Dr. Kushner blog

Nutritional Nudges for a Healthier You

By Dr. Kushner / January 13, 2024 /

Making small changes to what and how you eat can help improve your health. That’s because small diet changes are easier to follow and sustain. Here are some common eating challenges along with examples of the nutritional nudges I often recommend: 1-I Eat Too Many Sweets Sweets can be addictive because the ultra-processing makes you…

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Overcome Resistance Training Mindset Barriers

By Dr. Kushner / December 16, 2023 /

Resistance training has gotten a lot of buzz lately because so many people on the new anti-obesity medications are being told they need to do resistance training exercises to fight the muscle loss that occurs with weight loss. But even if you aren’t taking the new medications, resistance training is important for everyone – especially…

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Ease into More Plant-Based Eating

By Dr. Kushner / December 7, 2023 /

One constant in my weight management counseling is to nudge patients toward eating more plant-based foods. 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. Plant-based foods can also help lower…

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Heart Health & Obesity Care in the News

By Dr. Kushner / November 14, 2023 /

This is an exciting time for heart health as a recent landmark study called SELECT has shown that taking the anti-obesity medication semaglutide can lower your risk for having a second cardiac event by 20%, while losing an average of over 9% body weight. And a new American Heart Association (AHA) Presidential Advisory highlights the…

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Your SNACKING TOOLBOX to Improve Daily Health Habits

By Dr. Kushner / November 6, 2023 /

Sustainable health habits aren’t typically developed as a complete overhaul of one’s lifestyle. Instead, it’s more realistic and doable if they’re created as one small ‘snack’ step at a time, whether it’s related to healthy eating, getting in more physical activity, or dealing with daily stressors. You can create your own SNACKING TOOLBOX for when…

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With Better Appetite Control on Newer Anti-Obesity Medications, is a Healthy Lifestyle Still Needed?

By Dr. Kushner / October 24, 2023 /

If you’re less hungry and losing weight while taking a newer anti-obesity medication, you may wonder if you still need to modify your eating and exercise habits. During Obesity Week 2023, the conference where thousands of obesity experts from around the world convene to share breakthroughs in the field of obesity, I had the opportunity…

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Changing Hearts & Minds about Obesity

By Dr. Kushner / October 11, 2023 /

I recently attended the Obesity Action Coalition’s (OAC) Your Weight Matters 2023- Engage conference in Orlando. No matter how long I’ve been practicing, I continue to be inspired by those who share personal weight journey stories that include both their struggles and successes. Throughout the weekend, we heard inspiring stories from former professional football players,…

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Weight Journey Reflections can Help you Move Forward

By Dr. Kushner / September 17, 2023 /

Before I help patients develop a personalized weight loss plan, I want to better understand each person’s weight journey – and how they got to where they are today. I have a technique I’ve used where I ask patients to plot their weight at different times of their life. For most patients, they are able…

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Maintain Health Behaviors despite Life Transitions

By Dr. Kushner / September 12, 2023 /

Many life transitions are anticipated – a new home, moving to a new city, starting college or grad school, getting married or starting a family. As your daily routines change, so can your health behaviors. Eating healthfully and exercising may be challenging if you have a longer commute, different work hours, new school deadlines, more…

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Who to Partner with to Manage Weight and Achieve Better Health?

By Dr. Kushner / August 24, 2023 /

With all the exciting new treatments available to help those who struggle with weight, you may be wondering who you should turn to for help? Though your primary care professional (PCP) may not be an expert in weight management, they are likely to be an expert in knowing about you and your medical history. This…

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