Holiday Celebration: Yikes or Yipee? Your Guide to Restaurant Food!

posted on December 15th, 2011 under Dr. Gulick's Weight Loss Blog

For most people, the holidays are time to spend with family, friends and colleagues. The place most of us spend it? Around a table, bar or buffets. The All-American way to celebrate! The thought of dining out can turn someone on a weight loss program into a split personality: Part of you says “Yipee”-the other part “Yikes!” Balancing the two emotions are crucial to eating out successfully while still maintaining a healthy weight, or even losing some. Here are some ‘dos and ‘don’ts’ to help you stay in control the next time you head out to a restaurant.

Do remember:

You have a choice, the menu is not set in stone. You can modifiy any meal on a menu. Most chefs are happy to oblige. Don’t be afraid to ask for such things as; “Dressing on the side, please.” “Could you broil that fish, chicken, meat?” and “instead of fries (baked patato, corn), I would like extra vegetables.” Most restaurants will not charge for substitutions since you are removing one item and replacing it with a great choice!

Do remember:

The fancier the food, the more likely it may have hidden calories. Simple is best. As food becomes more ‘adorned’ it’s likely to have more calories and fat added. Sauces, gravys and side garnishes may look nice but they are filled with extra calories you don’t need. Ask ahead of time if the meal is topped with anything and if it is, ask them to remove it or put it on the side. Another option is to look for entrees that are on top of something else, rather than the other way around: Try broiled salmon over vegetables, grilled chicken strips over salad, or a simple seared tuna over steamed spinach.

Do rmember:

It is okay to leave food on your plate. Recent studies have shown that restaurant portion sizes have more than doubled since the 1950’s. If you are like most of us, you were told to clean your plate. But it is okay to leave food on your plate. You can always ask for a “people bag” and have your left-overs the next day, as part of your meal plan. The social aspect of eating out can make us eat mindlessly. Participate! Be at the party. Be at the table. But you can “play with your food”. Cut it up, push it to one side. Pick up your fork – make a conversational point and put it down again. Think Italian-wave your hands around. You can be a lively part of a dinner celebration without putting the fork in your mouth very often. Pay attention to how fast you are eating and how much you are eating. Another solution is to share an entrée with a friend – or to ask for your half of food to be put in a to-go container before your meal is even served to you.

Don’t think ‘It’s ONLY a salad or appetizer’. There can be so many hidden calories in these choices!
Well-meaning dieters often think the salad and appetizer options are better choices. Just because they may be smaller portions, greener or appear healthier, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are healthier. Many Entrée salads can contain more than 900 calories (especially the ones with cheese, bacon, and lots of dressing). That plate of fried calamari with garlic sauce can easily pack on 500 calories. If you must have an appetizer or salad, remember you can always share it! It may be better to skip the salad or appetizer completely and focus on an entrée with a lean protein and a vegetable in it.

Enjoy your holiday celebrations. Keep your “Yikes” at bay by using these tips and enjoy your Holiday Celebrations with family and friends, “Yipee!”

Warm Regards,
Colly

Guest Post: Halloween Hangover Helpers

posted on November 3rd, 2011 under Medical Articles

Andrea Nakayama is a functional nutritionist based in Portland, Oregon and owner of the online nutrition enterprise Replenish PDX. Like many of you, she’s on a constant journey to support a busy life – to eat well, take the best care of herself, and to learn about the ever-changing needs of her body as she ages.

We at OMWL love her well-researched articles and positive energy. Her informative website is well worth a read – and be sure to sign up for her email mailing list! Below, we’ve posted one of her recent articles about Halloween relapse and how to avoid “pigging out” through this difficult season. We hope you enjoy!

Healthy Halloween Hangover Helpers

OK. You did it. You dipped into the Halloween bucket last night. Perhaps you’ve been dipping for a few nights, sampling the candy intended for the trick-or-treaters, unwrapping more than a couple of Tootsie Rolls at a time. Maybe you stayed away from the packaged confections and whipped up a bunch of homemade treats instead. Even that healthier route can lead to eating more sweets than you had expected…

There’s something important to know: It’s OK! We all do it.

(That’s why I devote an entire section in my Stick With It! e-book to pigging out.)

The important part is right now, going forward, from this very moment. It’s a brand new day. It’s the part where you recognize that your over-indulgence might not be serving your best interests. And I’m not talking about weight here (although that might be of consideration as well). I’m talking about the many other ill-effects of sugar intake such as the heightened internal inflammation that can lead to increased risk of chronic disease states such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes as well as the crash-and-burn fatigue that effects our short term energy and our long-term adrenal and hormonal health.

Whoa! It was just a couple of Reese’s you say? And I agree. Really I do. I don’t mean to add to the fright of Halloween night. I just know firsthand that a dip in the candy bowl doesn’t always end with a period. Nope. It can be one of those run on sentences that goes on and on and never seems to end!

That’s why I’m writing you this morning with some Healthy Halloween Hangover Helpers. These are 3 simple e-tips I would like you to consider as Halloween 2011 comes to its end, especially if you’re feeling like the appeal of the candy has taken center stage in your mind.

Healthy Halloween Hangover Helpers

1) extraction

Even if you were a super hero for Halloween (either the kind with high red boots and a gold headband or the kind that went to work, got dinner on the table and had the kids in their costumes by nightfall), you don’t need to be a super hero any longer. Throw down the cape and admit your limitations. Those might be that you cannot leap tall building or they might be that you can’t resist the stash of candy in the plastic halloween pumpkin bucket sitting on the shelf above the washing machine.

If you’ve already started rummaging your hand in that bucket it could now be challenging to ‘just say no’. For many of us that candy will be calling our names from its storage place, beckoning for repeat connection.

It’s OK to get rid of the candy and many families have practices where they do so after the first night. If your kids are still little, then consider having them choose one thing that they want each night for a designated time period and only stash that. You won’t be as tempted to dip into their allotted loot. If there are no kids in the house, its time for pure extraction ~ take it to the office, bring it to a store, drop it at the dentists or throw in in the trash!

Remember, you’re not super human and sugar can have a creepy hold on many of us. Ask for help in your household if you need to!

2) equilibrium

Today is the day to return to your good intentions and the regularity of your good eating patterns. You can do it! This will allow you to find the inner equilibrium that keeps you from looking for balance outside of yourself. . . in the temporary jolt of a piece of candy. Go back to basics. Your #1 food rule is to consider the amount of fat, fiber & protein you’re ingesting at every meal.

Don’t go for “lite”, that will leave you stalking the candy bowl at the office. Go for healthy satiety. Aim to have solid meals that allow you to feel pleasantly full and satisfied with your choices. Consider lots of veggies, some quality protein and be sure to include ample good fat such as coconut oil, olive oil or ghee mixed into to your meal.

The dynamic trio of fat, fiber & protein will invite the equilibrium of your blood sugar. That internal composure leaves you more poised to ‘just say no’!

3) empathy

When it comes to empathy, remember to have it first and foremost for yourself. Treat yourself like you might any other who has slipped. Be kind. Be gentle. Be understanding.

Consider the mere importance of empathy. Sometimes the candy bowl dunking begins with a sense of wanting to make things right, to seek solace, to allow indulgence, to just have some fun! It starts with a moment of wanting empathy ~ for your hard day, for the stresses of your life, for not eating a Butterfinger since this time last year! And that makes sense. We each deserve to be heard, held and rewarded for our valiant efforts to truck through the myriad realities of our lives with such accomplishment and aplomb!

Turning to others for empathy is also key. And knowing you have a safe place to go for that soulful rapport is what helps each of us to make change and move forward with our most challenging and our simplest objectives. Take a moment to think where you can reliably turn for compassion and camaraderie, not just in turning away from the candy bowl, but also in contemplating why your hand may have gone routing for the 3 Musketeers in the first place.

Welcome that seasonal shift inward that beckons at this time of year while also staying grounded and connected in the network that supports you. That may be your most important Halloween Hangover Helper! (I’m envisioning making a big pot of stew with your family or your friends. What are you imagining as you get ready to store your Halloween decorations and move into this new month?)

Warmly,
Andrea

Dr. Miles Hassell Reverses Diabetes

posted on November 2nd, 2011 under Medical Articles

This latest newsletter from our friend and colleague Dr Miles Hassell is one we wholeheartedly agree with! Read about a patient’s case that matches our own regular experience in helping patients regain their health, here at OMWL. We see this every week! This is what we do. You can do it to.

To learn more about Metabolic Syndrome, reversing Diabetes or gaining back your health through losing weight, come to one of our Seminars, go hear one of Dr Hassell’s talks or buy his book. At the very least, empower yourself with pertinent updated labs and an informative consultation that will help you figure out how whether your weight is actually only the ‘tip of the iceberg’.

Pow! Man knocks down diabetes!

Overcoming type 2 diabetes requires an aggressive approach. This means vigorously tackling those habits that make it easy for diabetes to sneak up on us. Or even better, knocking down the disease before it gets to us, which is possible if we know the warning signs. For example, alarm bells should go off if you happen to have three or more of the following risk factors, which is a condition called the metabolic syndrome:

1. high blood pressure (greater than 135/85 or being treated for high blood pressure),
2. high triglycerides (greater than 150mg/dl),
3. low HDL (“good”) cholesterol (lower than 40mg/dl),
4. high blood sugar (fasting blood sugar greater than 100mg/dl or being treated for high blood sugar), and a
5. large waistline (greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men; or less for small-framed people).

The metabolic syndrome should not be taken lightly – if you have it, your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and some cancers is substantially increased.

Eating Out: A Trick to Stay on Track

posted on September 13th, 2011 under Dr. Gulick's Weight Loss Blog

Dining out with family or friends is a time-honored tradition celebrated in every culture around the world. While these experiences provide a very fun means of having a meal, it is the relaxing nature of the meal that can lead to overeating. The restaurant is in charge of your portion size, and long as the other people at the table are eating it is easy to continue yourself, regardless of whether or not you are hungry. A good first step is to choose foods that are healthy choices, but this is only the first step. No matter how healthy the meal you choose, if you eat too much you will gain weight. Here are a few strategies to help combat growing portion sizes so you may continue to enjoy these fun, socially-driven dining experiences.

New Study on the Role of Vitamin D in Colon Cancer

posted on September 2nd, 2011 under Dr. Gulick's Weight Loss Blog

Excerpted from The Vitamin D Council

Professor Hector Palmer and his co-researchers at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, Spain, announced this morning the reason vitamin D may be an effective treatment early in the course of colon cancer, yet have little effect later as the cancer becomes more widely spread.

Link to the Research Article

Can Drinking Darker Coffee Improve Your Health?

posted on August 31st, 2011 under Dr. Gulick's Weight Loss Blog

Excerpted from Mercola.com

Recent research has shown that moderate coffee consumption may be associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Since reactive oxygen species (ROS) are believed to be involved in both of these diseases, it was theorized that antioxidants in coffee might contribute to the risk reduction.

Scientists examined whether or not dark roast coffee has a stronger antioxidant effect than light roast. They found that dark roast was the most effective.

According to the study, as reported by Green Med Info: “Furthermore, administration of the [dark roast] led to a significant body weight reduction in pre-obese subjects.”

Dr. Mercola: The Dangers of Fruit Juice

posted on August 29th, 2011 under Dr. Gulick's Weight Loss Blog

Excerpted from Mercola.com – Numerous studies have linked high sugar/fructose consumption to a long list of health problems. Not only will fructose raise your insulin to chronically high levels over time, it also metabolizes differently from other sugars. Both of these facts significantly contribute to the creation of chronic diseases. Thanks to the excellent work of researchers like Dr. Robert Lustig, and Dr. Richard Johnson, we now know that fructose…

Why do I want to see a Weight Loss Doctor?

posted on August 22nd, 2011 under Medical Articles

Many people struggle with their weight day in and day out – and struggle valiantly. Often they have tried many programs – some helpful, some not so much. These earnest folk have exercised, attended groups, purchased supplements and limited portion sizes. However, they are still hungry all the time and any weight lost always seems to creep back, or constantly threatens to.

As Doctors specializing in medically supervised weight loss, we pride ourselves on believing patients who know they are trying harder than their weight suggests.

We understand, from years of specialty training and expertise in this area, that patients usually have underlying medical reasons for their weight gain and re-gain, and especially for their relentless, physiologically-based HUNGER…

Really? Another diet?

posted on July 9th, 2011 under Medical Articles

If you are one of the millions of people who are sick and tired of dieting, you may be ready to hear what I want to tell you. I’m the Coordinator for new patients at Oregon Medical Weight Loss here in Tigard, Oregon. We are part of SW Family Physicians, a full scope Family Practice Medical Clinic with clinicians who specialize, among other things, in medical weight loss. So many patients have told me how frustrated they feel: being successful on every diet they do, and then to gain all the weight back – and then some. To hear that over and over again is totally frustrating for me as well! You will be so relieved to know that this pattern just may not be your fault!

A salad with 1600 calories? WHAT?!

posted on May 13th, 2011 under Dr. Gulick's Weight Loss Blog

We all go out to eat once in a while, if not numerous times per week, and many people choose a salad option to save on calories and carbs. This article from the Huffington Post reveals 9 salads (and who knows how many else there are!) from popular restaurants that have more calories than a McDonald’s Big Mac!