Wholesome health & Wellness Tips

01/24/2025

Key points to remember for 2025 weight loss strategies:

Individualized approach:
Consult a healthcare professional to develop a plan tailored to your specific needs and health conditions.

Focus on sustainable lifestyle changes:
Prioritize long-term habits like healthy eating and regular exercise over quick fixes.

Monitor progress:
Track your weight, food intake, and activity levels to assess progress and make necessary adjustments.

Seek support:
Consider joining a weight-loss group or working with a personal trainer for motivation and accountability

01/22/2025

Medical Interventions (Consult your doctor):

Prescription medications: Depending on individual needs, consider FDA-approved weight-loss medications, like GLP-1 receptor agonists, that may be prescribed to aid in appetite control.

Bariatric surgery: For individuals with severe obesity, surgical options like gastric bypass surgery may be considered.

Nutritional counseling: Work with a registered dietitian to create a personalized meal plan.

01/20/2025

Behavioral Strategies:

Sleep hygiene: Prioritize adequate sleep to regulate hormones that impact appetite.

Stress management: Practice relaxation techniques like mindfulness or meditation to manage stress-related eating

Meal planning: Plan meals ahead of time to avoid unhealthy choices when hungry

01/17/2025

Physical Activity:

Regular exercise: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week.

Strength training: Incorporate resistance training to build muscle mass, which can boost metabolism.

Movement throughout the day: Take the stairs, park further away, and do short bursts of activity throughout the day.

01/15/2025

Dietary Modifications:

Prioritize whole foods: Emphasize fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fats while limiting processed foods, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates.
Portion control: Practice mindful eating by paying attention to hunger cues and serving sizes.

Fiber intake: Increase fiber consumption through high-fiber vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to promote satiety.

Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day.

01/13/2025

In 2025, medical strategies for weight loss primarily focus on a personalized approach combining a balanced diet rich in whole foods, regular physical activity, mindful eating, potential medication support if needed, and consultation with a healthcare professional to develop a sustainable plan. Over the next few weeks we will look at a strategy...

01/10/2025

Myth #5: I’ll lose fat when I lose weight.

“Many people assume fat is the first thing to go when you lose weight, but if you don’t stay active you will likely also lose muscle. Preserving, and even building muscle mass, is important for both your long-term health and for maintaining weight loss. Muscle and a good metabolism go hand-in-hand. If you have less muscle mass, you’ll burn fewer calories each day. Many studies show that it isn’t enough to just work out if want to lose weight and keep it off. According to a 2018 review of studies published in the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, activity alone—resistance training, aerobic exercise or a combination of both—resulted in zero to three percent weight loss, while weight-loss diets in combination with aerobic activity (like brisk walking, swimming or bicycling) resulted in five to fifteen percent weight loss. And yes, when you work out, you might find yourself wanting to eat more. So it’s important to eat healthy foods that assist in weight loss and avoid the pitfalls of many over-processed, quick snack foods.”

tuftsmedicine.

01/08/2025

Myth #4: Losing smaller amounts of weight slowly will help you keep it off, compared with losing a lot of weight quickly.

"The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) has followed over 10,000 individuals who have lost weight and maintained at least 30 pounds over a year or more. Some people have lost weight quickly while others lost weight over many years. The NWCR has shown that some of the keys to successful weight maintenance include careful weight monitoring and a high level of physical activity every day. They also tend to eat a lower calorie, lower fat diet and the majority eat breakfast daily. Thus, long-term skills are more important for weight maintenance than how the weight was lost.”

tuftsmedicine

01/06/2025

Myth #3: Consuming six small meals a day (or fasting for a part of the day) is better than eating three traditional meals.

"Eating ‘mini-meals’ is very popular with trainers and several fad diets popular right now, but there’s no scientific proof that eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day will help you eat less or lose weight. For some people, eating smaller meals every several hours does prevent their blood sugar from dropping, which can lead to increased hunger between meals. Some people actually wind up eating more when they eat multiple, small meals. As for intermittent fasting, this works for some, but not for everyone. We can all agree that more research is needed. My advice is to talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian to see which plan you have the most success with.”

tuftsmedicine

01/05/2025

Myth #1: You must cut out all carbs (or fat) to lose weight.

“I never advise anyone to cut out an entire category of food, no matter how popular the latest fad diet may be. Our bodies require diverse and varied nutrients to work properly. We know that too many foods today are processed and high in refined sugars or starches; foods like white bread, white rice, refined crackers, desserts, soda. You should avoid those foods, but other carb-containing foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains are important for your health and provide dietary fiber as well as phytochemicals which actually have positive metabolic effects. As for avoiding fats, some studies have shown that higher-fat diets, such as Mediterranean-style diets and low-carb diets are better than low-fat diets if you want to lose weight. Eating plans need to be individualized. I recommend partnering with a registered dietitian when possible.”

tuftsmedicine.

01/04/2025

Myth #2: While losing weight, I will be hungry.

“It surprises many of my patients to learn that some of the best foods for losing weight are actually among the most filling. I advise patients to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and whole grains. These, along with some minimally processed foods, can keep you feeling satisfied longer. It may be because they are digested more slowly, and the slower release of starch and sugars into the bloodstream helps to keep away hunger pangs for longer periods of time. A study at the National Institutes of Health found that people are hungrier, eat more and gain weight while eating ultra-processed foods, and the exact opposite is true when you stick with a diet rich in minimally processed foods.”
tuftsmedicine.

01/04/2025

How to Make a High-Protein Veggie Sandwich

1. Start with Whole-Grain Bread
Start with whole-grain bread, whether it be whole-wheat sandwich bread, multigrain bread or a whole-wheat English muffin. This will ensure your meal has carbohydrates—your body’s preferred source of energy.1 We recommend picking whole-grain bread because it’s higher in fiber than white bread, and getting plenty of fiber in your meals is important for preventing blood sugar spikes.2 Whole grains are also higher in protein, which is another key nutrient for balancing blood sugars.3 It’s also an easy way to boost the total protein, vitamin and mineral content of your meal.

2. Add a Spread
A tasty spread can be the secret sauce (pun intended) that transforms a sandwich from good to great. Some tasty spread ideas include mayonnaise, pesto, aioli, oil and vinegar, hummus, avocado and mustard. Most of these sandwich spreads are a source of dietary fat, which can help your body absorb vitamins A, D, E and K from the other ingredients.4 Plus, it’s an opportunity to add heart-healthy unsaturated fats to your day to help manage cholesterol.

a tempeh BLT sandwich being made
ALI REDMOND
3. Use a Vegetarian Protein
Next it’s time to add the star of the show: protein. Pick a vegetarian protein source like low-fat cheese, eggs, beans, tofu or tempeh. There are lots of ways to enjoy these protein sources so you won’t get bored. Mash white beans, make an egg or chickpea salad, cook up smoky tempeh bacon, or mix and match reduced-fat cheeses. And there’s no need to pick just one vegetarian protein! Feel free to add multiple kinds to up the total protein content of your sandwich.

4. Pile on the Vegetables
Finally, make sure to finish off your sandwich with plenty of vegetables. For most sandwiches, you’ll want to add veggies like cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, onions or carrots. If you’re making a hot sandwich, then sautéed mushrooms, onions, peppers or zucchini would also work well. Either way, this final step will add more fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to your sandwich.

Using this high-protein veggie sandwich formula can help mitigate blood sugar spikes and keep you satisfied until your next meal.