Resources for Physicians and Health Professionals

These handouts and resources are very beneficial in my practice. Patients respond well to information handouts and I have provided them here for your convenience. Feel free to download them, make copies, and hand them out as you find them useful.

General Health Information and Handouts

Cholesterol Basics
What cholesterol is, the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and guidelines for your patients. The handout reviews what is regarded to be "good results" in a cholesterol screening. Space is included for your patients to keep track of their results as they progress toward optimum over time. HTML or PDF

Gout Information
The basics of gout -- what is it and and why does it happen? The handout contains information on the foods that can trigger flare-ups so your patients will know what to avoid. Includes the purine content of many food types. HTML or PDF

Warfarin (Coumadin®) Guides for Patients
Patients are often told to avoid Vitamin K, but it's tough for them to know what foods contain Vitamin K. An entire section of the Dr. Gourmet site is devoted to the relative levels of Vitamin K in foods. For downloading handouts, there are three PDF documents:

Brief : A short list of commonly-used foods with their relative Vitamin K
levels (Low, Medium, High)
Medium : A much longer list of foods, with their relative Vitamin K
levels (Low, Medium, High)
Extensive : The same longer list as the Medium document, but with exact
levels of Vitamin K in mcgs.

The Health of It All...
Taken from the sidebars included in recipes, these short tidbits of information can help you answer questions for your patients on everything from Omega-3 Fats in fish to whether to cook chicken with the skin on or not.

GERD Lifestyle Information
Weight loss, dietary factors and exercise are only a few of the tips that we often discuss with patients to help control their acid reflux. This GERD handout is a quick summary of tips that have been shown in research to be the most effective lifestyle changes for reducing acid reflux symptoms. PDF format.

Mediterranean Diet Guide
This ten-page handout describes the nine tenets of the Mediterranean Diet in detail and makes suggestions for simple ways to incorporate those tenets into the diet. PDF format.

Weight Loss Resources and Handouts

Food Diary
Asking patients to keep a food diary is one of the best methods for helping them with weight loss. I will ask them to keep a diary for several days to help me or the dietician assess their eating habits and help them to realize just what they are consuming. PDF document.

BMI Calculator
Many patients are not aware of this important measurement and how their Body Mass Index may place them at higher risk for a number of conditions. This PDF handout explains BMI and its impact on health. An interactive BMI calculator lets you calculate their BMI before printing the handout.

Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) Calculator
We know how important WHR is in predicting future complications in our patients. This handout explains WHR and its impact on health. An interactive WHR calculator lets you calculate their WHR before printing the handout.

Diet and Weight Loss Myths
Patients often say things about eating healthy and losing weight that are simply not true. Included in this handout (PDF format) are many of the more common myths and the truth behind them, including:

Myth: Skipping a meal is a good way to diet and lose weight.
Myth: Carbohydrates are bad for you.
Myth: Fats are bad for you.
Myth: Dairy products make you gain weight or help you lose weight.
Myth: Eating late at night or just before you go to bed makes you gain weight.
Myth: A slow metabolism prevents weight loss.

Risk Factors for Heart Disease
This list can help your patients see the importance of cardiac risk factors. By reviewing these in "black and white," patients see the impact of where they stand with respect to developing coronary disease. PDF format.

Diet Plans

eatTHISdiet plans can help your patients follow a prescription for improving their diet. The plans allow for both weight loss and maintaining a healthy diet.

My eatTHISdiet™
This interactive version of the popular eatTHISdiet plan allows your patients to create their own two-week meal plan, complete with recipes and shopping lists, for one person or a whole family. May be used for weight loss or just to learn how to eat healthier. Customizable preferences can help the patient create meal plans appropriate for Coumadin users, those on a low-sodium diet, those who are lactose intolerant, or those with GERD / Acid Reflux. Common food allergies, like eggs, tree nuts, and shellfish, are also taken into account (Gluten sensitivity will be included in an upcoming version.)

eatTHISdiet™ - Original
This diet plan includes six weeks of shopping lists and six weeks of meal plans to help your patients lose an estimated 1 pound per week. The recipes are easy, delicious, and are designed to teach the user about appropriate portion sizes and healthy eating habits. Refer your patients to drgourmet.com/eatthisdiet to get started.

eatTHISdiet™ - Comfort Food Diet
Like eatTHISdiet - Original, above, this plan includes six weeks of shopping lists and meal plans, but the recipes include foods familiar to almost everyone, such as Macaroni and Cheese, Hamburgers, Philly Cheese Steaks, and Pizza. Refer your patients to drgourmet.com/eatthiscomfort for the plan.

eatTHISdiet™ for Coumadin Users
This version works just like the Original and Comfort Food Diet versions, but is designed to minimize Vitamin K intake and keep it stable. Direct your patients to drgourmet.com/warfarin/eatthisdiet for their six-week menu.