Category: Lifestyle

While recently skimming Facebook from my tablet, I noticed a cartoon illustration of a patient sitting on an examination table in a doctor’s office where gracing the wall is a sign that reads: “Thank you for not mentioning Dr. Oz.” Published in the New Yorker, this simple sketch reinforces the tendency of many healthcare providers and health professionals to cringe at the mere mention of the name “Dr. Oz.” With good reason too, as he’s come under fire in the United States Congress for preaching inaccurate, unsupported health advice throughout his career.

The physician-turned-television-personality who’s undoubtedly become among the most trusted sources of nutrition and disease-related information among Americans is most certainly not the only “expert” accused of touting false claims. From book authors to health and fitness coaches to chefs and personal trainers, everyone seems to possess their own healthy nutrition secrets or the latest miracle weight loss formula that usually turns out to be a simple recycling and repackaging of the same information over and over again.

Unfortunately, this lingering movement of expert misinformation has fueled continuous development of confusing and oftentimes misleading nutrition labeling tactics courtesy of the food and beverage industry. Take a closer look and you’ll notice just how many manufacturers have actually altered their packaging labels in an effort to remain in tune with the misinformation getting passed around. This is why nutrition labels on many of your all-time favorite food packages have been completely made over to highlight specific attributes like: “Gluten-Free”, “Low-Carb, and “Fat-Free”, all of which mean absolutely nothing in terms of the overall nutritional quality of foods.

The persuasive effects of nutrition misinformation is most pronounced in the weight loss market, with estimations of over $40 billion spent annually on specialty foods, supplements and services in the United States alone. Within this arena, mainstream experts are known to advocate excessive consumption of food bars, shakes, pills, and other supplements, which is unnecessarily expensive and just plain ol’ impractical for successful and sustained weight loss.

Among the most widespread products for weight loss are those comprised of green tea compounds and a certain chemical called hydroxycitric acid (HCA). You may not be familiar with HCA but I’m sure you’ve heard of Garcinia Cambogia pills and extracts, which experts have endorsed in mass as “miracle” weight loss supplements due to their proposed fat burning potential and appetite suppressing effects. Interestingly enough, such products are largely comprised of HCA, which used to be an ingredient in Hydroxycut until numerous reported cases of liver damage, seizures, and other health problems were reported.  

Another all-too common form of nutrition misinformation by experts involves aggressive over-promotion and utter overhyping of “low-carb,” “high-protein,” and “low-fat” diets for weight loss which is often done an effort to sale branded foods and supplements. Although such tactics can be highly effective for short-term weight loss, their long-term effectiveness and safety is uncertain, as a well-balanced diet of carbohydrates, fat, and protein is essential for optimal health.

And then there are those weight loss diets that rely heavily on consumption of prepackaged or frozen meals which are commonly endorsed by celebrities as if this somehow makes them authentic. Although prepackaged and frozen weight loss meals are proportioned to ensure a set calorie intake, most are packed full of sodium and other preservatives. Not the best approach for disease prevention especially considering that excess sodium consumption is linked to high blood pressure, kidney disease, and other health problems.

So what are you to make of such false claims by the experts?

When it comes to healthy eating and good nutrition, it’s important to always vet your information carefully and choose your “experts” wisely. There’s a lot of misinformation floating around in the mainstream media, much of which I believe is designed to keep you in a vicious cycle of confusion so you’ll continue to seek out more information and ultimately buy more products.

Consider your experts’ certifications and/or licensures but understand that even those with formal education or training sometimes have difficulty separating their own personal preferences and opinions from actual truth. All things considered, I encourage you to accept expert advice that encourages a balanced approach to weight loss and overall good health. Such an approach includes regular exercise, a sensible diet based on sound nutrition, and strategies that reflect realistic expectations within your comfort zone so you can implement them for a lifetime.

I had never read so many Facebook statuses, tweets, and thinkpieces about women’s feelings on their bodies than when Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” started being played on the radio. Right in the middle of a Top 40 usually littered with derogatory comments about women, there was suddenly something different. Finally, a message for girls struggling with body image from a girl who, by all accounts, had struggled with the same issues herself.
Though Trainor had her critics, “All About That Bass” seemed to unite women who wanted to take pride in their curves. It wasn’t just a niche movement anymore. It was a big conversation that thousands of people had never had before. Body positivity started to seem cool.
Fast-forward a few months to November 2014. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Trainor talked about being a “chubby girl” and her own battles with weight. Clarifying that these battles were never all that serious, she said, “I wasn’t strong enough to have an eating disorder … I tried to go anorexic for a good three hours. I ate ice and celery, but that’s not even anorexic. And I quit. I was like, ‘Ma, can you make me a sandwich? Like, immediately.'”
Put simply, there’s nothing “strong” about having an eating disorder. Propagating these ideas contributes to the idea that eating disorders aren’t all that serious and it’s attitudes like Trainor’s that are a huge threat to the health of anyone who’s ever struggled with body image.
Disordered eating is, at its core, the fear and hatred of that which keeps you alive. It’s a fundamental rejection of a source of life. An eating disorder is not a choice. It has nothing to do with strength. Eating disorders make you weak physically, mentally, and emotionally. There is no strength in dying at your own hands; there is no strength in feeling powerless. When your mind gives you no other choices, when you feel that this is the hand you’re dealt, you end up feeling anything but strong.
Anorexia is fetishized anyway. It’s something some people want to try on for a week or two, just to lose a few pounds. It’s always anorexia that’s seen as a goal—it’s never the “gross” disorders like bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder. There’s nothing beautiful about binging or purging, but eating nothing but air? Well, hey, that doesn’t sound all bad, as long as it’ll make you fit into those awesome new jeans. Yet the harsh contrast between what is acceptable from anorexics and what isn’t has led to a glamorization and gross misunderstanding of a deadly disease.
On one hand, some women say, “Oh, I wish I could be a little bit anorexic.” Women want to be “anorexic enough” to cut calories, to drink that much water, to work out for hours a day, to be that thin.
But on the other, anorexia and bulimia are still seen as the diseases of poor little rich girls everywhere. Often white and upper-middle class, these fictionalized victims appear to have nothing wrong in their lives; many see it as a pathetic grab for control in their otherwise perfect lives. Many can’t understand why they won’t just solve their problems and eat a damn sandwich.
Falling down the rabbit hole, as so many victims call it, is not a simple choice to eat or not eat that is made lightly. Eating disorders are diseases that affect everyone. While young, white women have historically been the most diagnosed population, more recent research shows that diagnoses alone do not indicate the true diversity of eating disorders’ victims. Eating disorders can affect anyone—there are no racial, age, socioeconomic, or orientation boundaries that an eating disorder cannot or will not touch.
Unfortunately, the glamorous depictions of people with eating disorders drive young people who are already struggling with body image, confidence, and stress down that same hole. In a quest for a skewed vision of beauty, the “pro-ana” movement entices these vulnerable individuals.
This movement often personifies anorexia as a girl named “Ana,” a girl in whom they can confide and trust. They defend anorexia as a lifestyle choice instead of a disease and spread “thinspiration” throughout various social media platforms. All of these things contribute to the idea that anorexia is a choice without extremely harmful consequences. Trying to establish the reality of anorexia as a life-threatening illness is more of a challenge than ever when faced with those who are too comfortable with their disease and those who have never experienced it.
The fact is that anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder are diseases diagnosable by the DSM-5. They are insidious, they are ruthless, and they will take your life without a single thought.
The dichotomy between “beautiful” and “broken” is a divide that those who haven’t faced the disease can hardly understand. Eating disorders are one of the unique diseases that affect the body and the mind simultaneously. The physical manifestation of the disease is only half of the battle for both the sufferer firmly entrenched in the illness and for those working towards their recovery from it. Yet it’s this lack of understanding of the mental side of the illness that may lead people like Meghan Trainor to think that you can “try” anorexia.
Trainor isn’t the first (nor will she be the last) to believe in the mythos of an eating disorder as a simple choice made by thin, tortured girls with an impressive amount of self-control and incredible drive to lose a bit of weight. What we need to enforce is the reality that there is nothing glamorous or beautiful about disease and death.
An eating disorder can’t be fixed by making a sandwich, like Trainor implied. An eating disorder does not require “trying.” An eating disorder does not try, an eating disorder just is.

When most people think about eating disorders, images of emaciated teenage girls come to mind. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are well-known diseases, affecting about 11 million people in the United States alone. These diseases are deadly and have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
But anorexia and bulimia are not the only types of eating disorders; a little known, but just as pervasive and dangerous eating disorder exists and affects approximately 1-5% of the general population. This disease is known as binge eating disorder or BED and is characterized by the compulsion to overeat and can affect all genders, races, and ages.
Despite its lack of media coverage and research funding, BED is one of the most prevalent eating disorders among adults.
While nearly everyone overeats every so often, those who suffer from BED cannot resist the urges to keep eating. Overeating is not only regular, but also uncontrollable. They feel powerless to stop and shame over their actions.
Binges generally last about 2 hours, but some binges can last days or even weeks. Binge eaters will eat far past the point of fullness, which generally leads to weight gain and obesity. Unlike those suffering from bulimia nervosa, binge eaters do not try to make up for their overeating through purging or exercise.
The health consequences of BED are varied and life threatening. The most common health risk associated with BED is clinical obesity, but there are many others: high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, gallbladder disease, and musculoskeletal problems. In fact, health care costs for those suffering from BED are significantly higher than those not suffering from an eating disorder.
The reasons why people develop BED are diverse. BED is closely linked to depression; the incidence of depression is very high in individuals with BED. Many people eat as a solace from sadness, but after the binge feel a sense of shame and regret, further fueling the depression.
Genetics is a contributing factor in BED as are environmental factors. BED frequently occurs in people who have a history of restrictive dieting. Restricting and binging becomes a vicious cycle that many cannot escape.
Treatment for BED focuses on reducing the number of binges, addressing the psychological reasons behind the binges, and sometimes, losing weight. Some of the more popular treatment options for BED are cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. Medications like Vyvanse, Topamax, and SSRIs are also sometimes prescribed in order to treat the symptoms and underlying depression.
Weight loss can be particularly difficult for those trying to recover from BED, as restrictive eating is one of the biggest triggers and causes of the disease. Weight loss is usually only taken on after mental health symptoms have been treated and only under strict supervision of a medical professional.
Despite the large number of people who suffer from BED, the disease has only recently become a recognized eating disorder. It first received its own category in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in 2013. Research funding has been minimal and media coverage is almost non-existent.
BED is now the most common eating disorder among adults and affects all genders and races. Unfortunately, the disorder isn’t taken seriously by many. Because of the emphasis put on thinness in our society, BED is sometimes dismissed as a made up disease created to make overweight people feel better. However, with approximately 2% of men and 3.5% of women suffering from the disease, BED is even more common than both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
BED is a serious but treatable disease that is only now coming to the forefront of eating disorder and mental health discussions. Thankfully, remission rates are generally high, but some form of treatment is almost always necessary to overcome it. Help for BED can be found at the Binge Eating Disorder Association or with mental health professionals who specialize in eating disorders. Remember: you can’t tell what someone is struggling with just by looking at them.

Yes, I got the Apple Watch. Probably half the population is jealous and half the population is shaking their heads at me for having it as soon as it was available. But, to all you naysayers, I will say it has had a profound impact on the way I think and understand exercise.

I’m an ‘active’ person according to the definition I’ve been told at the doctor’s office. I work out. I go for walks and jogs on occasion. Try to eat healthy and be healthy. But, as I sit here and type this, my watch just tapped me on the wrist and told me to stand up and move around. When this first started happening I thought, “this thing tells me to stand up all the time!” But, then I did some reading…

There’s a new phrase that’s gaining popularity today: “sitting is the smoking of our generation.” Powerful when you think about it, right? We associate smoking with serious health conditions like cancer, so how can sitting be comparable? Well, according to research, the average person spends half their life sitting down.

One study of over 92,000 women over 12 years showed that sitting for eleven or more hours a day gives them a 12 percent greater chance of dying from virtually any health condition–including said cancer we associated with smoking.

After just two weeks of sitting six hours each day, you’ll notice stairs may be harder to climb. That’s because your muscles have already started to atrophy and your oxygen consumption has dropped. After 10-20 years of sitting six hours a day, you can say goodbye to about seven years of healthy life.

With that said, this little watch tapping me got me thinking about not only my exercise routine, but how active I am overall. And, it got me thinking that maybe ‘exercise’ doesn’t always mean ‘active’. Here’s what it has made me reevaluate.

“I Sit Too Much”

You’re supposed to stand once an hour and move around for about one minute when you do stand. Doing this can drastically help alleviate all the problems sitting can cause. When I’m sitting at my computer, sometimes the hours fly by. I don’t realize I’ve been sitting all morning. Until I got this reminder on my wrist.

At the top of every hour the watch will tap me and tell me “It’s time to stand up! Move around for about a minute.” I’m always surprised at how fast that hour goes, but thankfully something else is keeping track. That tap is helping me live longer.

“I Exercise, But I Should Walk More”

I try to exercise 3-4 times a week. Something like a 30-minute workout DVD or a jog. But, once I started learning more about the whole sitting half my life thing, I realized my workouts might not be enough. Research suggests that working out everyday, even for an hour, won’t offset the effects of sitting most of the day.

My workouts may be helping me be fit, but they aren’t enough to make me healthier overall. I challenged myself to do a 15-20 minute walk around lunchtime to not only increase my minutes of exercise, which the watch measures by keeping track of my heart rate, but also decrease the amount I was sitting. And, my watch is always excited when I get more exercise. It even gives out awards when I do really well. Winning.

“If I Set a Goal, I’ll Reach It (With the Watch’s Help)”

The activity app allows you to set goals, like the number of active calories you want to burn in a day, how much you stand each hour, and minutes you exercise. When you’ve reached the goals for each of these categories, the circle in the app will be completed.

Now, I don’t want to say I’m addicted to getting that circle all the way around each day, but it has definitely challenged me to get more exercise each day and to burn more than my goal number of calories. It reminds me throughout the day of my progress so I can be well aware of my activeness.

Having goals and challenges has been proven to help people be successful in a variety of things. And, this is no different. The watch challenges me, sets goals for me, and keeps track of my success. It’s given me a new outlook on exercise and being active, and will hopefully help me live that extra seven years!

Like many others, I struggled with acne throughout my teenage years. My flare-ups weren’t of biblical proportions, but they were severe enough to warrant seeing my mother’s dermatologist. He prescribed an expensive medley of Retin-A and benzoyl peroxide cream that seemed to help with the mild to moderate zits, but had trouble stifling the big juicy ones that appeared regularly on my chin.
A short while later, my gynecologist recommended I go on the pill as a means to alleviate what he called cystic acne (triggered by hormones). And it worked! I was pretty much acne-free throughout college and into my mid-20s.
But fast forward to a year or so ago; I started noticing around the same time every month that I was developing one or two of the large, painful, under-the-surface zits that had haunted me over a decade ago.
It was puzzling because I still took the pill religiously and had a very strict skin care regimen: a mild foaming cleanser followed by an alcohol free toner and a light moisturizer. I even splurged and got a spa facial every six months or so. But without fail every month, about two weeks into my cycle, I’d see one of those cystic nightmares starting to form on my chin, and occasionally my forehead, too.
So I did what any modern millennial would do; I scoured the Internet looking for advice. Enter DERMAdoctor Ain’t Misbehavin’ Medicated Acne Cleanser.
I found this product listed on a couple of different websites, and the reviews claimed that it could clear up hormonal cystic acne almost overnight. Now I’m the type of person that doesn’t want to spend more than 7 or 8 bucks on a cleanser, and this product was $27 for 7 oz. So while I wasn’t thrilled with the price tag, I figured I could give it a try.
As for ingredients, the product contains salicylic acid, witch hazel and allantoin. The DERMAdoctor website describes it as: “a medicated aha/bha acne cleanser formulated to clear blemishes and work synergistically with your daily acne control regimen. This soothing, non-foaming formula is ideal for anyone looking to reduce excess oiliness, mattify shine or simply refresh their complexion.”
Lo and behold…this stuff appeared to clear up my acne in less than a month!
Since I started using the product, I haven’t had even one of those sore, painful bumps sprout up on my face. The cleanser doesn’t appear to be drying my skin out, and I have a balanced, healthy glow. Since it is on the pricier side, I use sparingly. A dime-sized dollop twice a day seems to do the trick.
There are a few cons, however. While most cleansers on the market these days have a scent remarkably like grapefruit, honey or lavender, this product smells distinctly like…medicine. It’s not an awful smell, but it’s certainly not a scent I’d spritz on before a date. Secondly, it’s non-foaming and goes on dry skin. This might not bother some people, but it seemed weird to me as I’m used to working up quite a lather when I wash my face. Finally, don’t count on it to get your makeup off, because it just won’t.
But considering how effective it is overall, these minor drawbacks (along with the price tag) are well worth it. Highly recommended!

Unless you’ve been living on another planet recently, you probably know that Apple has unleashed yet another must-have gadget on an unsuspecting population. The latest device from the company that has the Apple faithful all atwitter is of course the Apple Watch, a gadget that puts notifications, text and email messages, and calendar reminders right on your wrist. It can even help you navigate across town when you find yourself in need of a midnight run to your favorite pizza joint.

But as useful as all of that functionality is, the Watch’s greatest strength could be its ability to help us get healthier, midnight pizza runs notwithstanding. Here are four ways it can do exactly that.

The Ultimate Activity Tracker

If you follow tech and fitness trends you probably already know that activity trackers such as the Fitbit or Microsoft Band have been all the rage recently. You might even own one of these gadgets yourself. They are very good at counting your steps each day and offering some form of congratulatory message when you actually achieve your goal.

The Apple Watch is capable of doing everything that those devices can, and a whole lot more. Not only does it keep track of every step that you take, it can also let you know how many calories you’ve burned along the way. On top of that Apple’s Fitness apps do an excellent job of graphically showing you how close you are to achieving your goals, and offering encouragement toward reaching your next milestone.

The device even helps you to set incremental goals that are both realistic and attainable, making it far easier to stay on target with what you want to achieve.

Stand Up!

If you’ve been keeping up on current health trends you’re probably already aware of the recent studies that indicate sitting for extended periods of time can be detrimental to our health. In fact, those reports say that remaining stationary for too long can lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and a number of other afflictions.

Surprisingly enough, Apple doesn’t want us sitting in front of a computer for hours on end, which is why they’ve programmed the Watch to remind us to get up and move from time to time. The device is capable of sensing when you’ve stood up from your desk and will even give you credit for that activity in the Fitness app. But if you end up sitting for too long the Watch will provide a gentle reminder that you should get up and move. Those reminders come about every hour so, and while that may sound a bit trivial and annoying, it truly could have a dramatic impact on your overall health.

A Personal Trainer on Your Wrist

Beyond just counting your steps or prodding you to stand up on occasion, the Apple Watch can also serve as a personal trainer of sorts. Whether you’re running outdoors, riding the stationary bike at the gym, or using an elliptical machine at home, Apple’s gadget can track your performance and help you to set attainable goals for how to improve your overall level of fitness over time.

The Watch’s array of high tech sensors will even analyze your speed, distance covered, and number of calories burned so that it can chart your ongoing progress too. That data is then stored in the iPhone’s Health app, where it can be shared with your physician, or used to establish bragging rights amongst friends. Either option is incredibly satisfying.

Motivating Feedback

Positive feedback is one of the best motivators for staying active and fit, and that certainly wasn’t lost on the developers at Apple. Each week the Watch will present you with a summary of your activity from the past seven days, showing where improvements were made, and where there is still work that needs to be done. That data can help provide a “big picture” view of your level of activity, and provide an idea of where you can work harder.

Better yet, the Watch will also use that data to set new goals for you to attain. Those goals are meant to be realistic and attainable, but still challenging. In this way, the device can quickly and easily show how you’ve progressed, while still pushing you to work a bit harder too.

Of course, at the end of the day the Apple Watch is just another tool that has the potential to help us all lead healthier lives. It may make it easier to chart our progress and stay motivated, but it is inner discipline that builds higher levels of fitness. When we find that discipline within ourselves, we’re truly on the road to a healthier lifestyle.

The story goes that in 1860, Abraham Lincoln grew a beard in response to a suggestion from an 11-year-old girl who said it would make him a more attractive presidential candidate. She was right. About 140 years later, another 11-year-old girl–who happened to be my daughter–told me roughly the same thing. I wasn’t running for president, though; she was giving me dating advice. As it turns out, she, like most 11-year-old girls, was right, too.
So what is it about beards that can help you win elections and improve your love life? One theory posits that a beard is a sign of confidence. In a fight, a beard can be a disadvantage since it can be grabbed by an opponent. So a beard could be a man’s way of saying, “Go ahead, grab it. I can kick your butt anyway.”
In addition, a number of recent studies have found that in the eyes of heterosexual women, facial hair makes men more attractive. Actually, [linkbuilder id=”6502″ text=”what attracts women”] isn’t the hair itself, but the uniqueness. When the majority of men are clean shaven, shaggier guys rate higher. But when the tide turns and smooth skin becomes rare, that’s what the gals go for. I should say that my daughters have all been quite prescient, making sure that at any given moment, my scruffiness level has been exactly what women happen to be most attracted to (whether they’re actually attracted to me is another story, but as any guy with daughters will back me up, it’s simply not possible to argue–or at least to win an argument–with three girls).
But even during those times when facial hair is sexy, not all beards are equally appealing. Given a choice between a clean-shaven face, light stubble, heavy stubble, and a full beard, women tend to go for the heavy stubble–and it could be for very different reasons than you might expect.
According to another beard-related study that you probably heard about, some men’s whiskers are home to so much bacteria that they’re almost as bad as toilets. Naturally, no matter how sexy a woman (or anyone, for that matter) might find facial hair, no one really wants to get their lips too close to a toilet. Beard hair is coarser and is shaped differently than other hair, which makes it a perfect place for all those nasty bacteria to latch on and dig in.
Some biologists speculate that by sporting a beard, a man is advertising that his immune system is so healthy that he can carry around colonies of germs with no ill effects. A heavily bristled face gives women their scratchy, sexy fix but may offer some reassurance that the hair they’re nuzzling is still relatively sanitary–or at least that the guy on the other end of that stubble is healthy.
Of course plenty of people say that those who insist that beards are bacteria-infested cesspools are full of at least as much crap as the facial hair they’re criticizing. After all, they say, our bodies–inside and out–are practically covered with creepy crawlies of one sort or another (and for the most part, they’re actually good for us).
Bottom line? We seem to be entering a hirsute tipping point where beards are so common that they’ve lost some of their luster. So if you’ve got one, consider shaving it, or at least trimming it way down (unless you really are sure you can kick the other guy’s butt). If you’re clean shaven, though, and want to up your hot quotient, a week’s worth of stubble will do you a world of good. But either way, keep your face–and the hair that inhabits it–clean. Really, really clean.