{"id":42898,"date":"2026-04-06T13:56:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:56:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=42898"},"modified":"2026-04-06T13:56:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:56:34","slug":"im-an-obesity-doctor-the-first-foods-i-have-patients-cut-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=42898","title":{"rendered":"I&#8217;m an obesity doctor \u2014 the first foods I have patients cut down"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>These foods are the heaviest hitters.<\/p>\n<p>While GLP-1 drugs have transformed how many people think about weight loss, the pharmaceuticals are still most effective when paired with those old, familiar obesity-busters of yore: diet changes and exercise.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to The Post, Dr. Meena Malhotra \u2014 a double board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine and the founder and CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/healncure.com\/best-functional-medicine-doctor-in-glenview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Heal n Cure Medical Wellness Center<\/a> \u2014 revealed the first diet changes she urges her patients to try.<\/p>\n<p>And while some of the foods you should eat less of won\u2019t surprise you, others may not be what you\u2019re expecting.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>GLP-1s have made losing weight easier than ever. But they\u2019re most effective when paired with diet and lifestyle changes. <span class=\"credit\">Jordi Salas \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Refined carbs like bread, pasta, noodles and pastries<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Mamma mia.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, certain breads and wheat products \u201chave a very high glycemic load,\u201d Malhotra explains, \u201cso they spike glucose very fast, which leads to a spike in insulin.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When insulin levels are high, the body is in \u201cfat-storage mode, not fat-burning mode,\u201d she says, because insulin is a fat-storing hormone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you reduce these, patients see less bloating, more stable energy and gradual fat loss, especially around the belly.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas, fruit juices and energy drinks<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It might be time to ditch the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/06\/13\/lifestyle\/gen-z-trades-smoke-breaks-for-viral-fridge-cigarette-fix\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fridge cigarette<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiquid calories don\u2019t give satiety,\u201d Malhotra says, meaning you can drink 200-300 calories and still feel hungry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost of these have fructose, which acts like alcohol in the liver and leads to fatty liver and insulin resistance. Cutting these out alone can make a big difference in weight and metabolic health.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>OK, sure, so regular Cokes aren\u2019t good for you. But fruit juice\u2026?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Some foods like fruit juices might seem healthy, but they actually just spike insulin levels, contributing to fat storage in the liver and belly. <span class=\"credit\">Drazen \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cMost people think it\u2019s healthy, but in reality it\u2019s one of the worst things for metabolic health,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen you remove the fiber from fruit and just drink the juice it\u2019s basically sugar hitting your system very fast.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The result is a spike in insulin and increased fat storage in the liver and belly.\u00a0In fact, the doc has seen patients lose weight just by kicking their daily orange juice habit.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhole fruit is fine, juice is the problem,\u201d she clarifies.\u00a0And yes, that includes green juice.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ultra-processed foods like chips, packaged snacks and fast food<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Saying ultra-processed foods (UFPs) contribute to obesity is about as groundbreaking as \u201cflorals for spring.\u201d But it\u2019s still worth mentioning.<\/p>\n<p>UFPs are full of refined carbs, unhealthy fats and preservatives, making them one of the greatest enemies to your metabolic health.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are calorie-dense but nutrient-poor. They also alter hunger signals so you end up eating more,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen patients reduce these, cravings go down significantly and they feel more in control of their eating.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Dr. Meena Malhotra specializes in integrative and functional medicine, focusing on hormone optimization, metabolic health and disease prevention. <span class=\"credit\">Obtained by the NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Non-organic animal products like processed meats and non-organic dairy<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The secret is the source.<\/p>\n<p>In the US, non-organic meats and dairy are typically \u201cloaded with hormones and inflammatory compounds,\u201d Malhotra says, which can trigger hormonal imbalances and weight gain.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She recommends switching to \u201ccleaner sources\u201d or reducing your intake to improve inflammation and help with fat loss.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cHealthy\u201d packaged foods like granola bars, protein bars, flavored yogurts and gluten free snacks<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Just because it looks healthy doesn\u2019t make it so.<\/p>\n<p>Oftentimes these snacks are marketed as healthy despite hiding high levels of sugars, refined carbs or sugar substitutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This means that even if the calorie count is low, they still spike glucose and insulin.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOver time this keeps the body in fat-storing mode and increases hunger,\u201d Malhotra says. \u201cWhen patients cut these out, they notice less cravings and more consistent energy throughout the day.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/04\/06\/health\/im-an-obesity-doctor-the-first-foods-i-have-patients-cut-down\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>These foods are the heaviest hitters. While GLP-1 drugs have transformed how many people think about weight loss, the pharmaceuticals are still most effective when paired&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42898\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}