www.DrWeigh.com
I had the opportunity to meet with a head administrator and the head of nutrition at the Greenvale School. I would first like to thank them for welcoming me so warmly. They were very cooperative and listened carefully to my suggestions. It is great to see our schools take such an interest in our children's health. Some suggestions they are considering include offering fruit every morning with their morning snack, serving fat-free salad dressing, using reduced-fat cheese products, and offering reduced-calorie whole wheat bread. I can't wait to see the changes!
Let me know if you would like me to talk to your child's school!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Do we really need to drink 6-8 cups of water a day?
www.DrWeigh.com
Do we really need to drink 6-8 (eight ounce) cups of water a day? Contrary to what you might hear from many 'diet experts', there are no conclusive scientific studies proving that 6-8 cups of water a day promotes health.
Some weight loss programs advise people to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day so they don't confuse hunger and thirst. Dehydration can definitely be misinterpreted as hunger, but it doesn't require that much water to prevent dehydration. 4 glasses of water a day should be sufficient. Any intake above that will not have much effect.
Some programs claim that drinking 6-8 cups of water a day will decrease headaches, flush toxins, and clear skin. These maladies may be caused by dehydration, but as I previously wrote, 4 glasses of water a day should be sufficient to prevent dehydration and therefore prevent these problems.
One study from Germany maintained that drinking 6-8 cups of water daily caused an increase in metabolic rate. Looking more closely at the data, scientists realized that this increase in metabolic rate was so minimal that it was insignificant.
So- don't worry about chugging water all day. But don't let yourself get dehydrated, either. Four eight ounce glasses of water a day should be sufficient. And don't forget that caffeine is a diuretic. You must drink an extra cup of water for each cup of caffeinated beverage you ingest!
Do we really need to drink 6-8 (eight ounce) cups of water a day? Contrary to what you might hear from many 'diet experts', there are no conclusive scientific studies proving that 6-8 cups of water a day promotes health.
Some weight loss programs advise people to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day so they don't confuse hunger and thirst. Dehydration can definitely be misinterpreted as hunger, but it doesn't require that much water to prevent dehydration. 4 glasses of water a day should be sufficient. Any intake above that will not have much effect.
Some programs claim that drinking 6-8 cups of water a day will decrease headaches, flush toxins, and clear skin. These maladies may be caused by dehydration, but as I previously wrote, 4 glasses of water a day should be sufficient to prevent dehydration and therefore prevent these problems.
One study from Germany maintained that drinking 6-8 cups of water daily caused an increase in metabolic rate. Looking more closely at the data, scientists realized that this increase in metabolic rate was so minimal that it was insignificant.
So- don't worry about chugging water all day. But don't let yourself get dehydrated, either. Four eight ounce glasses of water a day should be sufficient. And don't forget that caffeine is a diuretic. You must drink an extra cup of water for each cup of caffeinated beverage you ingest!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Not all frozen yogurt is created equal!
www.DrWeigh.com
There seems to be some confusion about frozen yogurt and ice cream.
In my program, low-fat frozen yogurt is generally a green light food. But Ben & Jerry's low fat yogurt is a yellow light food. Why? Because Ben & Jerry's yogurt is a 'premium' frozen yogurt, which means that it has a lot more calories than your basic low-fat frozen yogurt. The same is true for ice cream. Premium ice creams, like Haagen Dazs, contain many more calories than regular ice cream.
Many people aren't aware of the large difference in calories between regular frozen yogurt (or ice cream) and premium brands. So be aware when you are indulging. You may be getting more than you bargained for!
There seems to be some confusion about frozen yogurt and ice cream.
In my program, low-fat frozen yogurt is generally a green light food. But Ben & Jerry's low fat yogurt is a yellow light food. Why? Because Ben & Jerry's yogurt is a 'premium' frozen yogurt, which means that it has a lot more calories than your basic low-fat frozen yogurt. The same is true for ice cream. Premium ice creams, like Haagen Dazs, contain many more calories than regular ice cream.
Many people aren't aware of the large difference in calories between regular frozen yogurt (or ice cream) and premium brands. So be aware when you are indulging. You may be getting more than you bargained for!
Monday, September 29, 2008
How to survive a holiday dinner.
www.drweigh.com
The Jewish Holidays are here again. Those of you who celebrate them know what that means- LOTS OF FOOD! How can you enjoy this holiday (or any holiday) without gaining weight? It is a struggle, especially if you have family pushing unhealthy dishes on you.
I will share my survival strategy. I pick my favorite unhealthy dish and make sure that I eat a reasonable portion of it. Knowing that I will be able to indulge in something wonderful makes it easier to pass on the less-wonderful, but still tasty, dishes.
I love noodle kugel. My grandmother used to make the best kugel and although nobody's can compare to hers, I still do love it! So I will be eating noodle kugel at my Rosh Hashana dinner. I will not, however, be eating brisket this year. I really enjoy brisket, but not as much as noodle kugel. So I will resist the the brisket in an effort to keep my calorie intake in control. I will also pass on the other fattening foods and concentrate on the (few) healthy options available. I will have turkey and vegetables with my noodle kugel.
The same goes for dessert. Offer to bring fruit salad to your dinner, even if the host doesn't ask you to. This way you can ensure that there will be a healthy dessert option. Don't waste calories on desserts that you can eat any time. So pass on those store-bought brownies and cookies. Instead, opt for the desserts you don't often get to eat. I am going to have a (small) piece of my Aunt Robin's famous brownies. They are decadent and she doesn't make them often. And I will enjoy every bite!
L' Shana Tovah!
The Jewish Holidays are here again. Those of you who celebrate them know what that means- LOTS OF FOOD! How can you enjoy this holiday (or any holiday) without gaining weight? It is a struggle, especially if you have family pushing unhealthy dishes on you.
I will share my survival strategy. I pick my favorite unhealthy dish and make sure that I eat a reasonable portion of it. Knowing that I will be able to indulge in something wonderful makes it easier to pass on the less-wonderful, but still tasty, dishes.
I love noodle kugel. My grandmother used to make the best kugel and although nobody's can compare to hers, I still do love it! So I will be eating noodle kugel at my Rosh Hashana dinner. I will not, however, be eating brisket this year. I really enjoy brisket, but not as much as noodle kugel. So I will resist the the brisket in an effort to keep my calorie intake in control. I will also pass on the other fattening foods and concentrate on the (few) healthy options available. I will have turkey and vegetables with my noodle kugel.
The same goes for dessert. Offer to bring fruit salad to your dinner, even if the host doesn't ask you to. This way you can ensure that there will be a healthy dessert option. Don't waste calories on desserts that you can eat any time. So pass on those store-bought brownies and cookies. Instead, opt for the desserts you don't often get to eat. I am going to have a (small) piece of my Aunt Robin's famous brownies. They are decadent and she doesn't make them often. And I will enjoy every bite!
L' Shana Tovah!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Write to me!
www.drweigh.com
I just want to let you know that I welcome all of your questions and comments. I can see that you are reading my blog- so write to me! I promise to write back.
I just want to let you know that I welcome all of your questions and comments. I can see that you are reading my blog- so write to me! I promise to write back.
Friday, September 26, 2008
My child MUST eat McDonalds!?!
www.drweigh.com
As shocking as this may be, some mothers are insisting that their children be allowed to eat McDonalds for lunch during school. The Roslyn Middle School principal told the district Health and Safety Committee that each day at lunch, many mothers drive to the school to drop off fast food for their children to eat at lunchtime. What? I can't imagine being so insistent that my child eat something so unhealthy for lunch that I would stop what I am doing during the day, drive to a fast food restaurant, wait on line, and then drive the food to school. And for what? So my child wouldn't have to eat a turkey sandwich for lunch?
The Middle School will be sending home a note explaining that parents may not drop off store-bought lunches in the middle of the day. But what I think is more concerning is that these parents don't realize how harmful this food is for their children. It's one thing to bring a child to Burger King as a treat (although I don't actually do this with my kids). But it's quite another to make sure that this food is a staple of their diet and to go through so much effort to make sure they have constant access to it.
Moms- regardless of the changes made in our school lunch system, nothing beats a brown bag lunch. When you make your child's lunch, you are in complete control of what they are eating. Let's bring back the turkey sandwich.
My ideal school lunch: 2 slices of reduced-calorie whole wheat bread
6 slices of turkey breast, 5 slices of roast beef, OR 4 slices of ham
1 slice of fat-free cheese
1 yogurt or 1 piece of string cheese
100 calorie pack of something yummy
water or crystal light
As shocking as this may be, some mothers are insisting that their children be allowed to eat McDonalds for lunch during school. The Roslyn Middle School principal told the district Health and Safety Committee that each day at lunch, many mothers drive to the school to drop off fast food for their children to eat at lunchtime. What? I can't imagine being so insistent that my child eat something so unhealthy for lunch that I would stop what I am doing during the day, drive to a fast food restaurant, wait on line, and then drive the food to school. And for what? So my child wouldn't have to eat a turkey sandwich for lunch?
The Middle School will be sending home a note explaining that parents may not drop off store-bought lunches in the middle of the day. But what I think is more concerning is that these parents don't realize how harmful this food is for their children. It's one thing to bring a child to Burger King as a treat (although I don't actually do this with my kids). But it's quite another to make sure that this food is a staple of their diet and to go through so much effort to make sure they have constant access to it.
Moms- regardless of the changes made in our school lunch system, nothing beats a brown bag lunch. When you make your child's lunch, you are in complete control of what they are eating. Let's bring back the turkey sandwich.
My ideal school lunch: 2 slices of reduced-calorie whole wheat bread
6 slices of turkey breast, 5 slices of roast beef, OR 4 slices of ham
1 slice of fat-free cheese
1 yogurt or 1 piece of string cheese
100 calorie pack of something yummy
water or crystal light
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