In my previous post I reviewed the idea of nutrient density: a food’s nutrient bang for its calorie buck. If we classify foods based on their caloric and nutrient content, we arrive at four options: Low Calorie, High Nutrient Foods: Most fruits and vegetables High Calorie, High Nutrient foods: High starch vegetables (potato, sweet potato, corn, etc.), whole grains, avocado, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, minimally processed oils, low-fat dairy, lean meat, fish Low Calorie, Low

It is entirely possible to eat all day and lose weight. The key is what you choose to eat. When you eat, your body’s goal is to get all of the necessary nutrients (carbs, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals and water) into your system regardless of the number of calories you consume. Of course you must consume a minimum number of calories to keep your body functioning properly, but the calories themselves are just one variable. The other important factor is the nutrients each fo

There will be cake.  Pie.  Butter-loaded mashed potatoes.  Juicy ham (or Tofurky).  Cheese and crackers.  Wine.  And then all of the free holiday food at work.  Holiday parties.  Times when you feel, “oh what the hell, it’s the holidays!”  Holiday eating cravings will be there, but you have a choice.  Will you be like the average American who gains a pound during the holiday season (and never loses it)?  Or will you be different? A colleague recently asked me if it’s ok to in

Overcoming Chronic Dieting: How About Half a Burger and a Big Salad? I frequently work with clients who have “tried every diet” and feel stuck, frustrated, and sometimes even defeated by their excess weight or declining health.  They keep trying the latest fad diets – eating like a caveman, avoiding all gluten, drinking endless juices – gain a little traction and then lose it, sometimes slipping back further than when they started.  Lose 20 pounds, regain 30.  Wash, rinse, re

Guest post by Dwayne Brown, CSCS The date is January 1st. Today is the day when most people are trying to put into action the resolutions that they hastily made on New Year’s Eve. Gyms across the nation will be bursting at the seams with new members and I’m pretty sure Weight Watchers’ business is always at its best right after the New Year. For the next couple of weeks people will make a valiant effort to keep those resolutions. Then after the New Year buzz wears off (pun in

I originally wrote this post for the Hospital for Special Surgery blog, which you can find here. From the HSS On the Move Blog, “In the Mind of a Nutritionist” (me!) – “I eat chocolate. And I eat salads. I don’t count calories, but I pay attention to my portions (i.e. I know when I’ve eaten too much). I try to eat slower, a constant battle considering my genetics. I drink diet soda a couple times a week, but I drink a lot of water every day. I drink a glass of wine or beer on

Many thanks to my friends and colleagues Kuber Bhalla and Kristine Schweitzer for heavily contributing to the creation of this article! Indian meals are world-famous for flavor and richness. They leave you feeling comfortably stuffed, yet still craving one bite more. But behind all that delicious comfort are some less-than-healthy ingredients that can add up to weight gain and heart trouble in the long run. So let’s take a second look at a few traditional favorites. I asked m

This is the third and final part of the Seven Questions series designed to help you chart a course to your own path to sustainable fitness.  There’s 10,000 ways to lose weight and get fit, but only one matters: the one that works for you. In Part 1, you determined why you want to improve your health or fitness. In Part 2, you determined which habit(s) to change as a step in the right direction.  You’ve even detailed the steps needed to take action on changing your habit. The

The first two questions, which can be found in Part 1, focused on the “why” – whether you’re ready to change your habits, and if so, what your motivations for change are.  There’s a saying: With a strong enough “why,” the “what” and “how” make themselves clear.  These next three questions will focus on exactly that: the what and how to achieve sustainable fitness. Questions 3 & 4: The Past Leaves Clues Question #3: Which of your habits do you think have contributed to your cu

I’m excited to share The Seven Questions.  I will ask these questions to uncover clients’ true motivations for change and create a realistic action plan to achieve sustainable health and fitness – and I hope they can do the same for you! Here are the first two questions to get you started on the path to permanent health and fitness results. Don’t water down your thoughts – be as honest as possible.  Try to keep your answers to these, and all of the other questions, on the sam

The New Year is rapidly approaching. Reflections on the year passed, looking forward to new beginnings and a big shiny ball falling from the sky. While discussions about New Years’ Resolutions are overplayed, the underlying drive that creates them, year after year, remains of great interest to me. Everyone knows that a resolution made on New Years’ technically has no greater chance of sticking than one made on May 27th, but for some reason our minds like neat definitions when

About a month ago my mom emailed me asking about whether fat in the diet, particularly saturated fat, is healthy.  Her interest was piqued due to her recent visits to an Ayurvedic physician and an article by Adam Bornstein for Shape.com.  Below is my conversation with her about the question “Is saturated fat healthy?” – I’m interested to hear everyone’s thoughts: From My Mom – Quoting Bornstein’s article: 7. Eat saturated fat. Books like The China Study and movies like Forks

You want to work hard enough to get results.  But not so hard that you get injured and laid up for six weeks – and there goes those results.  How hard you should train depends on three factors: The goal – Are you trying to lose weight or win a powerlifting competition? Your current level of activity – Consider the feasibility and safety of training 5 days a week if you’re currently doing next to nothing. How you feel that day – Probably not worth going for personal bests on d

The first part of Key Post-Pregnancy Fitness Tips discussed getting the right muscles firing again and returning to exercise gradually and safely.  Part 2 goes a step further by discussing how to re-balance your body physically and nutritionally in the weeks and months following giving birth with the goal of promoting long-term post-pregnancy fitness. Get to know your body…again Photo Courtesy of: http://zachdechant.wordpress.com/ Your body may have locked down into new, less

In Death of the Diet, I stress the importance of determining your Why – the true motivating force driving you to improve your eating and physical activity habits.  While many people “would like” six pack abs, not everyone realizes the amount of effort required to not only attain, but sustain such a low percentage of body fat (likely in the mid-to-high single digits for men, and the low double digits for women).  However, I understand some people still want to give it their al

High intensity interval training, often abbreviated as HIT or HIIT, has become quite the rage in a world where time is precious and the last thing most people want to do these days is “slave away” on a treadmill or elliptical for an hour.  I wrote a blog post about three tips to maximize your interval sessions here.  While the easiest and most common way to perform an interval is through traditional cardiovascular exercises (jog/run, elliptical, stair climber, rowing, etc.),