A new report came out today that states that Alli, the only over-the-counter weight loss medication approved by the FDA, may be linked with liver disease. Although the association has not been proven, there are 27 reported cases of liver damage and 6 cases of liver failure from patients taking this medication and Xenical (the […]
Author Archives: Amy
American Children are Deficient in Vitamin D
Topping the health news today was another study that found that many Americans are not getting enough Vitamin D. This is not a new finding. In fact, I wrote on this very topic two times before (see my posts on “Vitamin D & Bone Health” and “Today Show Talks about Vitamin D“). The interesting thing […]
How Long Does it Take to Get Fit?
Last week, I heard an advertisement on the radio for the “4-minute gym” which actually made me sigh out loud. Yet another company is taking advantage of people by promoting a “quick fix” to make money. So, when I saw an article this week on “How Long Does it Take to Get Fit?” in my […]
Got Milk Questions?
Milk labels can be very confusing, so today I’m going to try to clarify some of the common misconceptions with milk. The following are the answers to some questions my patients frequently ask: What is the difference between Fat-Free Milk and Skim Milk? There is no difference. Skim, fat-free and non-fat milk are all terms […]
When Should You Buy Organic?
We hear the term organic all the time and now there are so many organic foods available in the grocery stores. But what does the term “organic” mean? Organic refers to the way in which a food is grown. Agricultural crops must meet certain specifications in order to label their products as “organic”. Farmers are […]
Tis the Season for Fresh Produce: Find Out What’s in Season Now
Fruits and vegetables are jam packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. They also provide a lot of volume for the calories, so they can be very filling and aid in weight management. For these reasons among others, they are truly some of the healthiest foods around. The bad news is that most Americans don’t […]
Childhood Obesity and Food Allergies…Are They Related?
Food allergies have been on the rise along with childhood obesity. Is this a coincidence? Not necessarily. Researchers studied over 4,000 children and found that overweight or obese children are 25% more likely to have food allergies and are over 50% more likely to be allergic to milk. While researchers are uncertain as to how […]
Alcoholic Beverages: The Calories May Surprise You
There are a lot of misconceptions as to which alcoholic beverage is the “best” choice when trying to watch calories. Many people gravitate toward hard alcohol because they feel that it is a better choice than beer, but this is not necessarily true. In fact, just 1.5 ounces (a shot glass) of hard alcohol often […]
Detox Diets: Helpful or Harmful??
Detox diets are all the rage right now despite the lack of research on their effectiveness. There are many types of detox diets that are popular. Some examples include: Excluding all solid foods Only eating fruits and vegetables Drinking special drinks (i.e. a mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup, water, and cayenne pepper) Taking herbal […]
Milk is a Better than Sports Drinks for Recovery
Once again, milk has been found to be the ideal post-workout beverage. In a study done on cyclists, researchers provided chocolate milk, a sports drink or a commercially available fluid replacement drink after an intense workout. Four hours later, the men were then asked to cycle to exhaustion. Those given chocolate-milk were able to cycle […]