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Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom It’s almost time to welcome in the New Year. Whether you plan a quiet evening with family and friends or a night on the town – thoughts of New Year’s resolutions for 2012 are no doubt close to mind. Whether you want to lose weight, stop smoking, or start an exercise plan, when you think about a new change for a new you, I hope you’ll consider the smartest goals for you. This doesn’t mean heroic efforts toward an unattainable goal, the kind you’ll try for a week and then give up. A successful resolution requires some reasonable goal-setting and realistic thinking. Instead of saying you’ll lose 20 pounds in January, make the goal eating more fruits and vegetables, keeping a food log, monitoring your daily calories, and losing 5 pounds during the month. You might lose more, but you’ll have achieved your goal, which is the most motivating tool of all! Trying to stop smoking? Perhaps skip the “cold turkey” approach, aim to cut back on your current habit, and sign up fo

Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Breakfast is a healthy start for everyone’s day, particularly for kids. Studies show it supports school performance and a healthy weight. And a bowl of cold cereal and milk is a quick and easy meal for breakfast or any time of day. A new report by the Environmental Working Group reviews 84 popular brands of children’s cereals and reveals several eye-popping comparisons of the sugar content in popular cookies and snack cakes. Three cereals – Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, Post Golden Crisp, and General Mills Wheaties Fuel – contain 56% sugar by weight, with 20 grams of sugar in a skimpy 1-cup serving. That’s a whopping 5 teaspoons of sugar – roughly the same as one Twinkie snack cake. A single 1-cup bowl of an additional 44 cereals, including the popular General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios, Kellogg’s Apple Jacks, and Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch, is equivalent to eating 3 Chips Ahoy! cookies – about 3 teaspoons of sugar. Many tasty lower-sugar options are available to choose fro

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom By the time you’re reading this, it will be the start of a long holiday weekend for most of us. You may be celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa – or if you’re a Seinfeld fan, perhaps “Festivus” (for the rest-of-us!). While there might be some last-minute details that you just didn’t get to, I hope you’ll agree that “good enough” is the new perfect. It’s now time to relax and enjoy your family and friends. I hope you and your loved ones make some wonderful new holiday memories together. A happy and healthy holiday to all!

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom When you think of a healthy and easy appetizer for a holiday party, do your thoughts go to a fresh vegetable platter, or some dry roasted mixed nuts? While these are reliable go-to items, I’m often asked about other choices. The major complaint? Boring! I’d like to suggest one of my favorites – a dish that’s not only healthy, but a very economical choice. It’s my variation on a deviled egg. Slice a peeled, hard boiled egg in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard the yolk. Add a spoonful of prepared hummus (any variety), and sprinkle with paprika. These delicious little gems weigh in at only around 25 calories each, and are a big hit everywhere! Here’s a fool-proof method for cooking perfect hard boiled eggs, with a firm, creamy white perfect for stuffing! Cover the eggs with room temperature water in a pot, to cover, and bring to a boil. Simmer the eggs for 10 minutes, then dump the hot water, and rinse well in very cold water. Crack the cooked eggs, so the sh

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom You might be surprised to know that an important health-promoting antioxidant called anthocyanin also provides a dark purple/black pigment to a wide variety of foods. Like the foods described earlier this week , many nutrient-dense black-pigmented foods are found in nature. When consumed regularly , these nutritious foods, along with their colorful counterparts, will promote optimal health benefits. Aim for at least five servings for all fruits and vegetables daily (or start by adding just one more than you already eat now!). Here are some of my favorites: Black Beans: These are a fantastic source of flavanol antioxidants. A member of the legume family, black beans are a good source of protein and loaded with fiber. Enjoy them in soup, or mashed as a tasty dip for baked chips or veggies. A “cousin” of the black bean is the black lentil. Black Rice: Found in Asian markets (or online), black rice is a whole grain that’s fiber-rich and loaded with antioxidants,

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom While consuming a variety of colorful foods is a direct connection to healthy eating, nutritious eating can be as easy as “black and white.” This week, I’m going to look at these two interesting contrasts for healthy eating. Contrary to the popular notion that white foods are devoid of nutrients, many are valuable nutrient powerhouses. As with all nutrient-rich foods, you will reap optimal health benefits only when you consume them regularly. Aim for at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily (or start by adding one more than you already eat now!). Here are some of my favorites: White Potatoes: Nature’s perfect carbohydrate – one the size of your fist is about 100 calories, and loaded with vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. It’s the oil, butter, sour cream, and cheese added to the spuds that gives them a bad nutritional rap. Cauliflower: A member of the family of “cruciferous” vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage are others), it is rich

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom We often hear about “defatting” soups and sauces to cut fat and calories. You might be surprised to know how big these calorie savings can be: about 150 calories for a large ladle of gravy! One simple solution is to refrigerate the liquid overnight, allow the fat (which rises to the top) to become solid, and scoop it off in the morning. But most of us don’t have that kind of time. Introducing an amazing kitchen tool to the rescue! While there are a variety of kitchen gadgets to help, most of these have a spout at the base of the unit, where the lean juices are. They’re typically messy, and aren’t too user-friendly. One of the most effective items I’ve seen is called the “ Swingaway .” You simply pour your liquids into the one-quart plastic container, and press a button for a little “trap door” which allows the lean sauce or soup to run through. No mess! It’s a great tool for home use, and makes a healthy holiday gift for your favorite cook. With a modest price

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom San Francisco has been a national leader in healthier eating for kids, starting with fast food restaurants. A new law went into effect this past week: no free toys included for meals not meeting more healthful standards for calories, fat, and sodium, and containing a serving of fruit. While this has led to some nutritional improvements to fast food meals for kids – including the addition of low-fat dairy products, and more fruit – it seems that companies find it a lot easier to maintain the present kids’ menus and simply charge extra for the toys, rather than comply with the new guidelines for inclusion of a free toy.The toy can be purchased for 10 cents, no matter what the quality of the meal. For McDonald’s, a confusing (and some would say misleading) concept is presented. If you buy the toy, your 10 cents is donated to the building of a new Ronald McDonald house, so it “counts” as a charitable contribution. Burger King hasn’t yet decided what to do with th

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom The upcoming holidays add a lot of extra activity to our already busy schedules. To make time for all of these add-ons, many people cut back on sleep to get everything done. You might be surprised to know that the best solution for holiday productivity is to make a good night’s sleep a priority. For most people, this means around 7-8 hours each night. Walking around bleary-eyed from lack of sleep slows you down, and limits your ability to multitask or even carry out your daily tasks efficiently. An occasional night of 5 hours of sleep won’t be a problem, but if this is a regular occurrence (be honest with yourself!), it’s time to revisit your sleep patterns. Lack of sleep is also associated with weight gain. People eat more, in the hope that they’ll feel more energized. Mental focus and awareness of mindful eating also decline with fatigue. Some hormones related to hunger and fullness signals are also out of whack, and stress levels can skyrocket with too littl