Monday, April 25, 2022

Having a hard time losing those extra COVID pounds? Consider CONTRAVE…

 




The American Psychological Association released a study conducted in February 2021 that showed that 42% of Americans gained more weight than they intended since the start of the pandemic. Average weight gain was 29 pounds, with 10% reporting that they gained more than 50 pounds.

Diet and exercise are of course the best ways to approach a return to a healthy weight.  But if you’ve been trying and diet and exercise alone just isn’t working for you, I wanted to share information about a non-stimulant, non-controlled substance weight loss medication. It’s called Contrave, and many of my patients have reported a good response.

Contrave is a combination of two medications, bupropion (Wellbutrin) and naltrexone. Together, these two medications work on the hypothalamus and the mesolimbic circuit in the brain to reduce hunger AND reduce cravings. In clinical studies, the average percentage weight loss with Contrave was 5.4% of body weight (or about 12 pounds).

It is generally well tolerated, but common side effects include:

·         Nausea

·         Constipation and other GI side effects

·         Headache

·         Trouble sleeping

·         Dry mouth

There are also serious side effects, especially in people who have a history of seizures or use opioid medications.

As with any medication, you should speak with your doctor before starting Contrave to see if it is a good (and safe) choice for you.

For more information visit the Cotrave web site by clicking HERE. There are coupons available (insurance usually doesn’t cover the cost) and much more information.

Saturday, January 15, 2022

Love your neighbor...with some carrot cake

 


As COVID continues to take its toll on our psyche, we could all do with a few more bright moments in our lives. Towards that end, I'm sharing our family recipe for carrot cake. I'm not quite sure where it came from, probably from my grandmother who loved to clip recipes  from the LA Times. It is hands down one of the best carrot cakes I've ever tasted. Why not make one and leave a few pieces at a neighbor or friends’ door and spread some cheer...

Ingredients:  

Cake:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups oil

2 cups grated carrots

about 8 ounces crushed pineapple, juice drained

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

 

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup butter

8 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-pound powdered sugar

 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Beat together the eggs and sugar, let it stand for a while, at least 5 minutes, for the sugar to dissolve. 

Mix dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. 

Stir oil, carrots, drained pineapple, and nuts into the egg and sugar mixture. 

Add the dry ingredients and mix. 

Grease and flour a 13x9 inch pan (could probably use round pans and make a layered cake but you’d need to decrease the baking time). Put cake batter in pan. Bake for approx. 55 min--I start checking around 50 min. It is done when it springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool.

While cake cools, make the frosting. Mix together the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Once the cake is completely cool, spread on the frosting. 

Enjoy!