lifestyle habits
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 10 years ago, I took up ballroom dancing with my wife Nancy, who’s also my Patient-Centered Weight Management and Six Factors to Fit co-author. We immediately…
Lifestyle medicine is the nonpharmacological and nonprocedural management of chronic diseases that is practiced across many specialties in healthcare, as discussed in Lifestyle Medicine: Closing Research, Practice and Knowledge Gaps, our just-released book for health care professionals edited by Jeffrey Mechanick and myself. We were fortunate to have industry leaders author cutting-edge information in each…
We live in an obesogenic environment where high calorie foods are plentiful and physical activity has been engineered out of our daily lives. Despite your best intentions, this makes it hard for you to carry out your healthy lifestyle behaviors. In my 40+ year career helping patients manage weight and boost health, PLANNING AHEAD has…
Sitting less and moving more are universal healthy lifestyle goals for everyone – even if you’re already losing weight on one of the newer obesity medications. Prolonged sitting is a top risk factor for developing diabetes, weight gain, obesity, increased blood fats, cardiovascular disease, some forms of cancer, depression, and even premature death. Did you…
Seeking perfection in your diet plan is a set-up for failure. A common misperception my patients struggle with is thinking they have to strive for perfection in order to eat more healthfully. Whether it’s banning all carbs, sugar or fat from one’s diet, extreme food restrictions are hard to maintain for the long run. They…
I learned long ago that generic weight loss advice doesn’t work well for most people. That’s because managing weight is personal, influenced by your likes and dislikes, health goals and personal challenges. This applies whether or not you’re taking one of the newer anti-obesity medications. I wrote my book, Six Factors to Fit: Weight Loss that Works…
One of my yearly medical student classes I teach at Northwestern University is helping our future physicians learn behavior change strategies to improve their own health. Examples of targeted health behaviors may include not exercising regularly, not eating enough fruits and vegetables, eating too many sweets or fast food, not getting enough hours of sleep…
Your daily routine directly impacts your health behaviors. But what happens when you daily routine gets so busy, you have trouble maintaining your healthy lifestyle? As your daily routines change, so can your health behaviors. Eating healthfully and exercising may be challenging with a stressful work or school deadline or new family obligations. Much of…
As new Fall schedules get underway, you may also be looking toward a healthier eating routine. If you want to eat better and get healthier, you’ve come to the right place. Instead of a one-size-fits-all, restrictive diet approach, I recommend making small lifestyle changes. If you’re ready to change your lifestyle for the better, I…
I learned long ago that generic weight loss advice doesn’t work well for most people. That’s because managing weight is personal, influenced by your likes and dislikes, health goals and personal challenges. Different people have different struggles managing weight, depending on who they are and how they live their life. This applies whether or not…
