Ana Maria Kausel, MD

Life isn't perfect. Who said in life everything has to bring you satisfaction, comfort, and happiness? In my practice, I often see a lot of frustration when things are not "perfect" or according to people's standards the first time, and when this happens, there is a lot of self-doubt.... But the journey that is life needs frustration and difficulty. These elements, in moderation, help build resiliency, grit, and determination. Resiliency makes the wins that much sweeter. Once you trade your "discomfort" for acceptance all the doors will open. You will appreciate the journey more. Because what a beautiful journey it will be. When was the last time you faced a challenge head-on? See more

The culprit is the juice! Yes, even if you're adding kale to it, fruit to it, protein to it. You are not losing weight because of the juice! I honestly spend a decent amount of time on a daily basis telling people to stop drinking juice. It does taste delicious and is advertised as healthy, even sometimes a "detox" aid, yet there's nothing healthy about it.... When you blend the fruit, you only get the sugar. Your brain does not sense nourishment and the sugar load is taken on by your liver which can only turn into fat from there. People replace entire meals with juice. Meals, that spread out nourishment in your body are being replaced by little nutrition and tons of sugar. The reality of it is, juice and drinkable calories are the biggest contributors to the obesity epidemic of the world. You don't notice just how much you have. It's easy to drink it for comfort, as we're taught to fear the calories in food more than we fear the calories in juice. But, I can tell you, the juice is the culprit! How often are you drinking juices? See more

What do you pay attention to when looking at a nutritional label? We're eating organic We're eating healthy ... But do we truly know all of what we're putting into our bodies? Having knowledge of what we're eating on a daily basis can help a lot in maintaining a well-rounded weight loss plan. And I'm not saying to obsess over your intake -- this is its own level of unhealthy! But why waste energy in small things that are highly caloric yet portrayed as healthy when we can learn and make better choices? Here's the real scoop on nutritional labels: Don't get fooled by things that promote the protein content in the front of the label. The chances are, its highly caloric and rich in sugar and fat as well. There's a lot of hidden calories from fat in our packaged foods. So, especially, is it coming from saturated fat or unsaturated fat? Advertised as healthy? Flip it over and make sure that's true! Pay attention to the calories per serving and how many calories you're really consuming if you eat the whole package. If you double the servings you eat, you double the calories and nutrients. To make foods taste better, we put salt in them, but we should only be getting about 2,300 milligrams of salt per day. Much of our packaged foods have pounds of sodium in them for varying reasons, so be sure to pay attention to sodium content. Don't know what to look for in a label? Write your questions below! See more

Often, when patients mention their attempts at weight loss or dietary changes, they usually describe a recent trend they are trying. Remember: Trends are that, just trends. Many trends usually come back around every few years under a new name but with the same expectations.... Studies have shown that weight loss that is sustainable and maintained overtime only through targeted consistency. The type of nutritional plan that works depends on the person and their circumstances, but it has to be a sustained, long term change. Eating "healthy" is not enough, although we know a caloric deficit is necessary to lose weight, you must also consider many other circumstances to establish a routine that is best for you the results you require. Ditch the fad! See more

An experienced doctor is a thorough one. But thoroughness doesn't always require an excess of time. Find a doctor you trust then work with them on your health and progress! With trust comes respect and connection. Remember your doctor has worked hard to get to where they are -- trust + respect

500 calories. That is the minimum amount of calories needed between what you eat and what you burn in order to be in a deficit and lose weight. Nowadays, many dietitians are against counting calories and are focusing more on the quality of the diet but I find that both are equally important.... Controlling your portions is the most direct and successful way to create this deficit and lose weight. A simple way to calculate your necessary caloric intake per day is by multiplying your desired weight by 10. For example: [Target Weight] 130lbs = 1300 calories per day [Target Weight] 150lbs = 1500 calories per day What is your target weight and ideal caloric intake per day? Try the formula below! See more

El ayuno intermitente ha estado muy de moda últimamente. Se centra en la idea de cambiar nuestro metabolismo y utilizar ácidos grasos en vez de glucosa para energía celular, lo cual puede ser muy beneficial para muchos órganos, especialmente el cerebro. Pero sirve realmente? Encuentra un resumen de los puntos básicos en este video. Has hecho ayuno intermitente?

What does "healthy" even mean? Every person has a different answer to that. From juices to smoothies, to super high-fat diets, patients get a lot of different messages about what's foods and diets are "healthy". Your idea of healthy can even be dictated by your culture or traditions.... I do find that patients who normally follow a fad diet do so because they need direction and fabs are usually easy to access and follow. More realistic and healthier diet changes usually require more concise effort and ideally, support, and overview from a trusted doctor. Boy, do I wish more patients listened to their doctors rather than a post, blog, or google search! Nutritional advice works when it's explained in basic terms but does usually lead to sweeping diet changes, so they can be avoided due to "too much accountability." But many diseases can be improved just by changing the way you feed yourself. So doctors, take those 5 extra minutes to give basic and direct advice to your patient on what to do, then hold them accountable! What have been the results of you [doctors] working directly with your patient on diet and weight loss? See more

What’s for breakfast? Carbs, most likely When working with a patient who’s focus is weight loss, I always start reviewing what they're having for breakfast regularly. ... For most, breakfast is usually the heaviest in carbs and sugar of all meals the day. The American diet has taught us that cereal is a good option for breakfast, when in fact, it's mostly processed, empty calories. When mixed with milk, cereal becomes a carb over another carb over sugar breakfast. Think of your metabolism as an ongoing fire. When wanting to fuel that fire, you add a log at a time. Too many logs at once will overwhelm the spark/fire and put it out So you add one or two at a time. Too many carbs in the morning? Too many logs in the fire at once Healthier advertised cereal options like those made of granola are not healthier when you look at all the contents and serving sizes. Plus, cereal is so delicious that I have yet to meet one person who measures and eats it according to the serving suggestions But, if weight loss is your goal, you DO have to pay attention to those things. Cereal, granolas, prepacked oatmeal or made oatmeal with brown sugar and raising a on top are an easily terrible options for breakfast in most cases. Let’s switch that up. Instead, go for something with protein and less sugar so you'll feel fuller, longer. Also, wake up 10 minutes earlier so you can quickly prepare something or just plan your breakfast the night before. What do you like to eat for breakfast?

¿Como sé si tengo la enfermedad metabólica? A medida que entendemos más acerca del COVID-19, los científicos descubren que hay algunos comunes denominadores relacionados con la intensidad y gravedad de esta enfermedad. ¿Uno de los mayores?... La enfermedad metabólica En el consultorio del doctor usualmente se mide el peso y el IMC (Índice de Masa Corporal) como indicadores del estado metabólico. Generalmente se buscan: Acantosis Nigricans (oscurecimiento de los pliegues en la piel), a veces visto como mugre que no se quita Medición de la cintura: un indicador de la grasa visceral. Una circunferencia de 102 cms en hombres y de 88 cms en mujeres son consideradas elevadas e indicios de enfermedad metabólica. Te han dicho que tienes niveles altos de triglicéridos Te han dicho que tienes un nivel elevado de enzimas hepáticas Mujeres: Has ganado peso y tienes periodos anormales Si tienes extrema dificultad de bajar de peso o subes de peso muy fácilmente Si tu nivel de azúcar en ayunas es alto o tu HbA1c (prueba de hemoglobina glicosilada) aumenta (incluso dentro de los parámetros normales). Es importante recordar que no hay que ser obeso para ser diagnosticados con enfermedad metabólica. Las anteriores indican síntomas y posibles contribuciones a un desorden del metabolismo. ¿Tienes un desorden metabólico? ¿Cómo estás protegiéndote durante la pandemia del COVID-19? See more

Más tips que puedes implementar en el día a día: 1: Limita el consumo de alimentos procesados. Cómo? Escogiendo alimentos de 1 ingrediente 2: Nada ilimitado. Controla tus porciones. 3: No comer cuando haces ejercicio para que haya deficit calórico. Ojo, no necesitas batidos después de hacer ejercicio a no ser que seas un deportista de alto rendimiento.

Believe or not, Humans have limited decision-making capacity for the day. True story! Whether these decisions are big or small doesn't matter. The deal is that by the time we make it to lunch or dinner, after making a million decisions during the day at work, our brain is crapped out.... No more capacity for decisions The result? You hit the McDonalds drive-thru or end up ordering delivery ASAP because cooking is a big NO tonight. If we make food plans, we should have already have made the decision as to what that plan will be by the time we get hungry. We should have already cooked, packed our lunch, or already decided on a healthy option. Or even already have healthy hunger attack snacks with you. Food should not be part of the decisions during the day. If it consistently is, you'll find yourself choosing alternative options, especially if deciding dinner options at the end of the day. How far in advance do you plan dinner? See more

Una dieta saludable para perder peso no se trata de limitar, se trata de hacer cambios en el día a día que mejoren la respuesta hormonal. Ojo, los carbohidratos no son el enemigo, para mí el enemigo mayor es el AZÚCAR!! Tips rápidos: 1: Consumir carbohidratos ricos en fibra y bajos en azúcar... 2: Limitar el consumo de frutas a dos frutas al día de bajo índice glicémico 3: Evitar el consumo de frutos secos 4: NUNCA licuar la fruta (no jugos) 5: Consumir los carbohidratos en la primera parte del día que es cuando mas necesitamos energía. 6: No comer después de la comida. See more

¿Que tienen en común las latas, botellas plásticas, pesticidas, detergentes, lociones, comida, juguetes y aceites esenciales? Lo que tienen en común es que pueden contener disruptores hormonales. Estos también son conocidos como interruptores endocrinos o EDCs por sus siglas en inglés (Endocrine Disruptive Chemicals). Algunos de sus nombres son: Bisfenol A (BPA), ftalatos, dicloro difenil tricloroetano (DDT), cadmio, entre otros.... Los EDCs son químicos que interfieren con el funcionamiento de las hormonas del cuerpo. Algunos de ellos pueden imitar las hormonas, mientras otros las bloquean. Pueden afectar la producción, descomposición y almacenamiento de estas en el organismo. Estos químicos han sido asociados a varios problemas serios de salud, entre ellos: la baja calidad del esperma, problemas de fertilidad, endometriosis, pubertad precoz, alteración en la función del sistema nervioso, enfermedades autoinmunes, algunos tipos de cáncer, problemas respiratorios, diabetes, obesidad, problemas del corazón, crecimiento, discapacidades de aprendizaje y neurológicas en niños, y más (¡como si fuera poco!) Tips para evitar los EDCs: Evitar beber en botellas plásticas. Buscar productos libres de BPA y no llevar contenedores plásticos al microondas. Optar por alimentos producidos sin pesticidas (certificados como orgánicos) cuando sea posible. Minimizar el uso de productos de cuidado personal y cosméticos que contengan químicos perjudiciales, especialmente durante y antes del embarazo. Mirar las etiquetas para evitar químicos vinculados a la disrupción hormonal. ¿Tienes más tips para evitar EDC’s? Escríbelo en los comentarios See more