When you are looking at a mole, do you know what to look for that might indicate skin cancer?  Here's a memory tool to help you.  And if you're not sure sure if a mole is normal or not, get it checked!

Stress.  It affects all of us.  It might be work.  It might be your finances.  It might be traffic.  It happens every day, every hour.  Think about what causes you stress.  Now think about what you do to manage your stress on a daily basis.  I spend a good part of my day talking to my patients about stress management.  One of those stress busters is exercise.

Table Salt versus Sea Salt

Is there a difference?  Is one better than the other?

It's our 11th birthday!

Are you a candidate for Genetic Cancer Testing?

There's a new study out to add to the debate about testosterone replacement therapy in men and heart disease.  Does it increase or decrease the risk of heart disease?

February is Heart Health Month.  Do you know the symptoms of a heart attack in women are often different than the syptoms in men?

Is fish oil good for your heart?

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Dieting.

It’s a four-letter word with -ing attached. Ugh.  But it’s January and so many people are thinking about it.  Since I started working with healthy lifestyle and weight loss programs a few years ago, I’ve done a lot of thinking and researching about what makes one person be a successful dieter.  

Of all the things I have read, I have narrowed it down to the one thing that makes someone be a successful dieter: controlling temptation.  That’s right—controlling temptation.  I don’t think willpower really truly exists.  It boils down to the number of temptations each person experiences.

Let me explain.  Let’s say that every person who is dieting cheats on their diet after 20 temptations.  If you face 20 temptations before lunch, your diet is over.  However, if you face 20 temptations after 2 weeks before you cheat on your diet, that is 2 weeks where you’ve made really good progress!

Successful dieters arrange their lives so they are not faced with frequent temptations.  How do you do this?  If your temptation is cookies, don’t have them in the house.  If your temptation is picking up fast food on your way home from work, make sure you plan a menu and have easy, quick, and healthy meals planned.  You can’t control when a co-worker (or a patient) brings lovely treats to the office, but you don’t have to stare at it all day.  Take your bite or two and put the rest away.  

And that reminds me, I have chocolate stashed in my desk drawer that I forgot about… Out of sight, out of mind.  But that chocolate is going to stay there.  At least for today.

What are other ways for you to avoid temptation?