Seniors: Reduce Calories, Remember More

Dr. Sam Gandy, of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, describes recent research which demonstrated that overweight seniors improved their memory as they lost weight and improved their physical fitness.

Watch this video clip to find out more about the study:



Not only did they get more "memory-fit" as they were losing weight, they also found that the amount of weight lost was proportionate to the amount of improvement. In other words, the more you pounds you lose, the more memory you gain.

They note that other studies have associated the same positive effects from regular exercise.

The part about this video that is sad and surprising is the reporter's comments at the end: "At a time when medications have had such little impact, basic lifestyle changes now appear to be the most effective ways to protect, and even improve, an aging memory." (No, John, they always have been the most effective ways! Duh!)

Portion Out-of-Control: how restaurants make us fat

Americans are being overfed. The typical consumer may be offered twice the amount of calories that their body needs. So, we have been adding calories and gaining weight whenever we eat out.

This interview with Tanya Zuckerbrot describes some of this phenomenon:



What are some answers? How do we avoid gaining weight when we eat out?
Here are some tips:
*Make food choices based on portion size offered
*Ask for a leftover bag immediately when you order, or ask the wait-staff to automatically put 1/2 your meal into a leftover package (if you know you are ordering a large dish)
*Avoid drinking alcohol at the start of your meal. This will cause you to lose sense of satiety and overeat.
*Drink water as soon as you sit down if you are famished.
*Never order appetizers.
*If you must order one, split a dessert.
*Order the most vegetable-laden dish on the menu. Let the fiber fill you up.
*Avoid excess white bread. Ask the waiter Not to bring you rolls, for example.

In this overly-consuming society, we need to understand what we are eating. And we need to know our own bodies' caloric needs. Tune in and stop gaining weight!