health habits
Can improved health really be that simple? It’s all about making small changes in your daily activities and deciding what healthier steps you are motivated to start taking today. Helping patients live healthier lives has been a passion of mine throughout my 40+ years of weight management practice. That’s why I take a detailed history…
As you move through your weight loss journey, you will encounter two kinds of habits – healthy habits you want to create (such as eating more fruits and vegetables) and less healthful habits you want to stop (such as drinking sugar-sweetened beverages). You will find that it’s more challenging to stop an unhealthy habit than…
With all the exciting new drugs being developed to help people better manage weight, you may wonder if the time you’re spending on improving health habits are still worth your time and effort. Choosing healthier foods, becoming more active, getting more hours of restful sleep and better managing stress do take lots of time and…
In counseling my patients to improve their health and better manage weight, I always ask about each person’s physical activity habits. More specifically, I ask, “On a typical day, what’s the most physically active thing you do?” I encourage my patients to think about developing a ‘movement portfolio’ of varying activities that get their bodies…
As a physician specializing in weight management, I always take a sleep history from my new patients. The quality and amount of daily sleep have emerged as major factors in health and weight management. In fact, a new research study found that increasing the number of hours slept could help decrease food intake and weight.…
If you’re someone who hates to exercise, know it will improve your health but can’t seem to get yourself to do it, read on. For the past 40 + years I’ve been counseling patients on the detrimental effects of being inactive. What is now known is that too much sitting, also called sedentariness, is an…
In my practice, stress and coping are topics I regularly address. I try and help patients see the connection between their life stressors, coping skills and overall health. The goal is to help patients cope more healthfully and keep the positive focus they need to maintain their healthy lifestyle habits. If life stressors impair your…
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…
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 –…
If you’re struggling to manage weight, using digital tools can help you. So many of our daily behaviors and health habits have a big effect on one’s weight, including what and how much you eat, how you move or don’t move your body along with your stress level and mood. Whether you track your diet,…