A WEIGHTy Issue- Quitting Smoking!

Why do people who quit smoking gain weight? Does it always happen, or can it be avoided? Do we really care that weight gain is really less detrimental to our health than smoking?
As a physician, I have found that women in particular choose to keep smoking because they simply do NOT want to gain weight. Period. I will confess that I will occasionally try to appeal to their vanity by discussing the yellow teeth or bad breath that tend to accompany cigarettes, but the reality is that what is important in this situation is helping patients understand why smokers gain weight with quitting, and how it can be avoided. So here are some things to remember:

1. Nicotine is an appetite suppressant, so obviously, when you initially take it away, your appetite is up.
2. Smoking KILLS taste buds, so just about the time the extra appetite from quitting is going away (around a week), suddenly food begins to TASTE better, because now you've actually got healthy taste buds!
3. Happily, ALL FOODS taste better, not only the high fat/high calorie ones.
4. Yes, oral gratification is a habit, so STOCK YOUR FRIDGE with some low calorie, crunchy and delicious snacks like carrot sticks with hummus, or apple slices, or ANY fruit or vegetable. Additionally, suck on sour hard candies the first week or two.
5. Don't forget EXERCISE! Getting and keeping your heart rate up for 30 minutes per day is equal to a low dose of an anti-depressant medicine, so exercise will not only balance extra calories consumed, but will make you HAPPY and less irritable!

BOTTOM LINE: As we approach New Years, move QUITTING SMOKING to the top of your list and know that weight gain is NOT inevitable.

Holiday Weight Gain...Again!

Click! Step away from the Halloween candy. I repeat, step AWAY from the Halloween candy!

Okay, how many times have you walked past the leftover candy and snagged an extra treat today? It is so easy to keep it around just to "finish it off". I'll bet you're even down to the candy you don't even really like, yet you pop one in your mouth because, well, it's there. How do I know? Because I just ate a mini-Snickers, which is my least favorite candy. The Reese's cups were gone last week.

All kidding aside, please take stock of your health TODAY. We are already well into November, which is the heart of "stuff yourself silly" season. Treats and sweets abound, as well as extra adult beverages at every celebration- and those pack on the calories as much, if not more than the edible delicacies! At the office, we are already seeing the extra weight creeping up. The average American gains nearly 10 POUNDS during the holidays. And then what does everyone do? We make a New Year's Resolution to lose weight.

This year, let's be PROACTIVE! Start on that new exercise program right NOW! Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a little further away when you go to work or shop. Fill your party plate with healthy choices and eat them first before you head to the dessert buffet. Every bit you do now will make those New Year's Resolutions much easier.

BOTTOM LINE: Do not wait for New Year's to start thinking about improving your health!

My Valentine to YOU!

Happy Valentine's Day! I have decided to give you, my patients, AND myself a special Valentine- a free "do-over" for any New Year's Resolutions that have perhaps fallen to the wayside. Did you promise to head to the gym after work three days per week, but now a heavy snowstorm blocked your way for a few days, and you simply dropped the whole thing after missing a week? What about walking your dog each morning- same excuse? In Austin, we had SNOW on the ground last week, but today it is literally 73* and SUNNY, so we need to head back outside.

How about eating more plants and less processed stuff? If the main GREEN in your diet is a Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookie, it's time to focus on more color. Even if your choice today is a chocolate covered strawberry vs. chocolate truffles, take that step and grab the luscious strawberries.

Whatever derailed YOUR good intentions, please use this "get out of jail free" card to cut yourself some slack, and START OVER TOMORROW (or better yet, TODAY!) And if your sweetheart asks what you'd like for Valentine's Day, ask for something that will promote your health, like new work out shoes or clothes, a pedometer, a heart rate monitor, or even a gym membership or an exercise bike! If you are still deciding what to get YOUR Valentine, and he or she hates the idea of exercising and you think a gift like that would offend them, at least choose a pampering gift that wont undermine their weight loss efforts, such as a gift certificate for a manicure or massage.

BOTTOM LINE: Enjoy this Valentine's Day and refocus on your HEART healthy habits for 2011!

Do-Over! New Year's Resolutions: Take 2

Welcome to the second Monday in January! Have you "blown" your New Year's resolutions already? If so, you are not alone, and better yet: take a "Do-Over"! Why not let January 10th be another January 1st?

Quite honestly, I'd rather you start over EVERY Monday than simply chunk your resolutions. However, this time, really focus on something SIMPLE and CONCRETE that you can definitely attain. If you have been inactive, for example, don't commit to heading to the gym 5 days per week! Instead, if you have joined a gym, commit to going "on Wednesday mornings, with your buddy, who joined with you." Mind you, I'm not saying to AVOID the gym the other days, but make sure your resolution is something that is possible to keep, so you can feed on your success.

If weight loss is your goal, make sure that you have set realistic goals. It takes a negative 500 calories per day (either eating less or burning off more) to lose ONE POUND PER WEEK. And that is excellent weight loss! I can't tell you how many of my patients feel dejected if they "only" lose 2 or 3 pounds in a month, despite the fact that medically, this is terrific weight loss. Shows like "The Biggest Loser" are motivational, but realize that those participants are more than 100 pounds overweight to begin with, and have chefs and trainers round the clock. If you are only 20 or 30 pounds overweight, plan to lose that in ONE YEAR.

BOTTOM LINE: Keep prioritizing healthy food choices (MORE Fruits and Veggies) and MORE exercise, and 2011 will be a year of success and good health!

MORE Dieting Tips!

As we launch into 2011, many people are motivated to work on weight loss. Yesterday I mentioned a few simple dietary changes that can add up to BIG RESULTS when they become a permanent change. Today, I'd like to focus on my "MORE" concept. I have found that the majority of my patients (and friends and family) have an easier time improving the quality of their diet by focusing on INCREASING the amount of veggies and fruit they consume, rather than focusing on eliminating "bad" food.

Here is my specific recommendation:
Aim to eat 5 to 10 SERVINGS (what you can comfortably hold in your cupped hand) of vegetables and/or fruit per day.

That's it! Really, it's that simple. Don't freak out that there is "no way" to eat that many servings per day. I promise you that even young kids can easily follow this rule. Add in a banana or a handful of berries to your breakfast. Have your morning or afternoon snack include a serving (think an apple, carrots, raisins, etc.)
At lunch or dinner, include a generously portioned salad. If you have two handfuls of lettuce, plus one more handful of either tomato, shredded carrots, avocado slices, peppers, or your favorite vegetable, you've already got 5 SERVINGS! If you layer up the salad or simply add some vegetables to another meal (think yams, green beans, applesauce) then you are up to ten before you know it.

Ultimately, you'll begin to recognize that each meal should contain "color"- at least half the plate filled with vegetables and fruit. You end up filling up on these healthy choices, and eating less of all the extras (such as pasta, rice, bread) that have a much higher calorie count.

BOTTOM LINE: Focus on INCREASING your fruit and vegetable servings for a healthier 2011!

Realistic Resolutions for 2011

Welcome to the first Monday of 2011! Have you set any New Year's resolutions yet? Broken any yet? Let me encourage you to pick one or two HEALTHY resolutions that you can stick to-not just for 2011, but for your entire future.
Weight loss is a priority for the majority of Americans. However, often that means a strict, very low calorie diet (and the emotional misery that arrives as a side dish). Not surprisingly, this method rarely works. What might be a better choice?

How about committing to one of these simple changes:

1. Substitute a GLASS OF WATER for one other beverage (soda, coffee, etc.)
2. ADD one piece of fruit to your breakfast (a banana, or a handful of berries)
3. Eat FISH for at least one meal per week
4. Take a fruit or vegetable SNACK with you to work each day- and EAT IT (instead of vending food fare)

I realize these seem simple, but making these changes a HABIT will lead to a lifetime of benefit! For example, if you drink one can of soda per day, then swapping water for that can will create a caloric deficit that equals 14 POUNDS in one year! Now that is something to toast!

BOTTOM LINE: Set yourself up for success and make at least one CONCRETE HEALTHY CHANGE in 2011!

Show Me Your Teeth!

Cheers! It's November 1st, the fresh start of a brand new month. Do you know what I love about the first of each month? I treat each one like January 1st, and choose new "resolutions" to work on for the next four weeks. Don't worry, I'm not making any resolutions that involve Lady Gaga, but what IS up for today? Well, with Halloween nipping at our heels, I think TOOTH CARE needs to head up our list!


I'll bet you don't know a single dentist that does NOT floss their teeth, right? Why is that? Because nothing replaces flossing for cleaning your teeth and promoting healthy gums as well. We are hearing more and more that oral hygiene has implications for the rest of our body's health, especially cardiac, so we really need to focus more on prevention.

Make sure that you are brushing your teeth with a pea-sized amount of flouride toothpaste, and TAKE YOUR TIME- you should brush for a full two minutes, at least twice per day. Add in flossing once per day, and that extra 30 seconds is very well spent! Limit carbonated and other sugary beverages, and when you drink them, try not to nurse them over several hours (this is a weakness of mine.) Dentists recommend drinking a soda in less than fifteen minutes- treating it like a dessert. Then, go at least rinse your mouth with water if you can't brush those teeth!

So, remember that it takes up to twenty-one days to create a HABIT. On the way there, find some way to record your progress- use an app for habit making, write it on your calendar or stick it in your day planner; whatever it takes! We know recording CHANGES behaviors, so let this work for you! Consider scheduling a dentist appointment for a month from now...that should help motivate you! And YES, dentists CAN tell when you start flossing like crazy just a few days before your appointment, so save your poor gums that trauma and start TODAY!

BOTTOM LINE: Make THIS the month you start flossing your teeth regularly!

PS. Like the first of every month, it's time to CHANGE YOUR AIR FILTERS!

Trick or Treat?

Can you believe that Halloween is right around the corner? We are officially in "treat yourself" season, as we hit the trifecta of food oriented holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah. We tend to celebrate with nonstop EATING, and then what do we do every January? That's right, make New Year's resolutions where LOSING WEIGHT tops the list!
This year, let's THINK AHEAD...
The great news is that the weather is generally BEAUTIFUL in the fall (at least here in Texas!) What better time to head OUTSIDE and go for a walk? If you're here in Austin, make time to head down town and stroll, walk or jog around Lady Bird Lake. Wherever you are, respond to that sweet tail wagging of man's (and woman's) best friend, and grab your dog's leash and start WALKING.
Now, here's the "hard" part- which really is not so hard. Let's SAVE THE HALLOWEEN CANDY for...yes, HALLOWEEN! Start in the grocery store. Do NOT BUY the candy till the DAY BEFORE Halloween. It's way easier not to eat it when it is still sitting on the shelf in the grocery store, rather than sitting on your desk at work or your kitchen counter top. And forget the excuses here: "if I don't buy it now, they wont have my favorite kind", "I wont remember, then we wont have candy to give out", or "but I LOVE those little Reeses cups- how many calories does just one have?"
For a great list, check out Daniela Knight, R.D.'s list on her website, http://www.austinnutritioneducation.com/Halloween-Treats.html, but the ones that matter to ME are Snack Size Butterfinger: 170 kcal, Fun Size Kit Kat- 50 kcal, and ONE plain M&M-4 kcal. Now, if you stop at ONE, it's really no big deal. but if you eat a handful of M&Ms each DAY for the next few weeks, or grab a couple fun size chocolate treats, BOOM-you will gain a pound right there. (Remember one pound is 3600 kcal- do the math.)

BOTTOM LINE: Don't wait for NEW YEARS to make a resolution for better health- start NOW by limiting Halloween CANDY to HALLOWEEN DAY!

Guilt-free "Do-Over"!

Happy Friday! Can you believe that it's already the last Friday in January? Where did the first month of 2010 go? Monday brings with it the start of Valentine's season, so here is my first Valentine to you: a free "do-over"!
If you started the year with wonderful intentions of healthier eating, movement, and lifestyle, but feel you've already fallen off the wagon, don't give up! Cut yourself some slack, and instead of lining up the excuses, do something today to make a positive change. Enjoy a fruit smoothie, walk your dog, jump back on the Wii fit- whatever sounds uplifting to you, and make a fresh start on Monday (or better yet, today!) Every day, truly, provides the opportunity to improve your health. Sometimes we get so sunk into the guilty or failure mindset that we need "permission" to set the reset button, so here it is!
BOTTOM LINE: Give yourself a big hug and celebrate your successful strides for "MORE" in 2010, and/or grant yourself a guilt-free new start today!

A Word About New Year's Resolutions

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Can you believe we've reached the end of 2009 already? Well, it's time for New Year's resolutions, and I have a suggestion. Instead of creating a huge "to do" list this year, choose ONE WORD that represents something you'd like to focus on for 2010. Write it down and stick on your fridge (or computer home page, or wherever you will see it every day.) In our family, each New Year's Eve our daughters create a small poster for each member of our family with our word printed in large letters and decorated with appropriate symbols. We then post those four words on the wall of our stairway for the year, where everyone can be reminded of their resolutions daily as we trek up and down the stairs.
For example, my word for 2009 was HEALTH- big surprise, right? But it meant not simply medical health, but spiritual, mental AND physical health. Some days that word pushed me to exercise when I didn't feel like it, and other days it challenged me to prayer. In previous years, my words have been "patience", "peace", "simplicity", "family", "finish" and... did I mention "patience"? (I have to focus on "patience" every few years, so it bears repeating. My kids think it's funny because I have "patients" at work and need more "patience" at home!)
I have found that having this one word resolution is far more effective more me than the shopping list of resolutions that I used to espouse each year. The word becomes my theme for the year, almost a mantra for me. I love that with one word, it is a positive statement (rather than quit this or that, or lose weight, etc.)
Thanks to the Austin reporter who many years ago challenged our city leaders to try this single word resolution and shared their experiences in a New Year's column. I confess I've long since forgotten the reporter's name, but the tradition lives on.
BOTTOM LINE: Choose a ONE WORD RESOLUTION for 2010- perhaps HEALTH!!