On February 1, Dr. Travis Stork, co-host of the Emmy Award-winning talk show THE DOCTORS, tackled a topic of great importance to him—the size of a patient’s waistline! As an ER physician, one of the first vital signs Dr. Travis checks is the amount of belly fat a patient is carrying. This quick assessment helps to determine whether a patient will easily recover from illness or injury, or face a future of health woes like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, pain and disability. In his first-ever solo show on THE DOCTORS, Dr. Travis shared his secrets on how to get rid of that gut, the latest belly-busting food and fitness tips as well as statistics on how extra pounds really do affect your health. Please feel free to share this information with your readers:
Shoppers guide to a flat stomach:
Top 5 belly-busting foods are:
1 Beans – They fill you up without filling you out. Choose dried beans over canned whenever possible.
2 Eggs – Full of muscle-building protein, the B12 in egg yolks are great energy boosters and keep red blood cells healthy.
3 Berries – Fibrous and full of antioxidants, it’s always better to eat whole fruit rather than drinking juice.
4 Dairy – Just three lean servings a day (yogurt, milk or cheese) decrease your chances of being overweight by 60%.
5 Whole grains – Make sure you read the packages. The less processed and more fibrous, the better.
Don’t be scared of the snack aisle! Good choices include:
1 Dark chocolate – This treat is full of heart-healthy and mood-enhancing phytochemicals and antioxidants.
2 Popcorn – Fibrous and low calorie, this crunchy snack has only 93 calories (3 cups, air popped).
3 Nuts – All types of nuts are inexpensive, easy to store or tote and are jam-packed with heart-healthy nutrients. Just stick to a handful, as calories can easily add up.
The little things DO make a difference:
Burn three times more calories taking the stairs versus using the elevator.
Just 20 minutes outside a day can increase your energy by 20%.
Eating together as a family can greatly reduce your risk of heart disease.
Walking 30 minutes a day can increase lifespan by 30%.
Drinking ice water (vs. water without ice) can burn up to an additional 500 calories a week.
Also featured in this episode:
· Bodyviz technology – Through this interactive 3D projection, Dr. Travis shows a cross section an unhealthy, overweight person’s abdomen to get a better understanding of how subcutaneous and visceral fat “hugs” organs and creates an unattractive “beer belly.” Also, take a look into THE DOCTORS’ anatomy lab where Dr. Travis shows the differences between a health and unhealthy heart, liver and aorta (photo below).
· Sculpting abs – Once the kitchen is stocked with healthy foods, learn the number one exercise that torches belly fat and helps sculpt and tone the abs. Hint – it’s not crunches.
· Stress and Weight Gain – Is stress making people fat? Learn how chronic stress can cause a frustrating cycle of increased cortisol levels, storage of body fat and more stress. One woman undergoes a saliva test to check her body’s reaction to stress and learns how to break the cycle for good. For more information, please visit www.thedoctorstv.com.
