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You first have to know how to identify "real foods", and then slowly introduce them into your diet. Real food may actually cost a bit more (trust me… its worth it!) and your taste buds might need to adjust. Let me give a concrete example. If you eat the Standard American Diet (SAD) chances are the bread you eat is not real food but a chemical concoction. One brand of bread I recommend (that is actual real food and truly whole grain) is Ezekiel (I have no financial ties to the company!). Now, if you normally eat Wonder Bread, then

As often happens in medicine, we take a relatively simple concept and then give it a really intimidating name, so no one knows what the heck we’re talking about! The "microbiome" refers to the bacteria that live in our gut (intestines). There are more bacteria in the gut than cells in the human body! In fact, one could make the case (with tongue only partially in cheek) that the human body is just a vehicle for the care and feeding of bacteria! In all seriousness, what is this microbiome and why should you care about it? The microbiome is established

This month's discussion is about the association between coronavirus and obesity. It is possible, of course, for anyone to get infected with the coronavirus. What is becoming increasingly clear, however, is that there is a clear connection between obesity and the risk of getting infected with the coronavirus. Even more concerning is that if you get infected with the corona virus and you are obese you are statistically more likely to end up in the hospital. That is to say, obese patients are more likely to get the severe form of the disease. The reasons why obesity represents a risk

I remember the first time I read the Chinese proverb “May you live in interesting times”. I thought to myself…that’s a very nice sentiment. Then I found out that it is not really a proverb but a curse. My next thought was ‘that’s odd…it should be nice to live in interesting times’. Boy o’ boy...I now totally understand why it’s a curse! Say what you will about the year 2020..it was certainly ‘interesting’! The most contentious election in the life of anyone alive today, the pandemic, lockdowns, 30 million people losing their jobs, social unrest…Whoa…lets bring back the boring times

Amazing Breakthrough! Scientists have discovered a revolutionary new treatment. It makes you live longer, look younger and feel better. It decreases your risk of heart disease, cancer, and dementia. It improves immune function and helps ward off colds and the flu. What would you think if you saw that ad? Are you interested? Well, the breakthrough has already been discovered and it is called 8 hours of sleep every night! If you do even the slightest amount of research about promoting longevity you will quickly realize that adequate sleep is an absolute cornerstone for living long and healthy. I used

Let’s face it…90% of what’s online is really not worth your time…but every once in awhile you find that gem. It kind of makes you think, “Yeah, those hours I spend online (or is it "waste", I’m never really quite sure?) every week are really worth it”. Well, I think I found the gem for this week. "The only limitation is you" When I watched it, I was astounded and frankly, humbled. It is simply amazing what people can accomplish! It put me in touch with something I have realized before (but it’s always good to be reminded!) that most

Before considering this question, let’s start by acknowledging that “Diet” is a 4-letter word! The answer is “it depends.” They do and they don’t. One thing I can say with certainty… a ‘diet’ that does NOT work is SAD….the Standard American Diet. So, anything that moves you away from SAD will be beneficial. Here are some past blogs where I’ve discussed SAD: Taste Buds Rehab The Micro…What? There are no shortage of diets out there: Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Keto, Mediterranean, Pescatarian, South Beach, Atkins... you get the idea. These fit the definition of "the kinds of food that a person,

If you are reading this and have already had bariatric surgery, then hopefully you are engaging in some form of exercise that is appropriate for your age and degree of mobility. One thing people find after losing some weight is that they can do more…walk more (and further), spend more time on an exercise bike, or elliptical or rowing machine etc. One standard piece of advice I have for all my patients is…as you feel you can do more, you should. What is the reason for that advice? As we get more fit there will be a tendency to hit

In the early 2000’s, very few surgeons were doing bariatric surgery laparoscopically (minimally invasive, thru small incisions). I was one of the few at the time. Now, everyone does it that way. This has dramatically improved the recovery time for patients. Twenty years ago, bariatric surgery patients were in the ICU for 2 days, in the hospital for a week and out of work for 8-12 weeks. Today, most patients go home the next day and are back to work in 10-14 days (not weeks!!). Eighteen years ago, the gastric bypass was the surgery we did 80-90 percent of the

I want to discuss something that should be on your ‘never to do’ list. If you have had bariatric surgery, and frankly even if you haven’t, you should never ‘drink’ calories. I mean that in the very literal sense, btw. You should never consume calories in liquid form. So, first off, like all rules there are exceptions. The one exception to this rule, if you have recently had bariatric surgery you have been advised to consume your protein drink. This is obviously a liquid with calories (it has protein after all)… but other than that exception I would strongly suggest