Is it what you’re eating… or what’s eating you? Recent research shows that lack of family support following psychological trauma in childhood can contribute to life-long eating disorders. It’s fascinating to think that physical malnourishment may reflect a lack of emotional nourishment in a traumatic childhood. Jerica Berge, PhD and colleagues from the University of Minnesota just published a paper this month in Journal of Clinical Nursing demonstrating that too little support during times of abuse, death of a family member and hospitalization can all prove to be powerful triggers for eating disorders. But it’s not always the most obvious…

If you’re like me, you might think that video games are just for kids. But according to Richard Restak, MD, video games can improve the brain at any age. In fact, certain types of games have even been shown to increase IQ in older adults. Richard Restak is the Clinical Professor of Neurology at George Washington Hospital University and author of Think Smart: A Neuroscientist’s Prescription for Improving Your Brain’s Performance. Watch below to learn how video games can change the brain.   Click here to sign up. It’s fascinating to hear how these games could make us sharper and…

Thanksgiving is almost here. It’s a time for celebration and thankfulness, but it’s also a time of year when people who are trying to be careful about their weight can feel quite vulnerable. In a recent conversation with John La Puma, MD, he shared some suggestions he gives to his patients around the holidays. It’s a fresh (and doable) approach to the Thanksgiving meal that will allow your patients to participate socially without feeling anxious about (or destroying) their diet. Three ways to approach this year’s holiday meal: One is that you start or end the meal with a walk,…

Last week, we asked for the best (and most entertaining) excuses that you use when you’re putting off healthy eating . . . and we heard some great ones. Not only were they creative, there were more than a few that we could really relate to. We’ll get right to it. First, our runners up are….. “It doesn’t count if you eat it standing up.” Lara “My power went out and I had to eat the ice cream before it melted. . . even though it was breakfast time.” – that was by our very own Christina at the office…

I’m sure you’ve neeeeeever used an excuse to go off an intended diet, but maybe you know of someone who has? (wink) There are so many reasons why people resolve to make a change, start a diet, and then completely blow it off. “It’s the holidays, why not indulge a little?” “But my aunt doesn’t bake her apple pie everyday…” “Tonight’s so-and-so’s party, it’s a special occasion!” “Just one little treat this afternoon won’t make a big difference…” “There are people out there who are starving…how can we let this food go to waste?” “Everyone else is ordering dessert…” What’s…

Just a few weeks ago, I was having breakfast with my family. It was a rare opportunity to be together with both of my siblings, their spouses, and my parents – all of whom live out of state. As we got to talking, it turned out that both my sister Priscilla and my sister-in-law Susan had been among our Power of Three participants this past August. You might recall our Power of Three program, over 3,800 practitioners signed up because:   three small changes can make a big overall difference in our health at the end of a month –…