Ask Dr. Mike: Summer Weight Loss Tips & Grains or No Grains?

Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans.

Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know:

Grains or no grains? I'm confused. What do you do?

Dr. Mike agrees that it can be confusing when it comes to deciding on whether or not to eat grains, and there might be conflicting answers. For example, people who follow a paleo diet don't believe in eating any type of grain, since society's ancestors never did. Then, you have other dieters who believe that the ancient grains are okay to eat.

One of the issues with grains is that they are carbohydrates that break down into simple sugars. This results in an insulin release, which in turn causes you to store food.

Dr. Mike believes that grains are fine in moderation, but that you should try to avoid overdoing it.

Fox News Health listed ways to prevent summer weight gain. What do you think about what they had to say?

The first thing Fox News had on the list was if you're feeling a sweet craving coming on, eat something sour instead (bite into a pickle or drink lemon tea).

Dr. Mike believes in this, and even suggests brushing your teeth to curb sugar cravings. The next one on the list was to eat more fiber. Dr. Mike also believes eating fiber is great for your health, but also that there are more factors involved.

The third on the list is to stay hydrated and to drink a glass of water before every meal. Dr. Mike agrees with this tip and suggests that drinking broth can also help.

The fourth tip is to savor every bite. Dr. Mike strongly believes in this and has talked about it before.

The last tip is to snack smart by eating a healthy snack in the mid-afternoon. Dr. Mike agrees with this and suggests snacking on almonds.

If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.