A wealth of new scientific evidence shines a critical light on the importance of natural foods and nutritional compounds in the fight against overweight, obesity and weight maintenance. Virtually all alternative health experts agree, the current epidemic of weight control issues plaguing western society are the result of excess consumption of highly processed convenience foods that have replaced vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds in the diet. Three independent studies conclude that blueberries, resveratrol from red grapes and cocoa flavanols exert a potent effect on fat cell formation that can aid in weight loss and management goals when included as part of your daily diet.

I was talking with someone today who told me that when she thinks of losing weight all she can think of is lots of celery and lots of sweat. I laughed so hard that I knew I needed to use it for our first blog. Many patients have this misconception about starting a weight loss program. They think that they need to buy special workout clothes, exercise balls, free weights, join a gym and purchase foods that they have never before put in their cart. They associate it with dread and exasperation.

A new patient - let’s call her Beth, came to the Hickory office last week and said to me, “I am hoping you can help me. I don’t know why I can’t lose weight on my own – I have cut way back on what I eat. It must be because my metabolism has slowed down from not eating enough.” I said to her, “Let’s take a look at what you are eating.” Sure enough, she was eating right around the amount she should be in order to be losing at least one to two pounds a week.