Shari Unger | CardioMender, MD

Understanding Processed Food Addiction

February is National Snack Food Month, but that doesn’t mean that we’re suggesting you run out and celebrate with your favorite chips, crackers and cookies. This is a month for awareness about how these addicting snacks are triggering compulsive thoughts, adding pounds and leading us back to the cupboard over and over. The consumer-targeted snacks that we love, strategically developed by food scientists and engineers, can act powerfully like a drug, and many snack favorites are widely misunderstood due to the packaging and advertising which are often intentionally misleading.

Big Game Party! Kick off Success!

Going to a Football Watch Party has become quite an ‘event’, even for those who don’t follow sports, but it does NOT have to be a weight gain event.

Check out some of Doc’s Big Game Party Tips and learn how to celebrate, lose weight, and be a winner! You can do it!

Keto Diet: Does It Work and Is It Safe?

If you are interested in losing weight, undoubtedly you have heard the chatter about the Keto Diet. ‘Keto’ is short for Ketogenic, the metabolic state where your body ‘burns fat’, which is what everybody who is trying to lose weight wants. The Keto Diet is the latest craze in dieting and because of this, and the reach of social media and the internet, there is an abundance of ‘information’ available to those who seek it. While the Keto Diet is NOT entirely ‘Fake News’ (i.e. you can lose weight on it), like many fad diets, the devil is in the details. Before we jump on yet another ‘diet’ bandwagon, it is in our best interest to become more familiar with the details, specifically the possible health risks as well as its potential to help us lose weight.

Learning More About the Gluten-Free Lifestyle

As we begin 2020, we can choose to be more focused on the quality as well as the quantity of the types of foods we consume. Just decades ago people were often misinformed about many common foods, their ingredients and how they could possibly affect overall health and undiagnosed conditions.

One commonly discussed topic is gluten, which is a collective of proteins found in grains, including wheat, rye and barley. Now, knowing that gluten is in so many foods, and the effects it may have on us, can put each of us at a distinct advantage over those who previously did not have access to this knowledge. Although the effects of gluten vary, it’s important to understand what gluten is, and who truly needs to restrict gluten or maintain a gluten-free diet vs. those who simply can avoid gluten at their own discretion.

Emotions and Hormones During the Holiday Season

Emotions, Hormones, Neurotransmitters and Holidays The holidays can bring out the best and worst of our emotions. From the pure…

How to Balance Foods and Sweets This Holiday Season

The Conundrum

With the holiday season now in full swing, one thing we can count on is an overabundance of food including high glycemic baked goods, candy and other sweets available at our fingertips. On the heels of Thanksgiving, the end-of-year gluttony begins and puts us in the mindset of eating more than usual. The conundrum: While we all love a great treat, we also value how we look and feel, and excellent health. In the spirit of the holidays, how do we balance our desire to celebrate with maintaining a healthy weight?

November Is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

The Benefits of Curcumin, Antioxidants and Hope For A Cure November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, which was designated…

Today Is World Food Day – Let’s Talk About Healthy Foods and Weight Loss

World Food Day:

World Food Day is October 16 which celebrates the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Over the decades, the organization has gained worldwide awareness for providing an education on improving diets with the overall goal of eradicating hunger by 2030 (UN News, 2018). Our team finds this day to be important, as we stress the significance of a healthy diet to live a healthy, fulfilling life. However, there has been paradoxical consequences of these efforts. According to the World Health Organization, “Most of the world’s population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than being underweight.”²

Age with Grace and Health

“Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” – Betty Friedan

September is Healthy Aging Month, an annual health observance designed to focus attention on the positive aspects of growing older. This movement was created by Carolyn Worthington, editor-in-chief of Healthy Aging Magazine and the mindful practice has been in place for twenty years. Healthy Aging Month inspires adults to improve and maintain a good quality of physical, mental, social and financial well being.

Get Back on Track During the 2019 Hurricane Season

The Storm

Hurricane Dorian affected thousands of South Florida residents. Most of us prepared for the intense storm by heavily stocking up on canned, prepackaged, non-perishable food and water, in case the storm eliminated power and the means to leave the area. In South Florida, most homes and families were completely spared from catastrophe, but there is another type of aftermath that does affect individuals’ health habits.

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of a Healthy Liver

As we approach the end of Summer, we head into a post-vacation mindset packed full of kids going back to school, busy work schedules, Fall/Winter holidays and often falling back into unhealthy lifestyles revolving around our old eating and drinking habits.

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Strategies for Successful Weight Loss and Keeping It Off!

Strategies for Successful Weight Loss include consistently balancing the three food groups to change your body’s physiology from the inside out, along with proper portion control. Choosing the right foods is pretty straightforward. The key is to select low glycemic carbohydrates including fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, such as lean meats, and low-fat dairy, limiting saturated and trans fats. What is a normal or “healthy” portion of food? The National Institute of Health defines a portion as “…the amount of food that you choose to eat for a meal or snack.” Therefore, the portion size depends entirely on the consumer. The size is determined by calorie restriction, food groups and hunger level.