LD Hardas Long-Term Business Success

LD Hardas,the founder and CEO of Awesome Products, a company with an important and distinctive mission: to offer consumers the highest quality household cleaning and beauty care products at a price they can afford.

The ORBERA Weight Loss Program

What is the ORBERA weight loss program? The ORBERA program is a two-step approach to weight loss. Step one is the insertion of a gastric balloon into your stomach and step two is the development of a diet and exercise plan to help you lose the weight and keep it off. In ORBERA, a gastric balloon is inserted into your stomach and filled with salt water to full inflation. The inflated balloon will stay in your stomach for a six month period, encouraging portion control by ensuring that you’ll feel full while eating less food. Additionally, during this six month period as well as after the balloon is removed, Dr. Korman and his team will help you to establish a personalized plan to eat well [ ] The post The ORBERA Weight Loss Program appeared first on Jeremy E. Korman, M.D., F.A.C.S..
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EXERCISE LESS IMPORTANT TO WEIGHT LOSS THAN TAKING IN FEWER CALORIES

In the past few years, there’s been a lot of focus on the importance of exercise when it comes to losing weight. Programs like Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” promote physical activity as the cure for the obesity epidemic in our country. It’s important to remember, however, that exercise alone simply doesn’t do as much for weight loss as some people believe. The most effective way to lose weight is to reduce the amount of calories that you take in on a daily basis. It’s simply a numbers game: if you take in fewer “good” calories, you have fewer calories to burn to lose weight or maintain your current weight. And, adjusting your diet to take in fewer calories is generally less time consuming than exercising. [ ] The post EXERCISE LESS IMPORTANT TO WEIGHT LOSS THAN TAKING IN FEWER CALORIES appeared first on Jeremy E. Korman, M.D., F.A.C.S..
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MYTH OR REALITY? THE DAIRY INDUSTRY’S CLAIM THAT CHOCOLATE MILK IS AN EXCELLENT RECOVERY DRINK

You may have heard the idea that chocolate milk is a great recovery drink after exercise. Supporters note that it’s a great source of protein, carbohydrates, and a bunch of other good stuff like calcium, sodium, and vitamin D. It also has high water content, which means that it’s a good way to re-hydrate. It should be noted, however, that most of the studies that conclude that chocolate milk is a good recovery drink are funded by the Dairy and Nutrition Council, and should be taken with the grain of salt. First of all, there is a lot of sugar in chocolate milk, about 16-20 teaspoons in a typical bottle found in the grocery store, and that’s definitely more than you need to take in [ ] The post MYTH OR REALITY? THE DAIRY INDUSTRY S CLAIM THAT CHOCOLATE MILK IS AN EXCELLENT RECOVERY DRINK appeared first on Jeremy E. Korman, M.D., F.A.C.S..
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NEW STUDY ON SATURATED FAT AND HEART DISEASE LINK

It’s a long-held belief that saturated fat (the type found in butter, meat, and cheese) is to blame for an increased risk of heart disease and other cardiac events. A new analysis by international scientists recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, however, indicates that this may not actually be the case. The study suggests that other dietary factors may hold more of the blame than saturated fats when it comes to causing heart attack and stroke. The belief that saturated fat increases the risk for heart disease is grounded in the fact that saturated fat contains high levels of LDL cholesterol, the kind of cholesterol that increases an individual’s risk of heart attack. This new study, however, claims that the kind of LDL [ ] The post NEW STUDY ON SATURATED FAT AND HEART DISEASE LINK appeared first on Jeremy E. Korman, M.D., F.A.C.S..
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FDA BANS TRANS FAT

The FDA took a huge step towards bettering the health of our country this week when they announced that all food manufacturers must remove artificial trans fats from their products within the next three years. Trans fats have long been a part of the American diet—first introduced in the early 1900s—and that makes the FDA’s decision even more significant. While trans fats were originally pitched as less harmful than saturated fats, it has since become clear that they are actually directly linked to high body weight, heart disease, memory loss, and high cholesterol. Trans fat is a thicker, longer-lasting product with enhanced flavor that is cheaper to use in food production than other fats like lard or butter. Because of this, food manufacturers really like [ ] The post FDA BANS TRANS FAT appeared first on Jeremy E. Korman, M.D., F.A.C.S..
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THE COST OF OBESITY

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FOOD ADDICTIONS & BREAKING THE CYCLE

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What’s a “Non-Food” and Why Do We Eat Them?

            So much of what is on our supermarket shelves and in fast food restaurants is not actually food, but rather artificial chemicals meant to “enhance” the look and taste of processed foods, or to extend their shelf-life. For example, a Burger King strawberry shake contains over forty ingredients, from benzyl acetate to isobutyl butyrate, but not one of them is “strawberry.” Let’s examine a few of these chemical additives, how they can adversely affect the body and how to avoid them. MSG One of the most well-known food additives is MSG. it is added to foods to lend an “umami,” or deep savory flavor. It can trigger migraines and other adverse reactions like sweating and nausea in some people and should be avoided. Preservatives [ ] The post What’s a Non-Food and Why Do We Eat Them? appeared first on Jeremy E. Korman, M.D., F.A.C.S..
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“The New Normal”: Training for Your First Race

Many of my patients find that they would like to start an exercise regimen after surgery and subsequent weight loss. Some go on to run 5ks, 10ks, and even marathons! This is one of the many positive changes individuals experience following surgery – fitness may become their “New Normal.” There are many benefits to jogging or running. Apart from the weight loss that occurs as a result of the caloric burn from the exercise itself, there is an additional metabolic bump from the increased muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat, at a ratio of 2.5 to 1. Over time this can add up. As you burn fat and build muscle, you are turning your body into a metabolic machine. Additionally, there are cardiovascular, or heart-health benefits. While running may not make one completely immune to heart disease, it does decrease the risk of cardiac events by lowering blood pressure and heart rate. Finally, weight-bearing activities like running can help to increase bone density, thereby lower
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Popular Diets and How They Compare to Weight Loss Surgery

If you are interested in losing weight, there is no shortage of trendy diets from which to choose. But before you start your weight loss journey, you should understand the short-term and long-term pros and cons of each of these “fad” diets. My patients generally have goals to lose 30 pounds or more, so let’s take a look at each of these diets and how they may affect this particular population. Gluten-Free This has quickly become one of the trendiest diets, with approximately one-third of Americans describing themselves as “gluten-free.” Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, rye and barley. It gives breads and doughs their chewy texture. For many years, this diet was adopted only by those with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the ingestion of gluten causes an inflammatory immune response in the intestine. This leads to symptoms that range from intestinal distress to malnutrition, and it can cause weight gain. In individuals with Celiac Disease, avoidi
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Are You Too Old or Too Young to for Weight Loss Surgery? When is the Right Time?

I am often asked by patients or their families if they are too old or too young to consider surgery. This is a question that can’t be answered with a specific number.  However, if we consider the disease prevention benefits in younger people and the advantages of carrying less weight for those who are older, there is no doubt that weight loss surgery can deliver positive  benefits to both groups. Obesity in Young Adults I often see very young adults suffering from the complications of obesity-related conditions. Type-2 diabetes, a disease in which the body becomes insensitive to insulin, was relatively uncommon sixty years ago. Its prevalence has grown by 500% since 1950. In the past, this was a disease that affected primarily adults, which is why it is commonly referred to as “adult-onset diabetes.” But today more and more children are burdened with this illness. In the last ten years the rate of type 2 diabetes has jumped 30% among this population. Likewise, the incidence o
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Love Your Body

After any type of weight loss surgery, both your body and mind will experience many changes.  Many are immediate and positive, such as rapid weight loss and improved energy.  But along with these come other, less obvious differences which are the beginnings of a positive cycle that will improve confidence, health and well-being. After surgery, most people see a 50-60% decrease in excess weight. This is substantial and, as such, will have a considerable impact on many aspects of daily life. Some medical conditions may improve or resolve all together. Diseases such as asthma, hypertension or type-2 diabetes may go into remission. Sleep apnea may no longer disturb your slumber, joint aches caused by arthritis may abate he list goes on. And as you experience these dramatic, positive changes within your body, you are likely to experience positive psychological changes as well. Many people report improved quality of life. A full night’s sleep uninterrupted by breathing difficulties
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How to Identify True “Diet” Foods for Weight-Loss

The Trend For quite a while the food industry had been capitalizing on the growing obesity epidemic in our country. From everything from low fat cookies to low carb “Paleo Bread,” companies have ridden the wave of each passing diet trend to market their foods to hopeful consumers and pack their own wallets. And where has it gotten us? In the process they’ve also packed America’s waistline. Despite the widespread availability of these various types of “diet” foods, roughly 70% of adults and 17% of children in America are overweight or obese. This can lead to lifelong health issues including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some types of cancer. Clearly these slickly marketed products aren’t helping us. If our food has been engineered to facilitate weight loss, why has the opposite occurred? Because the majority of “diet” foods on the market swap fat for sugar or sugar for fat and also tend to be loaded with chemicals including preservatives, flavori
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The Neuroscience Behind How We Form Our Habits

HABIT: A usual way of behaving; something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way, like brushing your teeth in the morning. To automate healthy lifestyle choices like daily exercise and eating well, you need to understand the neuroscience behind how the brain forms new habits. You have to understand the “automatic mode” of your brain. There is a part of the brain responsible for pattern recognition and memories called the basal ganglia. It’s here that habits form using a trigger, behavior, and reward process that gets embedded in our brains and develops into a part of our everyday lives. And it’s here where we have to change the habits we don’t want. The process starts with a trigger that tells your brain to switch to automatic. If the habit is drinking a cup of coffee in the morning or smoking a cigarette, there is a trigger that puts your habit into action. It may be an alarm or turning on the radio. It’s something that tells your brain you want to do some
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5 Health and Lifestyle Benefits of Weight Loss Surgery

We know that bariatric surgery affects more than just weight loss. It also dramatically improves your long-term health, personal relationships, and quality of life. In my conversations with patients, many are not aware of how their lives will improve after bariatric surgery. They think it is just about weight loss. For those of you who are considering the procedure, below are five significant health and lifestyle benefits that are associated with bariatric surgery: Reduced risk of health conditions. It’s proven that weight loss surgery prevents, improves, and often resolves chronic health conditions, including high blood pressure, sleep apnea, asthma, arthritis, and Type II diabetes. Longer life expectancy. Several studies have shown that weight loss surgery will increase life expectancy, in part due to the reduced risk of health conditions. Less life restriction. With significant weight loss there is increased mobility, more energy, and the ability to do things that you haven’t b
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The Mind and Body Benefits of Group Exercise

An appropriate exercise plan is necessary for your health. In my practice, I’ve seen patients achieve great results when they work out with others and have a strong support system. Working out in a group offers mind and body benefits that you don’t get when you exercise alone. The accountability makes you more likely to stick with your program. Your group becomes your support system and you encourage one another. Group exercise is also emotionally beneficial. Interacting with others is good for your mental health. You get to meet new people, and it becomes a fun activity that you look forward to. Plus, having a schedule makes it easier to establish a routine. The benefits of group exercise aren’t only for people interested in weight loss. Studies show that women with postpartum depression and early-stage breast cancer experienced dramatic physical and psychological benefits when they exercised in a group setting. Part of my personal fitness program involves group exercise. I lik
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Preventing Childhood Obesity During Pregnancy

For a long time we’ve been aware that weight loss from bariatric surgery can dramatically improve a woman’s chance of getting pregnant, having a healthy pregnancy, having a natural delivery, and most importantly, having a healthy baby. It is not recommended that you get pregnant immediately after bariatric sugary. However, after six to twelve months (depending on the procedure), bariatric surgery patients are not only ready to get pregnant – their bodies are more likely to have a successful pregnancy. But there is even more to this. I want to share with you the results of a study I recently read that indicate that being healthy during pregnancy can influence whether or not the baby will become obese later in life. The study suggests that simple lifestyle changes during pregnancy have the potential to prevent childhood obesity. Of the 2,200 pregnant women who participated in the study, half of them were given guidance on how to adopt a healthier lifestyle. They were advised to in
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