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What You Should Know About 'Vitamin' Drinks

Author: Oksana Aron, MD Source: Weight Loss NYC Mar 15, 2012

Vitamins + Sugar = ?

Adding vitamins to popular sugary drinks, from Vitamin Water to Coca-Cola is all the rage right now.

These drinks may even have a healthy-sounding name, but don't be fooled by the slick packaging. These drinks still aren't good for you or your weight. If you look closely at the nutrition facts, you'll quickly realize what you'll be getting: lots of sugar and calories that can cause weight gain.

Vitamin Water, for example, contains 13 grams of sugar per serving, 32.5 grams per bottle; and more than 100 calories per bottle, which actually contains 2.5 servings.

Additionally, the added "vitamins" offer no real benefit to you:

Because the sugar found in Vitaminwater or Coke is made from a refining (or purifying) process, it contains no nutrients or vitamins beneficial to our health. It instead acts only as a source of energy -- once anything with sugar is ingested, the sugar skips digestion by passing through the stomach wall and raising blood sugar levels. Since your body is programmed to keep its blood sugar at a certain level, the pancreas secretes insulin to balance everything out.

If you aren't exercising these calories off, you will gain weight from drinks with added sugars and calories.

The best choice for quenching your thirst still remains: pure, unadulterated water. Your body needs it to function, it can also facilitate weight loss and it contains no harmful additives. Getting the right nutrients in your body means eating a healthy diet full of delicious natural foods. A multivitamin should only be a supplement to your already healthy diet.

Lose weight the safe and sane way, and call us at 718-491-5525 for your first appointment at WeightLossNYC.

Source: HowStuffWorks.com

Labels: 718-491-5525, blood sugar, bronx, brooklyn, calories, drinks, exercise, new york, nutrition facts, ny, nyc, sugar, vitamins, weight gain

Dine Out and Still Keep the Weight Off

Author: Oksana Aron, MD Source: Weight Loss NYC Mar 9, 2012

Frequent dining out at restaurants can pack on the pounds and lead to obesity, but there is a way to counter the weight gain: mindful eating.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found in their six-week meditative study called "Mindful Restaurant Eating" that female participants actually lost weight when dining out.

Here are the facts from the study:

Overall, 35 perimenopausal women aged 40 to 59 years of age were studied. On average, the intervention group lost 1.7 kg (3.7 lbs) during six weeks while eating out one to two times a week. They also reduced their daily caloric intake by about 297 calories after completing the intervention...

Participants learned how to plan before dining out and calculate fat and protein counts in restaurant meals. They also did meditative exercises that focus on sight, smell and texture of food to enhance enjoyment and focus on hunger, satisfaction and what their triggers are.

What these meditative exercises involved were simply using sound judgment and being aware of your body in order to lose or maintain weight. No meditation is necessary, but if you pay attention to your hunger -- and eat to satisfy yourself, not out of boredom or emotion -- and be mindful of what you eat, you will be on your way to a trimmer you.

Learn how to lose weight the smart way. Make your first appointment with WeightLossNYC today. Call 718-491-5525!

Source: NYDailyNews.com

Labels: 718-491-5525, appetite, brooklyn, calories, emotional eating, hunger, manhattan, nutrition facts, ny, nyc, obesity, weight loss

Weight Loss Drug Qnexa Wins Support

Author: Oksana Aron, MD Source: Weight Loss NYC Feb 27, 2012

A new weight loss drug for obese patients may soon come available pending FDA approval.

Weight Loss Medications
The weight loss drug Qnexa was initially rejected by the FDA because of the risk for possible heart problems or birth defects, but an FDA advisory panel recently gave it a recommendation for a full decision come April -- and pushed for a post-approval trial to monitor cardiovascular side effects.

There was concern over the increased risk of an elevated heartbeat and birth defects such as an oral cleft occurring in infants born to women on the drug while pregnant. However, two ingredients in the drug phentermine (an appetite suppressant) and topiramate (which makes you feel full) are already on the market today and can be prescribed off-label.

The drug’s maker, Vivus, is seeking approval for a once-daily pill for obese men and women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or for those with a BMI of 27 or higher who also have weight-related comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, or central adiposity.

Vivus shared that the drug can help patients lose 6 to 10% of their body weight and it can also lower their blood pressure. The company also worked on a plan with the FDA to do the following as part of a risk mitigation strategy: include labeling that states the drug should be discontinued once a female patient becomes pregnant, distribute it only through mail-order pharmacies that have pharmacists with specific training on the drug, educating providers and patients on contraception and monthly pregnancy testing, and developing a pregnancy registry to keep track of patients.

Choose a safe, non-surgical weight loss program under the guidance of a bariatric doctor and medical weight loss doctor.

Call WeightLossNYC™ for your initial consultation at 718-491-5525

Source: MedPageToday.com

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Labels: 718-491-5525, appetite, ny, nyc, obesity, weight loss, weight loss supplements, women

Like Fatty Foods? Blame Your Tongue!

Author: Oksana Aron, MD Source: Weight Loss NYC Jan 16, 2012

If you've ever wondered why you crave fatty foods, researchers think they may have unlocked that mystery.

Our tongues apparently are to blame for liking fatty foods because of a gene found to make some people more sensitive to the taste, according to researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

A variant of the CD36 gene, the study found, makes some people more sensitive than others to the taste of fat and may partly explain why some become obese. Those who were less sensitive to tasting fat in foods may want to eat more, which could potentially cause them to gain weight. Additionally, the more fat that people eat in their diet, the less sensitive they are to detecting it in food.

Based on the study, a diet high in fat affects this same sensitivity and can make people produce less of the CD36 protein that would help them detect fat in food. It is possible, however, that the amount of that protein can be modified in a positive way by eating a healthier diet.

This bit of news is encouraging because it's never too late to start living a healthier life. Now's the time to take action. Give WeightLossNYC a call today at 718-491-5525.

Source: ScienceDaily

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Labels: 718-491-5525, appetite, diet, fat, new york, ny, nyc, obesity, self-control, weight gain

Make Diet Changes to Lose Extra Weight

Author: Oksana Aron, MD Source: Weight Loss NYC Jan 7, 2012

Gallup’s annual Health and Healthcare survey shows that 52% of all U.S. adults who say they have succeeded at losing weight at some point in their lives said it was due to dietary changes more so than exercise.

How did they do it? Respondents who did lose weight said they altered their diet in the following ways:

1.) eat less
2.) count calories and watch portions
3.) eating more natural foods

The general nature of Americans’ responses -- eating less and working out -- shows that most people find weight-loss success by maintaining good overall health habits, not by relying on quick fixes -- 1% said they had gastric bypass and 4% said they used diet pills/drugs.

Other facts from the study showed that Americans in general still need to improve their diet and get more exercise to combat the high rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The good news: Even modest weight loss (5% or 10% of total body weight) can improve a person's blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Call 718-491-5525 today to start a weight loss plan that works!

Source: Gallup

Image: Piyachok Thawornmat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Labels: 718-491-5525, calories, diabetes, heart health, ny, nyc, obesity, portion control, success, weight loss

Children Are Snacking Now More Than Ever

Author: Oksana Aron, MD Source: Weight Loss NYC Jan 1, 2012

Children today are snacking more than ever, and they're snacking all day long on junk food, says a new study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Childhood obesity is on the rise, and it's no surprise, considering that 27 percent of children's daily diets now consist of such junk food snacks as chips and candy.

Below are a few facts from the study:

Children--even some at a very young age--snack as frequently as three times a day.

Children eat three meals a day, but also snack on a lot of empty-calorie foods during the day.

Between 1977 and 2006, children's caloric intake from snacks increased by an average of 168 calories per day (up to 586 calories total).

They are more likely to drink fruit juice and other sugar-sweetened drinks than milk and are less likely to eat a fresh fruit or vegetable at snack time.

Eating habits start at a young age, which makes it important to establish healthy eating habits, including eating fresh, healthy foods at snack time instead of junk, early on. Parents also need to set a healthy example for children to model after to prevent childhood obesity and encourage a healthy lifestyle for the entire family.

Schedule your first appointment at WeightLossNYC today!

Source: UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Labels: 718-491-5525, appetite, calories, childhood obesity, childhood weight gain, sugar, weight gain

Fattening 'Diet' Foods

Author: Oksana Aron, MD Source: Weight Loss NYC Dec 27, 2011

True, or False? Healthy Food, or no?

The real calorie, sugar and fat content of popular diet foods will surprise you. Learn here about the fat traps lurking in foods you think are healthy for you.

Yogurt

Flavored yogurt can be packed with as much as 31 grams of sugar per cup. Low-fat plain yogurt is a healthier choice and fat-free Greek yogurt has less sugar than plain yogurt but twice the amount of protein.

Sugar-free snacks

Sugar-free snacks such as cookies and candy are no better than the real thing. When sugar is removed, fat and calories are typically added, so it’s not helping your diet at all.

Trail mix

You have to be careful with the type of trail mix you buy. The kind with banana chips (which are usually deep-fried) or yogurt-covered raisins (which may contain partially hydrogenated oil) will have trans fats and saturated fats.

Veggie chips

With veggie chips, be on the lookout for potato chips posing as a healthy snack, as veggie chips are often just potato flour with food coloring with plenty of salt, fat and calories. Make sure they are made of an actual veggie, which would be the first ingredient listed.

Smoothies

Smoothies can contain as much as 500 calories and 17 grams of fat depending on what’s added to them in the mixer. Stay away from those with frozen yogurt, sorbet or sherbet added. Better yet, make your own with fruit only.

Ground turkey

Many healthy eaters turn to turkey as an alternative to beef, but it can sometimes be as fattening or even more so than beef. How so? Ground turkey contains skin and a 3-ounce serving can contain 13 grams of fat, which is three times the amount in lean ground beef. Make it a point to check nutrition labels and always opt for the leanest meat selection.

Get started on a medical weight loss plan. Call WeightLossNYC.com today 718-491-5525

Learn from Dr Aron the best and easiest way to lose weight, with her medical weight loss diet program. Real medical treatment, read results.

Source: Fitness Magazine

Labels: 718-491-5525, calories, fat, low fat, new york, ny, nyc, sugar

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