Dr. Kushner blog

Moving Toward More Plant-Based Eating

We know that to improve health and manage weight better, adding more plant-based foods to your daily diet is a winning strategy. That’s because these good-for-you foods are generally lower in calorie density and higher in vitamins, minerals, disease-fighting phytochemicals and fiber than the foods they end up displacing such as meats and fried foods

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Dance Your Way to Better Health

We’ve known for a long time that the more you enjoy your healthier lifestyle, the better chances you’ll have of making health habits that can last a lifetime. Over seven years ago, my wife Nancy and I took up ballroom dancing and immediately got hooked. It has been life-changing. I love dance because it checks

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A Fresh Start for a Heathier You

As we look forward to welcoming in a new year, improving one’s health, weight and lifestyle are on many of our to-do lists. With a new year come thoughts of a new and better you. But how do you get started? Though each person has his or her own issues to tackle and goals to

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Gifts Ideas for Healthy Living 

It’s that time of year again when holiday gift giving is on all of our minds. For this year’s list of healthy living gift ideas, I decided to share some favorites that have helped my wife and I live more healthfully – and can help you too. To make our list, the item had to either have improved our eating habits or physical and mental health –

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Weight Loss Success Depends on Finding and Keeping Motivation

Whether you have in internal drive to lose weight to improve self-confidence or feel better, or you are encouraged to lose weight by your health care provider to improve your diabetes or hypertension, sustained motivation is a key factor for long-term success. However, it’s not uncommon for motivation to wax and wane at different points

Read More

From Deprivation Dieting to Enjoying a Healthier Lifestyle

Strict diet rules are hard to follow for long periods of time. Examples may include banning all carbs from your diet or never allowing yourself to enjoy treat-type foods ever again. Because losing weight and getting healthier are really important to you, you may challenge yourself to follow these rules in hopes that this time

Read More

Make Your Home a Safe Haven for More Healthful Eating

Whether it’s the foods on your kitchen counters, eye-level in the fridge or in bowls on a cocktail table, we know that tempting food cues in your environment can lead to overeating. Too often, patients tell me they have no willpower and don’t understand why they can’t say no to all the tempting foods around

Read More

Can Minutes of Movement Lead to Better Health?

We all know we sit too much – at our desks, in our cars and on the couch. A new study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, sheds light on how taking short movement breaks every 30 minutes, can improve some metabolic parameters by lowering fasting blood sugar levels. Though the

Read More

New Study Validates Six Factor Quiz as Targeted Weight Management Tool

When I set out to develop an assessment tool for people struggling with excess weight and the clinicians who treat them, I wanted to develop a tool that was quick to complete and easy to use. This tool had to also address how to help people pinpoint which lifestyle habits they need to change to

Read More

Moving Toward More Plant-Based Eating

We know that to improve health and manage weight better, adding more plant-based foods to your daily diet is a winning strategy. That’s because these good-for-you foods are generally lower in calorie density and higher in vitamins, minerals, disease-fighting phytochemicals and fiber than the foods they end up displacing such as meats and fried foods

Read More

Dance Your Way to Better Health

We’ve known for a long time that the more you enjoy your healthier lifestyle, the better chances you’ll have of making health habits that can last a lifetime. Over seven years ago, my wife Nancy and I took up ballroom dancing and immediately got hooked. It has been life-changing. I love dance because it checks

Read More

A Fresh Start for a Heathier You

As we look forward to welcoming in a new year, improving one’s health, weight and lifestyle are on many of our to-do lists. With a new year come thoughts of a new and better you. But how do you get started? Though each person has his or her own issues to tackle and goals to

Read More

Gifts Ideas for Healthy Living 

It’s that time of year again when holiday gift giving is on all of our minds. For this year’s list of healthy living gift ideas, I decided to share some favorites that have helped my wife and I live more healthfully – and can help you too. To make our list, the item had to either have improved our eating habits or physical and mental health –

Read More

Weight Loss Success Depends on Finding and Keeping Motivation

Whether you have in internal drive to lose weight to improve self-confidence or feel better, or you are encouraged to lose weight by your health care provider to improve your diabetes or hypertension, sustained motivation is a key factor for long-term success. However, it’s not uncommon for motivation to wax and wane at different points

Read More

From Deprivation Dieting to Enjoying a Healthier Lifestyle

Strict diet rules are hard to follow for long periods of time. Examples may include banning all carbs from your diet or never allowing yourself to enjoy treat-type foods ever again. Because losing weight and getting healthier are really important to you, you may challenge yourself to follow these rules in hopes that this time

Read More

Make Your Home a Safe Haven for More Healthful Eating

Whether it’s the foods on your kitchen counters, eye-level in the fridge or in bowls on a cocktail table, we know that tempting food cues in your environment can lead to overeating. Too often, patients tell me they have no willpower and don’t understand why they can’t say no to all the tempting foods around

Read More

Can Minutes of Movement Lead to Better Health?

We all know we sit too much – at our desks, in our cars and on the couch. A new study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, sheds light on how taking short movement breaks every 30 minutes, can improve some metabolic parameters by lowering fasting blood sugar levels. Though the

Read More

New Study Validates Six Factor Quiz as Targeted Weight Management Tool

When I set out to develop an assessment tool for people struggling with excess weight and the clinicians who treat them, I wanted to develop a tool that was quick to complete and easy to use. This tool had to also address how to help people pinpoint which lifestyle habits they need to change to

Read More