Dear Dr. Gourmet,
Q: I’ve been following a Weight Watchers type diet for 2 1/2 months now. I’m 44 yrs old, 5′4″ and weigh just over 150 lbs. In the past, as recently as last year, I have been able to go a month or two with a WW type diet and lose 5 lbs minimum. This time I have not been able to lose even 1/2 lb.
I have really been careful about sticking to eating well, but I feel at a real loss right now and don’t know what to do next. Any advice you can offer to help me lose weight would be appreciated. What would you advise as the next steps?
A: This is a great question. There’s some evidence that as we get older – into our 40s and 50s – that it can be more difficult to lose weight. Everyone is different, of course, and there’s been some research focusing on this but nothing conclusive as to the actual cause. What we do know….
Q: What are the effects of the following herbs on my Coumadin and my INR (warfarin): burdock root, echinacea, and gotu kola?
A: No one knows for sure the effects of these herbs would be on INR for folks who take Coumadin (warfarin). There’s no health benefit for anyone that’s been proven for any of these, so there’s no reason to take them and no reason to take the risk.
Q: Does papaya help to lose weight? How does papaya help our immune system?
A: There is no evidence that papaya is anything more than a good fruit. It is not a magical weight loss fruit as some might have you believe. There is no secret about papaya that will boost your immune system beyond the fact that it is simply a fruit. Papaya
Q: My husband had Aortic Valve Replacement 10-11-05 at the age of 27. He has a St. Jude Mechanical Valve – therefore he is on Coumadin and of course has to have his INR checked regularly. He is very concerned about his weight. He gained about 25 – 30 pounds after the surgery. He has maintained that weight since the surgery but he would like to lose it.
I have no idea what to do for him – or what he can do for himself. I have to cook for 3 boys, my husband and myself, so it is difficult to know what to prepare that won’t cost an arm and a leg! I don’t fry foods, and most everything I cook is prepared with low-fat, low cholesterol items. He still doesn’t lose weight, and I wonder if it is due to the medications he is on.
A: The key to your husband’s weight loss, as with all weight loss, is a matter of eating fewer calories and burning more.
Folks who are taking Coumadin (warfarin) can feel that this is a challenge because they believe that they are limited in what they can eat. In truth….
