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By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom While “strong bones” most often comes to mind when we think of vitamin D, recent studies demonstrate loads of additional health-promoting benefits, including contributions to the prevention of osteoporosis, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer, and some immune-system diseases. How do you know if you’re meeting your daily needs? Guidelines have recently been updated for both children and adults. While vitamin D needs vary with age and other factors, the only way you can know your vitamin D “number” is with a blood test – and a score of 30 or higher is the new goal. Vitamin D is not naturally found in foods, except for fatty fish (like salmon and tuna), and is added to all dairy products. Nature’s way for us to obtain vitamin D is from exposure to daily sun light, where our skin can help us meet our daily needs for this vitamin. Just 10-15 minutes a day (without sunscreen) is sufficient. To meet your needs, you might need a simple d...

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom  Food is part of life. For better or worse, so is television. So it’s natural that shows and channels focused on food are wildly successful across the country. And the content is all over the culinary map. One topic I’d like to tackle is the show with the unlikely title of “Man vs. Food.” For those of you unfamiliar with this show, it pits a mere human against giant portions of foods (from restaurants around the country) to see if man can meet the demands of speed and quantity eating. The prize is usually a photo on the “wall of victory.” The goal: to out-eat other “challengers” before him. To add to the festivities, restaurant regulars are cheering in the background. This show, by the way, is wildly entertaining. If you didn’t consider all of the awful hidden health messages associated with consuming huge amounts of high-calorie foods within a short period, this would be harmless entertainment. This idea of “competitive eating” is becoming contagious...

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom I’m often asked about the “best” healthy foods to look for at the supermarket. One of my favorite universal tips is what to limit: processed foods – almost always found in cans, packages, and boxes. Processed foods are modified for convenience, as well as to guarantee a long shelf life, taste, and safety. Most processed foods are loaded with hidden salt, sugar, and fat. And regular consumption of these foods has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. I like to keep things simple! Here are three simple steps to follow while you’re in the grocery store. These will really help you to make healthier choices for yourself and your family: ·       Shop the perimeter of the store, where most fresh foods are found. The center aisles are loaded with items in cans, boxes, and packages, so don’t spend much time there! ·       Looking for processed food re...

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Do you struggle with food cravings?  This is a giant barrier to weight loss success. It sets up a negative cycle of initially “battling” the craving, giving in, overindulging, feeling like a failure, and giving up. Sound familiar?  I’d like you to try my easy “5 Ds” to help manage your food cravings. They really work!  DELAY – DISTRACT – DISTANCE – DETERMINE – DECIDE. Delay: Postpone eating for 10-15 minutes when you feel an urge. You’re not saying “no” – just stopping to think before you eat. You’re not ignoring the thought but dealing with it. While you’re delaying your decision, the next D makes it easier… Distract: Try a non-food activity to give you something to do (so you don’t watch the clock for 10 minutes!). Often the wave of desire to eat disappears in a few minutes when you keep your hands busy without food. Clean out a drawer, call a friend, brush your teeth, surf the web, or even learn to knit! Distance: It’s important to ...

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom If losing weight is your New Year's resolution, read on! This month, I'm going to share some of my favorite strategies to help you build your own weight loss tool box. I call it a BEAM box – and it's based on the four pillars of weight loss: Behavior, Eating, Activity, and Medical care. And no tool is too small to be included. It all starts with what you're both WILLING and ABLE to do. These are not the same thing, and when you think about the "able" part, you can set more realistic and practical goals. One important question I hear all the time belongs with the eating tools: What about meal replacements? Good or bad? Meal replacements can be a great help, since they make automatic portion control much easier. There's no guesswork in tallying your daily calories (studies continue to show that we all underestimate how many calories we eat). Meal replacements can be a great way to jump-start a reduced-calorie eating plan. This can ...

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 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 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...

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us, a predictable food phenomenon occurs in offices everywhere: the sudden appearance of holiday candy jars, filled to the brim with all kinds of treats! Even on desks of the most healthful eaters, that welcoming candy jar works on the premise that throughout the holiday season "food is love." It's one of the most frequent questions I get about the challenges of managing holiday eating. Who doesn't like a sweet treat now and then? My mantra is “no bad foods, just bad portions.” But the problem is that a few candies a day, from various jars, can add up fast. Just 100 extra calories (about 4-5 pieces) from a day's worth of "Have a candy, just one won't hurt" can pack on one extra pound in just a month! When it comes to the candy jar, focus on being a mindful eater – think before you eat a piece – and you’ll have great practice for all of the holiday temptations to come. Remember to keep trac...

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom With Thanksgiving just two days away, I’d like to talk about all of the positive associations of food and family that we don’t often hear about. Food has now become “the enemy” – it’s loaded with calories fat, sugar, and salt – and in such large portions! When it comes to the holidays, it’s important to be a mindful eater, but also allow yourself to be a “smart splurger” with some of your family’s favorite indulgences. Many families have traditional favorites for Thanksgiving, and this can be wonderfully comforting, bringing back years of happy memories. It’s such a warm feeling to know that generations of your family have enjoyed these same dishes; it’s a nice way to include food as part of your family traditions. For some people, the beloved dishes are modified for healthier eating, and the essence remains the same. But many people resist changing, or updating, holiday recipes. The positive food memories are so strong that it’s a treat to eat, not just for th...

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in the body? While most people try to pay attention to healthy lifestyle habits supporting other organs like the heart, very little thought goes usually goes towards care of the skin. So, how should you take care of your skin? I’d like to review some of the basics, to help support your own daily routine. If you have skin problems or other chronic diseases, always talk to your family doctor or dermatologist for personalized information. It’s important to keep your skin – especially your face and hands – clean. But you don’t need expensive cleansers or fancy soaps to do so. Stick with economical fragrance-free soaps and cleansers from the supermarket or drug store. While department store cleansers might feel great on your skin, there’s no evidence that they’re doing a better job of cleansing. If you enjoy the purchase, have fun, but it’s not a must-have. Think about hydration for your skin – meaning an all purpose ...

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Why do we always hear so much about “cutting liquid calories” for a healthier diet? It’s because most of these sources contain loads of calories without any nutritional benefit. Liquid calories are a hidden source of sugars (and calories) that shock most people when they see the numbers. Did you know that a 20-ounce soda has about 16 teaspoons of sugar? A daily soda adds up to 50 pounds of sugar consumed in a year! That’s not good news for your waistline or your teeth. You might be surprised to know that juices – even 100% fruit juice – contain about the same amount of sugar as soda. You always want to eat your fruit, not drink it. When it comes to choosing liquids, stick with water, seltzer, unsweetened tea or coffee, and low/nonfat milk most of the time. Think of juices and sodas as a special occasion treat if you enjoy them, but work on eliminating these drinks from your daily intake. What about alcohol? Alcohol contains nearly the same number of calories ...