Puvema

03/24/2026

"New data again reminds us that good sleep is an important tool for overcoming obesity."

"There was no diet intervention in this study. Nonetheless, people in the treatment group not only got more sleep. They also just naturally ate a little less. About 270 calories per day less--measured with doubly labeled water. No fussy diet. Just a natural reduction in calorie consumption with more sleep."

https://conscienhealth.org/2022/05/more-evidence-that-good-sleep-helps-with-obesity/

Jason Gootman
Mayo Clinic Certified Wellness Coach
National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach

New data tells us again that neglecting sleep as a factor in obesity may well be getting in the way of overcoming it.

03/24/2026

Hot off the press!

We invite you to check out our latest article:

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Losing Weight Is Simple

https://puvema.com/losing-weight-is-simple/

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In part, because change is hard. And in part, because weight-loss charlatans are constantly disseminating nonsense ideas.

03/22/2026

If you enjoy our posts and you’re challenged by emotional eating, we invite you to check out our special report:

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How to Permanently Overcome Emotional Eating

https://puvema.com/report/how-to-permanently-overcome-emotional-eating/

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This special report gets to the bottom of emotional eating.

03/20/2026

"Your patient should get a health coach."

"The reason behind the lack of success with lifestyle interventions is simple--behavior change is hard. There is however a tool that makes behavior change easier--health coaching."

"Health coaching works. A 2014 systematic literature review concluded that among adults with chronic diseases, health coaching leads to statistically significant improvements in weight management, physical activity, physical and mental health status."

"The right coach will guide clients to make well defined, measurable goals, and will keep clients on track by holding them accountable for making forward progress. Health coaching that achieves lasting results uses a personalized approach that fits each individual’s unique life circumstances."

"A well-trained health coach is educated regarding behavior change, and uses a science based process to facilitate that change."

"Health coaching is structured to provide the necessary time to be successful at behavior change."

"So please start recommending a health coach to your patients today."

https://kevinmd.com/2016/05/your-patient-should-get-a-health-coach-heres-why.html

Health coaching is a very useful tool to achieve behavior change and help reduce the burden of chronic conditions like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.

03/18/2026

"Later, as habits strengthen, the decision parts of the brain no longer need to kick in to initiate the action. The habit is now activated in memory and considered automatic: The neural circuits can perform the habit without conscious thought. In other words, you don’t need to choose to perform the action any more."

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/16/health/brain-how-habits-form-wellness-partner/index.html

Understanding what the brain does when you’re trying to change your behavior can help you stick with new habits — or kick old ones to the curb.

03/17/2026

"Researchers report that stair climbers reduce their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 39% compared to people who don’t use stairs."

"'Based on these results, we would encourage people to incorporate stair climbing into their day-to-day lives,' said Paddock. 'So, whether at work, home, or elsewhere, take the stairs.'"

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/climbing-stairs-may-improve-heart-health-promote-longevity

Researchers say climbing stairs instead of taking an elevator improves heart health by combining aerobic with strength training exercise

03/15/2026

If you enjoy our posts and you’re interested in the psychology of lasting behavior improvement and positive habit formation, we invite you to check out our special report:

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How to Form Self-Care Habits That Truly Stick

https://puvema.com/report/how-to-form-self-care-habits-that-truly-stick/

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This special report describes how to make change go from seemingly impossible to eminently doable.

03/13/2026

In the west, there's a land.

The people there struggle with type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, chronic neuromusculoskeletal pain, anxiety, depression, and related ailments.

Despite knowing what to do and having good intentions, they struggle with their eating habits, exercise habits, and overall self-care habits.

This is the Province of Knowledge and Good Intentions.
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In the east, there's a land.

The people there are thriving.

They consistently maintain their self-care habits.

They adeptly turn knowledge and good intentions into action, habits, and results.

This is the Province of Thriving.
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Between the two lands is a 100-mile-wide gap:

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Implementation Gap

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Each and every day, millions of people try to travel from the Province of Knowledge and Good Intentions to the Province of Thriving, but most don't make it through Implementation Gap.

They get sucked up by quicksand, eaten by dragons, or swept away by tsunamis.
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Some rather benevolent figures also roam these lands:

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Mayo Clinic Certified Wellness Coach Jason Gootman and his team of wellness professionals

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Jason and his team are IMPLEMENTATION SPECIALISTS.

They help people build IMPLEMENTATION BRIDGES that enable them to successfully navigate Implementation Gap.

They provide people with accountability, guidance, and support rooted in the psychology of lasting behavior improvement and positive habit formation and help them get from the Province of Knowledge and Good Intentions to the Province of Thriving.

The end.

03/11/2026

"Of all the spending categories in your retirement, this one--over time--will likely be the big tamale. If you’re in reasonably good health, health care spending will typically be relatively low when you retire, then jump as you age into your 80s and beyond, says Eric Ross, a certified financial planner in Cincinnati."

"Spending now on fitness and wellness can help retirees save later on medical costs, Toberman adds."

https://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-2023/most-common-underestimated-expenses.html?cmp=EMC-DSM-NLC-OTH-WBLTR-1532702-1785702-7122093-NA-03182023-Webletter-MS1-SAPLA-NA-TM60-Money&encparam=sIoRdgObc/TW2kC2jVnnjdskvrQZFqG6eHkWjowlj9Y=

Travel? Dining out? Sure. But don’t overlook these stealth costs.

03/10/2026

"Research has already made clear that regular exercise is one of the top tools to prevent Alzheimer's in the first place. A meta-analysis of 16 studies analyzing 160,000 subjects showed that physically active people are 45% less likely to develop the debilitating disease."

"Various mechanisms could explain exercise’s apparent ability to slow Alzheimer's disease. One is increasing blood flow to the brain. Aerobic exercise in particular stimulates hemoglobin proteins in red blood cells to release nitric oxide. In turn, this compound causes small blood vessels to dilate, thus accepting more blood and oxygen. Another mechanism is reducing markers of inflammation in the central nervous system. A third is boosting brain size. Numerous trials have shown exercise to enlarge the anterior cingulate cortex and the hippocampus in older adults. (The hippocampus in particular shrinks with Alzheimer's.) These changes were accompanied by improvements in reaction time, motor function, spatial memory, and cognitive processing speed. Fourth, exercise greatly boosts the production of BDNF, one of a group of compounds called neurotrophins. Collectively, they regulate various functions that help the brain grow and work smoothly. BDNF is one of the most important. In Alzheimer's patients, it’s often depleted."

https://bigthink.com/health/exercise-for-alzheimers/

Regular exercise greatly reduces one's risk of Alzheimer's. Recent studies suggest physical activity may also slow the disease's progression.

03/09/2026

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

We invite you to check out our article:

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Pour Some Sugar on Me

https://puvema.com/pour-some-sugar-on-me/

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It’s midafternoon. You’re not hungry, but the brownies in the break room are calling you. “Nah,” you say to yourself. “I’m not even hungry. I just had lunch two hours ago.”

03/09/2026

If you enjoy our posts and you’re interested in lifestyle medicine, we invite you to check out our special report:

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Lifestyle Medicine Saves Lives

https://puvema.com/report/lifestyle-medicine-saves-lives/

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This special report details the potency of lifestyle medicine.