lifestyle habits
The American Heart Association has a new checklist for lifelong good health. It’s called Life’s Essential 8, which was recently updated by a panel of experts who reviewed 2500 scientific papers since 2010. Better cardiovascular health helps lower the risk for heart disease, stroke and other major health problems. The 8 factors correlate well with…
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…
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…
Better managing weight is not just about dropping pounds on the scale; it’s also about improving one’s physical and emotional health along the way. I help people who struggle with weight by first getting to know them and listening as they talk about their personal challenges. My approach has been consistent over my long career,…
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…
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 –…
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…
So much in life is outside of our control such as where we are born, who our parents are and our genetic makeup. When taking a family history, I always ask about my patient’s family members and whether or not others in the family have weight problems. If your family members have also struggled with…
Though Spring is in the air as the weather gets nicer, you may find yourself still struggling with staying active. Different people have diverse reasons for not exercising regularly. Maybe competing demands like family or work responsibilities take precedence over your self- care routine. Sometimes feeling tired or having a low mood can sap your…
When I hear physicians state that their patients just need to learn how to ‘eat less and move more’ to lose weight, I think about how much this message oversimplifies and under-delivers in offering real help to people who struggle with weight. This message reveals a misunderstanding about the complexity of overweight and obesity that…
