Dr Jaime on Yahoo OMG

Hi All,

Check out my latest comments in this yahoo blog... let me know what you think!!!

http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/crush/lucy-hale-latest-young-woman-hollywood-reveal-eating-001606598.html

Keeping with Olympic spirit check out the link below for my 3 tips on how Olympic athletes and non athletes can keep their diets healthy!
http://www.takepart.com/photos/12-best-health-tips-steal-olympians/follow-three-big-diet-rules

Safe Sun

Safe Summer Sun
Who doesn’t love a little summer sun at the beach, park or pool. Despite all the bad we hear about sun exposure, there are indeed health benefits of safe sun exposure. One of my favorite sayings “everything in moderation” works great when discussing soaking in the sun. Prolonged exposure to the sun can result in burns, and aging, but 10-15 minutes of daily sun exposure is great for the body (and mind).

Vitamin D is one of the most important things we get from sun exposure. It is true when deficient we can increase our levels with supplementing D, however moderate sun exposure allows the body to make vitamin D on its own in the amounts it needs. Being in the sun is also good for the soul! Studies consistently show that sun exposure reduces the incidence of seasonal affective disorder. Moderate sun exposure may help reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
Knowing the benefits of sun exposure is jut as important as knowing how to protect yourself from its potential dangers. If you’ve ever had bad sunburn, you know just how painful it can be. Additionally every burn we experience increase the risk for sun related skin cancers and aging. So to get the benefits of the sun, it’s imperative to know just how to play safe!

Wearing sunscreen, avoiding high noon sun exposure and covering sensitive areas of skin are three important practices of safe sun. Sunscreens are not just skin deep, and picking the perfect sunscreen is a difficult task these days with so many options on the market. Recently the FDA has come out with new regulations preventing companies from advertising sunscreens with SPF values higher than 50+. This is because it can lead to a false sense of protection, encouraging people to apply the product less, or cover up less.

The two main types of sunscreens available for purchase are chemical and mineral. Chemical has been more scrutinized due to its potential harmful ingredients and mineral sunscreens (primarily made from zinc and titanium) which are gaining more popularity these days because they are less harmful and have a more broad spectrum of coverage. When choosing a sunscreen, be sure to do your research. I recommend the EWG guide to choosing sunscreen at www.ewg.org.

Sun Safe and Enjoy!

March is National Nutrition Month!

Personally, I feel every month should be national nutrition month! What we put in our bodies is so important that if we pay a little more attention daily to nutrition, it makes a huge difference! This doesn't mean that we have to be perfect and our diets free of all impurities, but paying closer attention to our foods really does effect how we feel day to day. Yes, day to day. We all know that years of poor eating can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and more but what so many of us don't pay attention to is the way our diet can effect us daily. Small daily diet changes can improve sleep, reduce stress, promote weight loss, decrease pain, improve bowel movement and so much more. Take for example someone who has a constant phlegm, often diagnosed as allergies. This is commonly due to a sensitivity to dairy, and eliminating or reducing dairy in the diet may rid the constant phlegm. Another example are people with asthma, many asthmatics have dramatic improvements in breathing from modifying their diet to eliminate dairy, msg, high fructose corn syrup and other common trigger foods. These are just two examples that demonstrate how what we eat each day effects how we feel. Everyday I work with people on helping them improve their diet so that they can optimize the way they feel. From reducing inflammatory foods to decrease pain or aid in weight loss, to investigating individual foods to improve sleep or bowel function, the focus is on feeling great.

In honor of national nutrition month I encourage you to listen to your body and the way you feel, take inventory of your diet and think of ways that you can start today to improve your diet. Make sure you include fruits and vegetables into your diet, reduce your sugars, and exercise! Everything in moderation is key to a successful diet change!

A February Fruit!

A February Fruit

Perhaps you have heard of the grapefruit diet or enjoy a glass of grapefruit juice in the morning? Regardless of the reason, grapefruit deserves the attention!! February is national grapefruit month, and this fruit is definitely one worthy of your refrigerator. Although I don’t recommend the grapefruit diet, it did originate from the fact that grapefruit contains compounds that can help improve weight loss, coining grapefruit in some circles “a natural fat burner”.

One grapefruit can have up to 100% of your daily needs for vitamin C, a vitamin that plays a major role in immune support and anti-aging. Considering that February is a cold month and often a time of flu's and colds, eating grapefruit can have a strong effect on immune response, thus reducing incidence and duration of colds and flu’s. Additionally, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which are the front line against destruction from aging.

Furthermore, valentines day isn’t the only reason for hearts everywhere in February. Grapefruit gives us another reason to celebrate the heart in February. Grapefruit is a heart healthy fruit, reducing incidence of heart disease in some studies due to its abundance of vitamins and nutrients as well as high fiber content! One of the most beneficial parts of the grapefruit is called pectin. Pectin is a soluble fiber that may reduce the ability of plaque to form on artery walls (a process known as atherosclerosis) which leads to cardiovascular disease, making grapefruit a heart healthy food!!

Grapefruit contains specific compounds that may have an effect on the potency of certain prescription medications. If you are taking prescription medications check with your pharmacist or doctor to see if grapefruit should be avoided. Not all medications interact with grapefruit however, so rather than just taking it out of your diet, check first to see if any medications you take interact with this fantastic fruit!

A "New" New Years Resolution

Have you ever started off a New Year resolving that you would lose weight, exercise or eat healthy? Many of us have set these goals but less have succeeded with this resolution. So, why the disparity between successes and failures? Often the problem lies within the game plan. When setting goals that address lifestyle changes, it is most important to set ones that are sustainable for not just short periods of time, but for the duration of the year. Be careful not to set goals too large that will be difficult to follow on a daily basis. Overtime there is a tendency to lose sight of these large goals and the slowly old habits, which conveniently fit into our schedule, creep back and before you know it, you’re right back where you started.

This year when making your resolution, start with restructuring the thoughts behind the resolution. For example rather than the normal "I am going to lose weight" or "I am going to start exercising" try to create smaller more focused goals, goals that compliment your ultimate goal without losing sight of it. So how do you do that? Well here are a few examples of small changes that over 12 months make a big difference.

The Colorful Plate

Eat 1/2 of your plate from vegetables. Vegetables are high in fiber, low in calories and filling. Eating a diet high in vegetables, especially dark greens and leafy vegetables helps lower blood pressure, cholesterol and is heart healthy.

Some suggestions include:

• Snack on fresh veggies like baby carrots, celery and broccoli
• Add lettuce, tomato and onion to sandwiches
• Substitute side dishes such as potatoes, rice or bread for extra vegetables or a side salad

Assessable Activity

Increase your daily activity! Make small efforts to increase your physical activity on a daily basis. Some suggestions include:

• Get off the subway or bus a stop or two early and walk the extra distance.
• Make yourself a deal that every time you watch TV you will use the commercials as an opportunity to be active. Try some pushups or jumping jacks, or maybe some stretching until the program resumes.

Shop smart

Temptation can run high at the grocery store with super sales and shiny packages and before you know it your cabinet is filled with 3 types of cookies, sinful ice creams and the “go to” chips. To prevent this try to follow some of these tips:

• Bring a list with you to the grocery store that you made while looking through your cabinets for what you need
• Don’t shop on an empty stomach.

Killer Calories

• Cut calories in beverages. Drinking calories is one of the easiest ways to gain weight or prevent weight loss. Instead chose beverages low in sugar and calories or free of calories.
• Try water or seltzer water over flavored water or sport drinks. To flavor water squeeze fresh lemon or lime into the water
• Eliminate beverages that provide more than 30 calories per serving
• Look for juices that are natural and have no added sugars. Light versions of juice are even better.
• Try many varieties of herbal teas, regular teas and coffee. Be careful not to load the coffee or tea with sugar. Herbal teas have many caffeine free varieties naturally flavored and sweet.
• When drinking alcoholic beverages use non calorie mixers to add to the alcohol such as seltzer water. To enhance flavor add a “splash” of juice

Its most important is to remember that change is slow, and small changes make a big difference. A healthy diet is a lifelong commitment and rewarding in its nature. Don’t be fooled by fad diets and promises of easy fast weight loss or expensive exercise programs that become too time consuming. Take time to enjoy your foods, treasure your walks, and prepare your meals. Have a happy and healthy holiday and a Nutritious new year!

Check out my latest feature on will power in dietiting....
http://www.livestrong.com/article/547011-willpower-whats-sugar-got-to-do-with-it/

5 Most dangerous side effects of diet pills!

Check out this article to learn about the 5 most dangerous side effects of diet pills!!! Scary!!!
http://www.shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/5-most-dangerous-side-effects-of-diet-pills-2508465/

5 weight loss myths debunked

Check out this article I am featured in on weight loss myths debunked!!!
http://www.suite101.com/content/5-weight-loss-myths-debunked-a378642

Shedding summer pounds

Have you tried to lose weight in time for summer? Or are you interested in continuing diet efforts throughout bikini season? Check out this article in shape.com that I am featured in on foods that will help you shed the summer pounds!
http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/diet-strategies/top-50-summer-diet-foods-for-weight-loss

Enjoy!!!

Livestrong

Ever wonder if protein bars are safe for kids? Take a look at this article I was featured in by livestrong on protein bars and kids!!!

http://www.livestrong.com/article/474167-are-protein-bars-bad-for-children/

Diet Pills

Hey All,

Check out one of my recent features. It a great article by redbook on "do Diet Pills Actually Work"...
http://www.shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/do-any-diet-pills-actually-work-experts-weigh-in-2495527/

Thanksgiving Thirteen - Keep Weight Off This Holiday!

So in the past few weeks I have been busy making the rounds on radio stations all over the country discussing the "Thanksgiving Thirteen". If you are like most people then you want to avoid unwanted weight gain throughout the holiday season. If you didn't catch any of the shows then check out the link below to get the tips on how to avoid holiday weight gain, the one exercise tip that will change your life forever and the top five best and worst of thanksgiving foods!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Click Here To Listen To The Wolf 99.5 FM Radio Clip

"Quicktrim" ... just another Quick trick??

Not so New Diet Trend
A Kim Kardashian like body in a bottle.. well not quite. The "new" (but not so new) diet pill that Kim and Klohe Kardashian have signed on as spokespersons for is not drastically different from many other diet pills endorsed by celebrities past and present. As a matter of fact the "active ingredients" of Quick Trim happen to be some of the same main ingredients in other diet pills including high amounts of stimulants generally in the form of caffiene, bulk laxatives and stimulatory laxatives, herbs marketed as "appetite supressants", vitamins and herbs marketed as "detoxifiers", and of course the classsic fat burners or metaboism boosters which are more often than not simply amino acids.

Reality is...
So often I have patients coming in and asking for a pill to help them lose weight, and when I inform them that there just isn't such a pill, it comes as such surprise. If losing weight were as easy as swallowing a pill then the obesity epidemic plaguing the US would be declining. Well.... its not declining and Quick trim is not going to result in dramatic weight loss. It is true that some of the ingrediets in diet pills may cause increase in bowel movements, burn fat, lessen cravings or shed pounds (understandable when your not allowed to eat for 3 days other than produce and water, as some instruct) but all this with the risk and or expensive of high blood pressure, heart problems, insomnia, stomach problems and let's not forget a pretty steep price tag. Diet pills are of the most expensive nutritional supplements sold, some costing as much as 250 dollars a week.

Well, if this and the many other diet pills out there are as successful as they claim in aiding in weight loss why do so many people continue to struggle with weight? If Kim and the many other celebrities with idealisitic bodies are simply using pills, then why doesn't it work for the rest of us? The answer to this is not as simple as yes or no, and for most of these individuals they have teams behind them including trainers, personal chefs and nutritionists.

Want success? My Recommendation is...
So what to do then, if diet pills dont work and personal trainers and nutritionists are too expensive? First I recommend picking up health magazines from time to time and reading through them. More often than not you'll get sound evidence on healthy foods and tips to improve your diet. Secondly, Mom said it best "eat your vegetables"! It is almost impossible to lose weight with out forceful presence of vegetables on your plate. Lettuce and tomato on a sandwich are simply not enough. Plates need to be half full with vegetables and loss loaded with carbs. Try to consume most of your foods from fresh sources and less from processed packages and most importantly CUT out the sugars!! (which includes simple carbohydrates that turn into sugar in the body such as postatoes, white bread, white pasta, rice, etc). Choose whole grains that are higher in fiber!

DON'T FORGET!
Lastly, follow me on twitter @jaimeschehrnd for a Nutrition Tip of the day to help you reach your weight goals!

Death by Dior

Is it true that my Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow can cause internal organ toxicity, is my CoverGirl Mascara really a potential cancer causing agent? Is it true that Christian Dior sunless spray bronzer can act as a neurotoxin potentially causing me neurological damage? According to the cosmetic database (http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/) collected by the environmental working group (http://www.ewg.org/), yes these are potential toxicities associated with common cosmetics used by many. It doesn't stop here though, the race for a pretty face is not the only offender, also cited are hundreds of shampoos, soaps, toothpastes and personal hygiene products that contain harmful chemicals with the potential for serious and scary side effects. Beyond cosmetics cleaning products, electronics, and food are also a vector for many toxins and chemicals we ingest or are exposed to daily. Everywhere we turn today we are inundated with chemicals and toxins that wreak havoc on our health.

Seen on T.V.

Recently CNN aired an investigative report with Sanjay Gupta titled "Toxic America", highlighting five of the most common chemicals in the world and their potential health risks including cancer, sexual problems, behavioral issues and nervous system disorders, weight gain to name a few. Included in this report were BPA and Phthalates commonly found in plastics, PFOA a repellent, Formaldehyde a glue/preservative and PBDE's a flame retardant. This list of just five is exhausting enough, and can make someone feel as if they need a degree in chemical engineering just to understand...

Not Only in Your Health & Beauty Products

Furthermore, every day new reports emerge stressing the importance of eating organic foods and the prevalence of chemicals, antibiotics, growth hormones and pesticides in our food. Most commonly known is the dirty dozen which lists the 12 most pesticide and chemical laden produce items including celery which may have up to 67 pesticides in it, peaches, bell peppers, spinach, and cherries to name a few.

It’s no wonder people give up on trying to avoid chemicals and toxins because they are virtually everywhere and trying to avoid these ever present nasties quickly become overwhelming. So what’s the answer? Do we use just water to wash, avoid all make-up and deodorants, eat only the food we can grow in our garden, cook in glass dishes, and throw out our microwaves? Well if you can avoid all of these lurking offenders, great but for most of us this is not realistic and finding an alternative to limiting our toxic exposure is key.

Making Simple but Good Changes

Rather than becoming the boy in the bubble or the opposite, the garbage disposal for toxins try implementing small changes that make a big difference.... Wondering where to start? Start by checking the http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/. Check your commonly used products, if they are high on the hazardous list, considering switching them out for ones that are less toxic. If it’s your absolute favorite, well than use it from time to time on special occasions and have an alternative that you use daily.

In the Kitchen

When cooking or reheating foods avoid heating in anything that is plastic if possible (especially soft plastics), when available buy products that denote BPA free and phthalate free. A key here is that if the plastic has the number 7 on the container it is made with BPA and should be avoided. Try stainless steel water bottles to carry or BPA free water containers. If you are buying new pots or pans opt for stainless steel or cast iron over teflon, if you use teflon make sure that you discard the pan if the non-stick surface is peeling. I recently took the leap of living without a microwave, inconvenient at first but now heating on the stove is a way of life.

In and Around the Bedroom

Check tags and labels on new furniture or bedding to choose ones that are formaldehyde free - formaldehyde is the same chemical used to preserve dead bodies, do you really want to lay your head on a couch sprayed with this?

At the Grocery Store

For foods, buy organic when possible or available. If your budget or location does not allow you to buy organic often then opt for produce that is on the clean list more than on the dirty dozen you can find this at http://www.ewg.org/. Choose meats and proteins that are not fed growth hormones or antibiotics, even if not organic.

Making these changes is important for your health now, and in the future but also leaves an important question..... How do we detox our bodies from all the toxins we've already been exposed to?