I have learned the best way to visualize the about the amount of sugar in anything is to look at the nutrition label and divide the number of grams of sugar by four. That will tell you how many teaspoons of sugar are in one serving of that item. Every…
Earlier this year, the New York Times published an article regarding weight loss—specifically, the best way to lose weight. One conclusion: The best diet is the one you can stick to. I have written and spoken frequently about the way I eat. I don’t push a particular diet and I…
Dr. Gabe Mirkin’s Fitness and Health e-Zine is one of my go-to places for keeping up with the latest suggestions for my health. In a recent article entitled, “What You Eat, Not Your Genes, Determines Your Microbiome,” Dr. Mirkin wrote, “The hottest area of medical research today may well be…
One of my friends passed away this year. She was only 60. She died from cancer. She was a smoker. And she knew smoking is what did her in. Another of my friends, also age 60, has a different story to tell. A number of years ago, she had bronchitis.…
I have been greatly influenced by the writing of Stephen Covey, the late author of Seven Habits for Highly Successful People. What I learned from his ideas have been very important for my time management. Essentially, his message, as explained by the first three of his seven habits, is this:…
I read in the New York Times some disturbing information about people not wearing bike helmets. According to the article, head injuries account for three-fourths of the nearly 700-plus bicycle deaths that occur each year nationwide. In New York City, 97% of cycling deaths and 87% of serious cycling injuries…
I had the good fortune of sitting in on a “You Are What You Eat” presentation by Talia Segal Fidler. Talia came to the United States years ago to continue her education. After a few years here, she developed a health condition. One thing led to another and she eventually…
I’ve written a number of times about making the time to do the important things in life. Rather than saying, “I didn’t do it because I didn’t have the time,” it’s more accurate to say, “I didn’t do it because I didn’t make the time.” (One example: Making time for…
In the “Be Healthy” chapter of my book, I provided 52 suggestions for healthier eating. It’s been nearly six years since the book was published and I was wondering how many of my eating suggestions would be different if I wrote the book today. As much as I would have…
Last year I wrote about my Fitbit, which I had become very attached to. The impact the Fitbit had on me was a surprise: I went from being someone who already exercised a lot, to someone who exercised even more. A few months ago, I lost my Fitbit. It was…
Here's another reason it's so hard to eat well. While people are more driven to avoid pain than they are driven to pursue pleasure, the pain of bad health is not immediately visible. So the pleasure of a eating a piece of cake is stronger than the idea of the…
In an episode of the TED Radio Hour, "The Food We Eat," I learned more about why watching our sugar intake is so important. One of the speakers was Robert Lustig, a professor at the University of California at San Francisco. When you consume fruit, such as an orange, you…