Erika Van Calcar, MS, RD, Nutrition Coach:   We have all been there, right? We’re curled up in front of the TV with a bowl of ice cream and suddenly we look down and are shocked to find that it’s all gone.  Someone else must have come along and helped themselves or perhaps it was a case of momentary possession; we think, “Certainly I could not have eaten all of that! Could I?” Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say, yes you can. Certain fats, specifically palm... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   Today’s environment makes it extremely easy to neglect physical activity, an essential element of maintaining good health, warding off chronic disease, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Labor-saving technology, long commutes by car or bus, and hours spent on the computer for both work and play drain us of our energy and make it even harder to fit time in our busy schedules to get up and move. In Free & Clear's latest Clear Insights... [More]

Jessica Adlin, MS, RD, CN, Nutrition Coach:   Maintaining weight loss is the biggest challenge in the treatment of obesity. Fifty percent of the weight people lose is regained by the one year mark. And by five years, most people regain all the weight they lost. Why is maintaining weight loss such a challenge? There are many reasons. Psychologically, losing weight is the most rewarding aspect of treatment. Once an individual reaches a goal weight, most of the motivators disappear. ... [More]

Beth Shepard, MS, Exercise Physiologist, Contributing Writer:   At a time when consumers are getting mixed messages regarding the value of exercise, the New York Times serves up a recently published study from Finland pointing to moderate and vigorous exercise as a cancer prevention tool. Researchers studied the physical activity habits of about 2500 middle-aged Finnish men over the course of 17 years. After controlling for factors such as age, fiber and fat intake, and cigarette ... [More]

Jennifer Lovejoy, PhD, Vice President, Clinical Development and Support:   There’s been a lot of talk lately about a new study conducted by researchers at Louisiana State University that showed that increasing exercise doesn’t cause weight loss. In fact, people who exercised the most in this study were actually more likely to gain weight than those who exercised least. Despite the buzz, the idea that exercise doesn’t help you lose weight is actually old news; there have been dozens of s... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   Yesterday, The Washington Post ran excerpts from an interview with former FDA commissioner, David Kessler, who spoke about America’s obesity crisis and the need for a complete restructuring of the way we approach the problem: “…we have to change the way we look at food. Not how we look at fat people, not whether we want to be thin or not, but how we look at food. If you look at that lemon cake and say, ‘This is my friend,’ then there’s nothing I... [More]

Tiffany M. Reiss, Ph.D., Contributing Writer:   Stretching: there is still some debate about how much to do, when to do it, and whether it really helps. In reality, some form of stretching is beneficial, but not in the ways we normally think about it. Most of us have been told to stretch to “warm-up” the muscles prior to activity in order to lessen the risk of injury. Static stretching, contorting our bodies into mildly painful positions and holding those positions for 30 seconds ... [More]

Beth Shepard, MS, Exercise Physiologist, Contributing Writer:   My family can always tell whether or not I’ve worked out or not on any given day ― by how cranky or pleasant I am at dinnertime. It’s no secret that exercise boosts mood ― it’s been used to treat mild depression and anxiety for years. But Dr. Jeremy Sibold and his co-author Kathy Berg, from the University of Vermont, recently found that moderate cardiovascular exercise boosts mood immediately, and that the mood-elevat... [More]

Lauren Holt, Human Resources Associate:   June is Great Outdoors Month! Considering the weather we have been having lately, we shouldn't need much convincing to get outside. However, if you are looking for some fun and healthy outdoor ideas, check out some our exciting options in the Seattle area: Hiking www.localhikes.com/MSA/MSA_7602.asp www.washington-hiking-advisor.com/seattle-hikes.html Biking http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/b... [More]

Ashley Smith, Senior Manager, Human Resources:   Last week, Free & Clear hosted its 3rd Annual Health & Fitness Week in conjunction with National Employee Health & Fitness Day on May 20th. Free & Clear’s wellness philosophy is to provide tools and resources to enable employees to make manageable health improvements. To align with our wellness philosophy and reinforce the methodology of our Mind & Body Program, Free & Clear expanded the National Employee Health & Fitness Day to a week-lo... [More]