Shari Unger | CardioMender, MD

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.

Getting Back to Our Routines and Achieving Balance!

Summer vacations are drawing to a close and some of us will be readjusting from a more relaxed mode to a more hectic life, while others are looking forward to the routine lifestyle the school year brings. It’s easy to go off plan and gain weight when our routines change, either way. If weight gain was truly unintended, then it’s time to take an honest look at ourselves.