If your resolution for the New Year is to lose weight, you might want to think twice before you announce your plans to your family and friends. Doctors are taking a closer look at effective diet plans, and some are recommending that their patients keep their weight loss intentions to themselves.

Doctor John Walz, who specializes in weight loss, tells CNN that a big part of why he tells his patients to not let others in on their plans is because, by human nature, we tend to spend our time with like-minded people. Obese people generally associate with other obese people, so when one person decides to lose weight they are met with discouragement and judgment from their peers.  

"Deliberately or not, the family, the friends, the other people who are part of that individual's culture will resist the change," Walz says. "(They) will try to change them back to what the culture tolerates."

Another argument for weight loss secrecy is more personal. Dr. Peter Gollwitzer, a professor of psychology at New York University, studies the correlation between telling people what your goals are and actually achieving them. In his research paper “When Intentions Go Public,” Gollwitzer says that the praise we receive for setting goals satisfies us to the point where we don’t feel the need to actually achieve them.

The solution, Gollwitzer says, is simple: "You can keep your mouth shut," or "Form different kinds of intention – not only say what you want to do but also when, where and how you want to do it."

Ever since you were born, your body has played host to millions of bacteria. In fact, the bacteria actually out number the amount of human cells in your body.  But don’t worry, this is a good thing! Our bodies need all of the good bacteria to keep our digestive systems healthy and to fight off any bad bacteria that may threaten us.

The bacteria that are found in our bodies vary from person to person. Up until recently, it was thought that environmental factors were the main cause when it comes to the type of bacteria that builds up in our system. For example, a baby born in Tokyo, Japan, is raised in a big city and eats a lot of fish will have very different bacteria compared to a baby who is raised on a farm in Kansas and has a diet high in dairy.

The government endorsed DASH diet has claimed the top pick in the US News' 20 Best Diets Overall!

The full rankings, released last week, were carefully determined by a panel of health experts and based on the diet's practicality, nutritional value, safety, weight loss results, and prevention of disease.

Medically speaking, DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is generally recommended for people struggling with high-blood pressure, but the good eating habits encouraged by the diet are a positive choice for anyone looking to improve health and wellness.

In recent blogs we’ve talked about the Mediterranean diet and the Macrobiotic Diet. Another way of eating that we address at Integrative Nutrition is Ayurveda.

Ayurveda translates to “the science of life.” It is an ancient healing system from India that emphasizes eating in accordance with your individual body type and the seasons. The system promotes health and disease prevention through balancing the doshas, or mind-body types.

Foods encouraged and restricted depend on your particular dosha, but some general guidelines apply to all meals. A basic meal should have something warm, something with protein, a salad and/or vegetables with good oil, spices and flavorings, and something small and sweet for dessert. If you are following an Ayurvedic diet, heavily processed foods, excess sugar and caffeine and large amounts of animal protein are restricted.

Sample menu:

Breakfast: Hot cereal with walnuts, honey and spices

Lunch: Portobello mushroom curry with basmati rice, mung bean dahl and sautéed spinach

Snack: Almonds, Eater’s Digest tea

Dinner: Tandoori salmon with yogurt, turmeric and pineapple chutney, brocooli salad and sesame oil and sesame seeds

Desserts: Rice pudding with cardamom, cinnamon, honey and almond milk

The Ayurveda philosophy advocates for people to eat their biggest meal in the middle of the day, because it’s the best time for our bodies to take in and digest a large meal. This way of eating is not for everyone though. You may feel best when you have a large meal at breakfast or at dinner instead. Some people feel better when they eat a large breakfast and lunch and then have a small snack for dinner; others do best with five small meals throughout the day. Experiment with the times of the day you eat and the size of your meals.  

To learn more about the doshas and your particular dosha visit www.lifespa.com.