Proteins: Animal vs. Plant

By Dr. Jennifer Lee, DO, MPH, DABFM

Protein is one of the primary components of your diet, along with fat and carbohydrates. But many people don’t know how much protein they need each day.

The answer does vary based on your activity level, but an average adult will need about 50 grams a day. Proteins should make up about 30 percent of your diet. [Read more...]

Nutrition and Carbohydrates

 By Dr. Jennifer Lee, DO, MPH, DABFM

Carbohydrates are the element of food most efficiently converted to energy, and they tend to be the most plentiful substances in your diet. Athletes need the most carbohydrates.  If you’ve ever dined with athletes the night before a big event, you know that their meals usually involve a lot of pasta.  Because of the lean body mass that athletes have in their well-conditioned muscles, they burn it the fastest. Couch potatoes?  Not so much.  When people who aren’t athletes  consume too many carbohydrates, they generally gain weight. The carbohydrates turn into stored fat and triglycerides. [Read more...]

Good Fats vs. Bad Fats: What You Need to Know

By Dr. Jennifer Lee, DO, MPH, DABFM

Fats should make up about 30% of our diet.  They are clean burning fuel for our bodies.  Think about the phrase “burning the midnight oil.”  We get a lot of our energy from fat!  The problem isn’t just getting too much fat, but it’s getting the RIGHT kinds of fats. Unhealthy fats are the processed fats that we often regard as bad: trans fats, fried Twinkies, and pork rinds. Healthy fats include foods that contain Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids.  [Read more...]

Is Your Juice Friend or Foe?

By Dr. Jennifer Lee, DO, MPH, DABFM

I’m sure you’ve read in numerous consumer health magazine articles and books about the many health benefits of drinking fruit juice. Granted, fruit juice is a terrific source of vitamin C and youth-boosting antioxidants. But did you know that some juice can actually play a role in the effectiveness of your prescription medication? [Read more...]

Dr. Lee’s Nutrition Corner: Is Genetically Modified Food Safe?

By Dr. Jennifer Lee

While at the Nutrition and Health Conference this past May, I listened to Jeffery Smith, Author of Seeds of Deception, talk about genetically modified (GM) foods. Most animals will avoid genetically modified organisms naturally and when force fed genetically modified food, will get ill and most of the time, will die.

[Read more...]

Dr. Lee’s Nutrition Corner: The Link Between Fructose and Obesity

By Dr. Jennifer Lee

I recently attended a Nutrition and Health Conference where I heard featured speaker, Robert Lustig, MD, present about sugars and sweeteners.  He pointed out that there is definitely a correlation between added sugar and the obesity trends. [Read more...]

FirstLine Therapy

By Dr. Jeanne Shiffman

Ready to feel better?

Want a new start for a new year?

This February, Steinmetz Medical Associates is introducing a therapeutic lifestyle change program called FirstLine Therapy. This program will help you live your life in a way that improves your health.  It is a 12-week program that will help you feel better by  improving your body composition and improving chronic disease problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, fatigue, hormonal imbalances, and stress-related disorders.

[Read more...]