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Already Struggling With Your New Year's Resolution?
Tweet Share on Facebook January 9, 2013 CommentNearly two weeks have gone by since hundreds of millions of New Year's resolutions, forged by the best of intentions, were set, and I'd be willing to wager that the majority of them have already been either forgotten or forsworn.
Why does our species struggle so much in the marriage of desire and action?
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The New You and Improved Diet
Tweet Share on Facebook January 8, 2013 CommentMy clients are often surprised when I ask them about all the areas of their lives unrelated to food. I ask about sleep, stress, how organized their fridge is, and when was the last time they got a massage among other things.
[See Stressed Out? Try Mindfulness Meditation]
This is because no matter how motivated you are, and no matter how great that grocery list is, if you do not "fix" and control all the non-food areas of your life, you won't be successful with dieting, your jeans won't fit better, and you will not be or feel any healthier. That sounds rough, huh? It doesn't have to be!
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Boosting the Iron in Your Toddler's Diet
Tweet Share on Facebook January 8, 2013 CommentAs the mother of a meat-rejecting, fruitarian-aspiring toddler, I'll confess that I worry my son isn't getting enough iron. Each time he asks to chew on ice, the neurotic Jewish mother in me takes over, and I convince myself he has pica—an unusual expression of iron deficiency that results in people craving non-food items like dirt, clay, and ice. In these moments of panic, I promptly offer him a cup of dry Cheerios and talk myself down from the cliff.
Iron deficiency is the leading nutrient deficiency globally, and national population data suggests that even in the well-nourished U.S. of A, it affects an average of 9 percent of toddlers between the ages of 1 and 3. (Actual prevalence varies from 6.5 percent to 15 percent, depending on ethnicity.)
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Practical Tips for Successful Behavior Change
Tweet Share on Facebook January 7, 2013 CommentWe're one week into 2013, and if you made a new year's resolution, you're probably still on course. But if long-term change is what you're after, make sure you're setting realistic goals to see lasting results.
I find that people tend to set lofty, over-the-top goals that are completely unrealistic to begin with—and then beat themselves up when they fall short. What's the point of setting a goal that you'll give up on before you start, or will quit just after just a few days of trying?
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Diet Resolutions Worth Making
Tweet Share on Facebook January 4, 2013 CommentResolutions are irresistible at this time of year—stemming from our wish to regain control of the excess and chaos that define December, and to bring calm and structure back into our lives. It's no wonder the most common resolutions revolve around our weight. A quick review of Google Analytics shows a large spike in diet- and weight loss-related searches as soon as January hits. The problem is that most diet resolutions fall by the wayside before we even decorate for Valentine's Day.
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Losers, Finders, Keepers: New Year, Same Old Game?
Tweet Share on Facebook January 4, 2013 CommentIt's 2013, and you know what that means! The 2012 Best Diets results are yesterday's—well, last year's actually—news. It's time for an update.
I defer that update to my U.S. News & World Report colleagues, who will provide it soon, and with appropriate fanfare I'm sure. I know that game is afoot, because I was privileged once again to participate in the judging, along with a very illustrious panel of colleagues.
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How to Lose 50 Pounds Without Really Trying
Tweet Share on Facebook January 3, 2013 CommentWhen it comes to losing weight, sometimes it isn't what you are eating but how much you're eating or how often. By simply downsizing your portion or reducing the amount of times you eat something per day, week, or month, you can lose weight without feeling totally deprived. To further drop the pounds, you could also make some simple swaps that will leave you satisfied and, trust me, not miserable.
The ten tips below add up to a considerable amount of weight loss per year—50 pounds, to be exact. How many you follow may depend on how much weight you need to lose. However, if you aren't consuming any of these foods on a regular basis, the change might not be significant at all.
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Ditch Resolutions, and Find Real Solutions
Tweet Share on Facebook January 3, 2013 CommentSo here we are … it's almost the end of the first week in January. This time of year, my office generally fills with people complaining about how they "overdid it" during the holidays and about how awful they feel, both physically and emotionally. This syndrome can be avoided though, with the right frame of mind and without being doomed to deprivation.
There's no doubt that the holiday season could be challenging for anyone wanting to maintain weight, let alone drop a few pounds. But that doesn't mean that healthy habits have to hibernate for the winter. This is a perfect time of year to set tangible goals that are easy to attain as opposed to reaching for something unrealistic. A new year pairs perfectly with new beginnings and a new attitude, so here are a few tips to help you get, and stay, on track:
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A Common-Sense Approach to Cleaner Eating
Tweet Share on Facebook January 2, 2013 CommentWhen I talk to clients considering juice cleanses, I commonly hear that they're seeking weight loss, better health, and improved energy levels. I believe these goals are best achieved through a consistent approach to "cleaner eating" rather than scattered episodes of abstinence in an otherwise junky diet.
To me, a "clean diet" is rich in nutrients to support optimal function of the body's numerous detox organs, while minimizing exposure to harmful environmental and foodborne toxins. Specifically, it would reduce exposure to: pesticides, mercury (and other heavy metals that can be neurotoxic at high levels), antibiotics, endocrine-disrupting chemicals like Bisphenol-A (BPA), and chemical food additives—including artificial colors and preservatives. It also means reducing exposure to compounds in food that can be carcinogenic (cancer-causing), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in seafood and nitrites in processed meat.
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Happy Hangover-Free New Year!
Tweet Share on Facebook December 27, 2012 CommentWhen you hear the term, "drink responsibly," you'll probably think about the connection between drinking and driving. Around this time of year, that association could represent the difference between life and death.
[See 9 Holiday Health Hazards to Avoid]
Too much alcohol could also result in a date with the porcelain bowl if you're not careful or bring a throbbing headache the day after drinking. Whatever comes to your mind when you envision a hangover, it's not a pretty picture.
