Beware of the Office Candy Jar!

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us, a predictable food phenomenon occurs in offices everywhere: the sudden appearance of holiday candy jars, filled to the brim with all kinds of treats! Even on desks of the most healthful eaters, that welcoming candy jar works on the premise that throughout the holiday season "food is love." It's one of the most frequent questions I get about the challenges of managing holiday eating.

Who doesn't like a sweet treat now and then? My mantra is “no bad foods, just bad portions.” But the problem is that a few candies a day, from various jars, can add up fast. Just 100 extra calories (about 4-5 pieces) from a day's worth of "Have a candy, just one won't hurt" can pack on one extra pound in just a month!

When it comes to the candy jar, focus on being a mindful eater – think before you eat a piece – and you’ll have great practice for all of the holiday temptations to come. Remember to keep track of the number of pieces you choose daily. Ask yourself if it’s worth it or if you would rather spend those calories somewhere else.

You do have a choice. Keep some sugarless gum and mints handy for yourself as a substitute for calorie-laden treats. And learn to say "No, thanks," You're not obligated to eat just because someone makes an offer!

These easy tips translate well to the variety of eating situations you'll face throughout the season.

Do you have some tips to share about keeping your holiday eating under control?

Let the Holiday Season Begin!

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom


Today marks the unofficial start of the holiday season, and it begins with shopping! While you might not be scanning the store shelves at midnight, the start of the season puts a lot of added pressure on all of us, only one of which is gift shopping. With already busy lives, the pressure of “doing it all” begins now and continues through the end of the year.

In the weeks to come, I’ll be visiting numerous topics on managing your holiday stress, with ideas on how to focus on the joys of the holiday season while reducing much of the pressure.

How about some of your own ideas on coping with holiday stress? I’d love to know!

In the meantime, enjoy the post-Thanksgiving holiday weekend!

Creating Holiday Food Memories

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

With Thanksgiving just two days away, I’d like to talk about all of the positive
associations of food and family that we don’t often hear about. Food has now become “the enemy” – it’s loaded with calories fat, sugar, and salt – and in such large portions!

When it comes to the holidays, it’s important to be a mindful eater, but also allow yourself to be a “smart splurger” with some of your family’s favorite indulgences.

Many families have traditional favorites for Thanksgiving, and this can be wonderfully comforting, bringing back years of happy memories. It’s such a warm feeling to know that generations of your family have enjoyed these same dishes; it’s a nice way to include food as part of your family traditions.

For some people, the beloved dishes are modified for healthier eating, and the essence remains the same. But many people resist changing, or updating, holiday recipes. The positive food memories are so strong that it’s a treat to eat, not just for the taste, but for the good feelings that come with the old favorite. You might have seen this scenario at your own holiday meals, when someone decides to experiment with a new dish, and people are outraged. “What happened to Aunt Helen’s bread stuffing? We don’t want jalapeno cornbread stuffing from Cooking Light Magazine!” Sound familiar?

If you don’t have some favorite holiday foods, I’d suggest creating some new, perhaps healthier, food traditions for your friends and family. Creating your own “food memories” for your loved ones can certainly enhance the enjoyment of your holiday gatherings!

Have a Healthy and Happy Thanksgiving!

November Is Healthy Skin Month!

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in the body? While most people try to pay attention to healthy lifestyle habits supporting other organs like the heart, very little thought goes usually goes towards care of the skin. So, how should you take care of your skin? I’d like to review some of the basics, to help support your own daily routine.

If you have skin problems or other chronic diseases, always talk to your family doctor or dermatologist for personalized information.

It’s important to keep your skin – especially your face and hands – clean. But you don’t need expensive cleansers or fancy soaps to do so. Stick with economical fragrance-free soaps and cleansers from the supermarket or drug store. While department store cleansers might feel great on your skin, there’s no evidence that they’re doing a better job of cleansing. If you enjoy the purchase, have fun, but it’s not a must-have.

Think about hydration for your skin – meaning an all purpose moisturizer, especially in the winter. If, after washing your face, it’s tight when you yawn, a lightweight moisturizer can help. As with cleansing, spending more money doesn’t necessarily make a better product. Daily use after cleansing (twice daily) provides optimal results.

And don’t forget the sunscreen, even in winter. While our days are shorter, it’s still important to wear daily sunscreen with an SPF of 15 (or higher if you choose or if recommended by your doctor).

Blocking the sun’s rays on your skin can interfere with adequate vitamin D intake (vitamin D is produced in the skin with sun exposure), so make sure your hands, arms, and/or legs are exposed to the sun. Fifteen to 20 minutes daily is more than enough to meet daily requirements.

What other skin-savers can you share for Healthy Skin Month?

Just Say No to Liquid Calories

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

Why do we always hear so much about “cutting liquid calories” for a healthier diet? It’s because most of these sources contain loads of calories without any nutritional benefit.

Liquid calories are a hidden source of sugars (and calories) that shock most people when they see the numbers.

Did you know that a 20-ounce soda has about 16 teaspoons of sugar? A daily soda adds up to 50 pounds of sugar consumed in a year! That’s not good news for your waistline or your teeth.

You might be surprised to know that juices – even 100% fruit juice – contain about the same amount of sugar as soda. You always want to eat your fruit, not drink it.

When it comes to choosing liquids, stick with water, seltzer, unsweetened tea or coffee, and low/nonfat milk most of the time. Think of juices and sodas as a special occasion treat if you enjoy them, but work on eliminating these drinks from your daily intake.

What about alcohol? Alcohol contains nearly the same number of calories per ounce as fat – so be especially mindful here. If you do consume alcohol, stick with the national guidelines of one daily drink for women, and two for men.

Do you struggle with liquid calories?

Cut Your Diabetes Risk

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

Nearly 10% of the US population has type 2 diabetes. But you don’t have to be part of this group! The good news is that even making one key lifestyle change can reduce your risk by about one-third.

An NIH study showed how 5 specific lifestyle changes can reduce diabetes risk – even with a family history of the disease. Reducing all 5 risk factors lowered the risk by up to 80%! It’s a perfect example of how a consistently healthy lifestyle can be an effective tool in preventing disease onset.

Lose a Little Bit of Weight: You don’t need have a BMI under 25 to get the health benefits of weight loss. Losing just 5% of your body weight “counts” as significant weight loss; if you weigh 160 pounds, that’s just an 8 pound loss!

Stop Smoking: Heavy smokers (more than 20 cigarettes daily) are at greatest risk for diabetes. It’s hard to stop smoking, so seek some professional help to determine your own best tools. These include behavioral strategies, nicotine gum, electronic cigarettes, or medications that can help reduce cravings.

Keep Moving: Physical activity contributes to weight loss, but it has other major metabolic benefits, including blood sugar regulation and building of muscle mass. Try including include both aerobic (walking, running) and strength training (weights, bands) activities in your daily life.

Boost Your Fiber Intake: A big plus for both weight loss and digestive health, high fiber foods (fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, whole grains) also contribute to a stable blood sugar.

Monitor Your Alcohol Intake: While a max of one daily drink for women and two for men has documented health value, too much alcohol can lead to organ (liver, pancreas) inflammation and impairment of function, ultimately contributing to impaired blood sugar control. If you don’t already consume alcohol, avoid adding it for a health boost.

The Key to Self-Improvement

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

We all strive in different ways to be “better’ at who we are and what we do. Whether it’s improving our health, relationships, or career, it can be tough to decide how to act on these ambitions in a productive way.

It can be a double-edged sword, this self-improvement journey. Many of us are always striving to be “better,” without being satisfied with the progress we’ve already made.

I came across this topic by reading a new book called Good Enough Is the New Perfect by Hollee Schwartz and Becky Gillespie. The authors surveyed women in their 30s and 40s, and broadly identified two categories: “never enoughs” and “good enoughs.”

I like this kind of thinking, and find it applies to most areas of life.

With “never enough” thinking, the positives we do are masked by the idea that we must always do more. An unrealistic expectation for most people, and very frustrating.

With “good enough” thinking, we can appreciate our strengths, and be more satisfied with our positive efforts. It’s not settling for mediocrity, but rather looking at our positive steps as a worthy “pat on the back.” Perfection is not the goal, it’s improvement.

I think this is a great message – and this kind of thinking can go a long way to supporting lifelong, fulfilling self-improvement.

Do you agree?

Alcohol and Breast Cancer Risk

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

The health risks and benefits of alcohol continue to get more complicated. We all know – and science agrees - that excessive consumption is health damaging. Yet plenty of scientific data support the health benefits of a modest amount of alcohol (beer, wine, or spirits) daily on heart health: for women, one drink and men, two drinks.

Now a new study based on the Harvard Women’s Health Study, suggests that women who routinely consume even small amounts of alcohol, regularly – as few as 3 drinks each week – elevate their risk of breast cancer. How should you interpret this information?

It’s important to understand that the risk rose by 15% in a group of roughly 100,000 women, with risk rising with increasing alcohol intake. This sounds scary, until you look at the risk of the average woman. A typical woman, at age 50, has a breast cancer risk of about 3% over 5 years, so the added risk from this small amount of alcohol would only raise this risk to 3.45%. But you need to know your overall risk factors, including family history and other lifestyle habits, to see how “typical” you are.

Population data like these are not always reflective of the individual. The risks and benefits of modest alcohol consumption remain an ongoing debate in the scientific and medical community.

The bottom line? If you don’t already consume alcohol, don’t add it to your diet as a health promoter. If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages, talk with your doctor or another health professional about your personal health issues, to better determine your own health profile relative to the pros and cons of alcohol intake.

Got Chocolate Milk?

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

Did you know that most teenagers (and adults!) don’t get enough daily calcium? For most people that’s about 1,000 mg per day - about 3 servings of dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese (low or non-fat if you please!). Dark green vegetables can also make a modest contribution, but it takes nearly 3 cups of broccoli to equal the calcium in an 8 ounce glass of milk.

The steepest drop in dairy intake is the start of the teenage years. Enter 1% chocolate milk, popular in Pittsburgh area schools, where it’s offered in all 24 school districts in Allegheny County. In fact, about 80% of the milk consumed at lunch is the low-fat chocolate variety. The extra sugar in low fat chocolate milk – about 50 calories – is a cause for concern from some nutrition policy groups, who don’t like the message that “a few extra calories” don’t matter, and connect it to the expanding waistlines of teens and adults. But for those who just don’t like the taste of plain milk, low fat chocolate milk can make a big difference.

With nearly a third of the daily requirement for calcium, low-fat chocolate milk can be a tasty part of a healthy diet at any age. It’s all about moderation. Choose chocolate milk once a day, and save those 50 calories someplace else!

And if you’re looking to refuel after an intense workout, new evidence continues to support low-fat chocolate milk as an effective and economical choice, providing the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.