Diet & Nutrition Blog Category

Well, I never thought I would say this.  In fact, I hesitate to actually write the words, but in fairness, I must be honest with you. I like exercise. There, I said it. I can’t believe it and I’m not proud of it, but there it is in black and white. All of the folks at…

Many people believe they know what to eat to lose weight but can’t seem to do it. Is it because they follow a strict diet with rigid rules and regulations or because they are overestimating the amount of calories they need? The key to weight loss and maintenance is to change the way we think…

It’s great to be back at blogging after a busy time. I have some good news and some great news! Plus, I will share about many things I am deeply thankful for this holiday season, and many of them relate to a healthier relationship with food. In Love with a Cheetoh So, let’s start with…

It’s that time of the year when you really want to have some fun and feel your best. Yet, it’s also a time to watch out for the seasonal health woes – from flu bugs to excess party indulgences. Good news! There’s a lot you can do to help your body weather the season so you…

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to share tips on creating healthier holiday meals during the Mercy Heart Center's Holiday Lites program. What a fun event! Many of you who attended this event asked for a copy of my presentation. So, here it is! In it, you'll find information about: Visual presentation of food…

The holidays are here, and you’ve probably started buying for family and friends already. Hopefully, you’ve left some room on your Christmas to-do list for healthy gift giving this year. Healthy holiday gifts don’t have to be large or expensive. In fact, simple gifts are usually the best and most often used. To help you…

Another week of ups and downs! Let’s start with some stunning successes this week. I was energized after my continued weight loss last week and really wanted to keep up the momentum! I was feeling a little under the weather and so was my trainer, so I didn’t get to do much working out. Kitten…

It appears my motivational William Shatner dream has worked! This week, I lost more than four pounds! I feel like my body has finally stabilized from being taken off the blood pressure meds, and I am back to a regular weekly loss. This success is even sweeter after you hear what happened at our annual…

This has been a mostly good week. First, the great news: I lost over three pounds this week! Hopefully, this means the struggle with the water weight from stopping the blood pressure meds is over. In addition, the new exercise program is starting to stabilize, and my body is recovering more quickly. Yay! I am…

I am always excited see members of the Mercy team take on wellness challenges that push them to achieve even greater levels of fitness. This past September, two employees and one contractor participated in the Akron Marathon and its five-person team relay. One went on to compete in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon on October…

What can I say? This has been the toughest week ever. I shared with you last week that I had my heaviest week of exercise yet and still gained weight. This week was another week of being on the plan and gaining 2 pounds. I was even more deeply demoralized than last week. I stuck…

Everywhere you go, it seems people are buzzing about antioxidants. As you probably know, studies show they do help prevent cancer. However, do you know exactly what antioxidants are, how they function and in what foods you can find them? Antioxidants Help Prevent Formation of Free Radicals First, let's look at the process of oxidation,…

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This week was my greatest triumph and worst defeat. Allow me to share with you, dear readers, a harrowing tale of loss, redemption, water retention and cute baby kittens. My First Visit with a Personal Trainer It all started with my first trip…

I weighed in this week and lost just two pounds. I am just disgusted with myself. I should be losing more than this and know I could be doing better. I didn’t have any emotional eating episodes this week, so I was disappointed with only a two-pound loss. As I started to get depressed about…

If you begin to feel hungrier as winter draws near, you are not alone! Some researchers believe our primitive impulses to stockpile calories for the long, cold winter ahead cause this, even though most of us live and work in a climate-controlled environment. Several years ago, a study conducted Georgia showed individuals tended to consume…

Another week and another loss! I fixed a "bad-week" weight gain and lost a little more to boot! If memory serves me right, it's another 4.6 pounds.  I am under the 400 pound mark, and I never want to see it again! I know this isn’t my biggest loss, but I really feel like I…

Guest author Erica Fletcher, CPAT, CCAT, is a Medicare reimbursement specialist at Mercy. Since 2009, she has made dramatic lifestyle changes and undergone gastric bypass surgery to improve her health and well-being. This is her story. (Updated 10/14/13)   I viewed it as the last chance to save my life. Overweight since age 6, I reached…

Well, dear readers, it has been a killer couple of weeks! I missed my OPTIFAST meeting last week, and you may have noticed my blog was absent, as well. Family, work and home all had tragedies and trials in store for me! I actually had a good week, according to my scale. I had lost…

Updated 9/27/13: This is part one of a two-part series on how to reduce belly fat. Read the companion post on ab-friendly exercise from the Mercy Health & Fitness Center by clicking here. Abdominal fat (belly fat) is often the target of many diet and exercise products, and I have good news and bad news…

Another week, another loss!  Let’s start with the positive. I lost 4.8 pounds this week! I feel like I have really turned a corner as far as the emotional eating goes. I had a couple of really bad days this past week, and I managed to stay on my diet. I found that by immersing…

After my recent disastrous week, I decided to make some changes and began reaching out for support when I needed it. I am happy to report that this week, I lost 14.8 pounds. IN A WEEK! Talk about a comeback! I peeled that bad week right off and took an additional seven pounds off in…