Dr. Ann's News

January 2009

Follow these tips and start your New Year off right!

Ring in the New Year with a renewed commitment to take charge of your health!  Here are some simple, yet powerful “healthy resolutions” to place you on the path to optimal wellness.

Give yourself an “oil change.”  Make olive oil your oil of choice for room temperature, low heat and cold food preparations.  This “make-me-healthier” monounsaturated fat has been shown to protect the cardiovascular system in several ways, including lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol, boosting good (HDL) cholesterol, and decreasing the clotting-tendency of the blood.

Go 100% whole grain.  Always choose 100% whole grain bread and cereal products over their refined counterparts, like white bread and white rice. Refined carbs  can predispose to weight gain and may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. In contrast, true whole grains offer a spectacular package of health-boosting nutrients and have been shown to improve metabolism, promote heart health, decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes, and provide  protection against many forms of cancer.  Look for “100% whole grain” or ‘100% whole wheat” on the package or label.

Dump your liquid calories!  Sugar fortified beverages, like sodas, fruit drinks, and sports drinks, offer zero nutritional value, increase your risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes and cost you money.  Make cheap and 100% healthy water your beverage of choice.

Eat more beans! This economical superstar food comes in over 24 varieties.  Beans are versatile,  satisfying, packed with health- boosting nutrients and have been shown to lower your cholesterol, protect your heart, decrease your risk of some cancers, stabilize your blood glucose and insulin levels and aid in weight loss. And they are delicious too! Strive for a serving daily.

Get your beauty rest.  Inadequate sleep zaps both your energy and your brain power and recent science shows that sleep loss can also increase your risk of weight gain, diabetes and high blood pressure.  Aim for at least 7 hours a night.

Control your portions! Given our super-sized American food culture, portion control is paramount to weight control.  A fantastic visual guide for practicing control is your own two hands cupped together.  With the exception of fruits and veggies, limit what you eat at meals to what fits into your two hands cupped together.

Never skip a meal – especially breakfast.  Skipping meals slows metabolic rate (calorie burning), compromises your energy, and sets you up for excessive hunger, which leads to binging and dieting indiscretions.

Get real.  Strive to choose the whole, fresh foods nature has provided over their factory-made, processed counterparts.  The extraordinary triumph of optimal nutrition can only be had from eating real foods.

Include a small handful of nuts (about 1 oz) in your diet daily.  These delectable morsels score a perfect ten when it comes to health promoting performance.  They supply healthy fats, many minerals, vitamin E, fiber, B-vitamins and cholesterol lowering plant sterols.  Preliminary studies suggest they may facilitate weight loss and rock-solid studies reveal that indulging in a small handful of nuts daily can reduce your risk of heart disease by a whopping 30-50%!

Make sure you move.  Studies now confirm that we must accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (brisk walking) most days of the week to maintain health.  Choose physical activities that you enjoy and know you can commit to long term.  Walking is fantastic.

This year enjoy health!