact, we may have been even more likely to buy.
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Make Room for Chocolate
Tweet Share on Facebook February 12, 2013 CommentWe often take a black and white view toward the foods we eat, classifying them as either virtuous or vices. Kale? Virtuous. Deep-fried Oreos? Vice. You get the picture.
But consensus breaks down somewhere on the cusp of virtue and vice. That is, there are indulgent foods with some healthy attributes that we can argue either way. Fans justify eating these foods by focusing on the evidence supporting a health benefit, whereas detractors point to the possible ill effects of this same food to argue against it.
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Cook Up Some Family Fun on Valentine's Day
Tweet Share on Facebook February 11, 2013 CommentOnce upon a time, Valentine's Day wasn't solely for significant others. Think back to your early school days—come on, it wasn't that long ago—when we were told to make every classmate a valentine. Perhaps our teachers were onto something, because although Valentine's Day is often associated with romance and gifts of heart shaped chocolates, roses, and jewelry, it's more or less just a day to celebrate love. That can mean love for a special someone in your life, as well as love for a friend, or even your dog! Yes, all those gifts are great, but the Valentines from my kids are what really melt my heart.
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Mind Your Body
Tweet Share on Facebook February 8, 2013 CommentMind your body! That sounds like it could be a line in a Beyoncé song. In fact, for all I know, it is a line in a Beyoncé song, and maybe she sang it during the Super Bowl 2013 halftime show.
Having the standard male issue priorities, I confess to being distracted by the black leather corset; I might have missed some of the lyrics. But I digress. So, before I get myself into trouble, let's assume Beyoncé said it, or should have, and move on.
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Al Roker's Gastric Bypass and Weight Loss
Tweet Share on Facebook February 7, 2013 Comment"Dense morning fog, followed by gusty winds with temperatures soaring to a potentially record-breaking 60 degrees by this January afternoon, followed by drenching rain and a flash flood watch by this evening with temps dropping to the 30s." That's what the morning news reported, and wow—what a perfect day to meet with a weatherman!
For 27 years, viewers have been relying on Al Roker, Today show co-host and weather reporter, to tell them whether to carry an umbrella or leave their jackets at home. What Roker's audiences may not have realized, though, was that his eating habits were as turbulent as his forecasts—laden with erratic weight patterns and unpredictable clothing sizes.
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Snacks to Serve During the Grammys
Tweet Share on Facebook February 7, 2013 CommentWhile Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna and Sting are belting it out on stage at the Grammy Awards, you'll probably be at home, sitting on the couch with your girlfriends and predicting who will win the award for best album. One item that will definitely be involved: food. But let's be honest, you don't really want to gorge yourself while watching your favorite fit celebrities strut their stuff on the red carpet. It's a surefire way to feel not so good about yourself.
Watch the Grammys in style while keeping it skinny. Here are some of my quick fixes that will leave your taste buds begging for more.
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Why a Sleep Apnea Diagnosis May Save Your Life
Tweet Share on Facebook February 6, 2013 CommentIt's one of the most underdiagnosed conditions around, and I'd argue that, in a sense, the diagnosis of sleep apnea is more a blessing than a curse.
For those who aren't familiar with sleep apnea, its most common form, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), causes sufferers to stop breathing periodically throughout the night, or breathe so shallowly that the oxygenation level of their blood plummets, leaving their bodies in an almost nightlong state of metabolic panic.
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Eat + Run
Eating healthfully and staying in shape can be tough to balance. Eat + Run is here to help, with expert advice served up daily.
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