Explore Hot Health Topics

Low-carb! Light! Low-Fat! Trans-fat! New buzzwords are constantly hitting the diet scene. Dr. Weiss gives advice on some of the hottest topics in nutrition and health. She’ll be adding content to this section regularly. If there’s a topic on which you would like to hear her thoughts, email her at drlaurenweiss@yahoo.com.

Stress – Serious Impact on the Body

Stress is everywhere, especially in the city. There are deadlines, train schedules, traffic and commutes, as well as professional and personal demands fighting for our attention. While these events themselves are just that – events – it is our reaction to them that produces stress.

Specifically, stress causes our minds to race and our heart rates to increase. Beyond that, though, sometimes stressful moments cause our bodies to deem certain functions temporarily unnecessary and redirect energy from those functions to fuel the “fight or flight” response that guarantees survival. Two thousand years ago a stressful moment may have been defined as running away from a lion, while today it may be dodging oncoming traffic. What is happening is that a western lifestyle is causing many people to experience stress all the time. It is this “chronic stress” that continuously puts out stress hormones, depleting our body and leading to fatigue, burnout, and even chronic disease.

Unfortunately we cannot avoid stress altogether, but we can learn to cope. Here are some tips to help cope.

1. Take time for yourself.

2. Participate in recreational activities or hobbies.

3. Meditate or participate in yoga.

4. Read a good book on the train.

5. Eat a healthy and nutritious diet to help your body be able to deal with stress physiologically.

Hype Around the Glycemic Index

Salad Spinners menu items across the board are low glycemic foods. Below is some background information on what many are talking about in weight loss circles – the glycemic index.

• The glycemic index of a food determines the amount of insulin your body releases when that food is consumed. If your diet consists of high GI foods, insulin levels are high. Insulin is a storage hormone, and when it is high, you store more fat. When low, you burn fat more efficiently.

• A diet primarily consisting of high GI foods can lead to carbohydrate cravings and an overall increase in appetite – potentially resulting in unwanted weight gain.

• Fats, vegetables (some are moderate), and proteins are all low GI foods. – this is what Salad Spinners’ salads consist of.

• Plus, salads have lots of fiber which plays an important role in promoting a healthy insulin and blood sugar response.