Dr. Ann Kulze at home downtown; Dr. Ann’s Weigh Less for Life is her latest release through the Wellness Council of America. Photo (left) by Christopher Shane
January 22, 2014
Doctor’s Orders
Local wellness expert Dr. Ann divulges her 10 guaranteed weight-loss tips
How’s that New Year’s resolution to lose weight—or even just eat healthier—coming? Are you feeling good…or a little bruised after falling off the wagon? Folks in both camps will benefit from the eat-right advice of Dr. Ann Kulze, the local physician-turned-wellness guru with five books, 150 web videos, and countless speaking engagements to her name. Check out the 10 guaranteed weight-loss tips she shared in our January feature profile—if you commit to these changes, she promises you’ll lose weight, improve your health, and feel better.
Switch to extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). Use EVOO for room-temperature, low- heat, and cold-food preparations. This healthy fat is filled with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant chemicals in combination with monounsaturated fatty acids that provide numerous cardiovascular benefits.
Choose 100 percent whole-grain breads, cereals, and grain products over their refined counterparts, such as white bread and rice. Refined carbs can cause weight gain and increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, while whole grains have been shown to improve metabolism, promote heart health, decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes, and provide protection against many forms of cancer. Look for “100 percent whole grain” or “100 percent whole wheat” on the package.
Switch to water. Period. Sugar-fortified beverages like sodas, fruit drinks, and sports drinks offer zero nutritional value and increase your risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Eat a serving of beans daily. Beans are packed with health-boosting nutrients and have been shown to lower your cholesterol, protect your heart, decrease your risk of some cancers, stabilize your blood glucose and insulin levels, and aid in weight loss.
Sleep at least seven hours a night. Inadequate sleep drains energy and boosts appetite. Recent science shows that sleep loss can increase your risk of weight gain, diabetes, high-blood pressure, and depression.
Control your portions! Portion control equals weight control. With the exception of fruits and veggies (more is better), a good visual guide for practicing portion control is to keep meal sizes to what will fit in your own two hands cupped together.
Don’t skip meals—especially breakfast. Skipping meals slows metabolic rate, compromises your energy, and sets you up for excessive hunger, which leads to excessive snacking, dietary indiscretions, and binge eating.
If it’s processed, don’t eat it. Always choose whole, fresh foods over their factory-made, processed counterparts.
Include a small handful of nuts (about one ounce) in your diet daily. Nuts supply healthy fats, a full complement of minerals, vitamin E, fiber, B-vitamins, and cholesterol-lowering plant sterols. Science supports that they are helpful for weight loss, diabetes protection, and lowering inflammation in the body and can lower your risk of death from heart disease by a whopping 30 to 50 percent!
Eat dark, leafy greens daily. They are unequivocally the nutrient Goliath, providing more beneficial compounds per unit calorie than any other food.
To read writer Robin Howard’s profile on Dr. Ann, click here.
For the science behind Dr. Ann’s advice as well as healthy recipes and free resources, click here. |
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