Let’s Talk Health and Nutrition with Dr. H

    Alcohol as an Antagonist:                                                                     Our energy producing macronutrients- Carbohydrates, Protein and Fats provide 4 Kcal/gram, 4 Kcal/gram and 9 Kcal/gram respectively.  Alcohol provides nearly as much calories per gram as fat and comes in at 7 Kcal/gram.   Persons abusing alcohol often consume alcohol to the detriment of solid food intake.  By so doing, diet quality becomes poor, and many essential nutrients become limited thereby affecting bodily functions of maintenance of structures and repair.  Alcohol is also directly implicated in interference of the processes of digestion, and utilization of nutrients.                                 ...

The Merits of Healthy, Balanced Eating:                                                                 The Woes of an Inadequate Diet: The consumption of diets that are inadequate can lead to a number of adverse health effects over time.  Included in these consequences are physical fatigue but also 'mental fatigue' manifesting as poor decision making, negative changes in attitude, decreased reaction time, poor response to stressors and possible depression.   Regular consumption of high fat, high sugar, processed foods are, in particular, linked to further cravings of unhealthy food options since these foods are known to stimulate the dopamine centers of the brain that are associated with pleasure.  Hence, these unhealthy food choices can become highly addictive.  Worse is the fact that these sugary, proc...

  Anorexia Nervosa: Protecting our Adolescents. Understanding Eating Disorders: Many Eating Disorders have their roots in psychological disturbances which manifest in food-related behaviors and practices that are abnormal and that can result in serious physiological consequences. In addition to the psychological component, other contributing factors are environmental, social, genetic and biological. Stephenson et al (2022) specifically point out the following observations: "P eople with eating disorders are more likely to have close relatives with depressive and anxiety disorders, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder than people who do not have eating disorders."  "Frequent social media use in young adults has also contributed to rising rates of eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses." "People with eating disorders frequently have a distorted view of their body weight or shape, and they often place a great deal of importance on ...

  Emotional Eating: What is it??                                                           Emotional Eating involves the conscious or unconscious utilization of foods as sources of comfort when faced with challenges, stressors, boredom, loneliness, sadness, adverse situations and other life issues such as relationships, work related issues or financial hardships that may trigger negative emotions.                                                                                      The Cons of Emotional Eating While eating emotionally may temporarily bring comfort by acting as a distraction from the real underlying issues, this p...