"This Weight Loss Thingy"

      A patient recently came into my office and stated that she had "sent off for this weight loss thingy". The weight loss "thingy " she referred to was something that was being sold on "the box" (for those of you who haven't attended one of my seminars that would be the TV), usually very late at night or early in the morning when air times are cheap, and very tired and "vulnerable" viewers are out there. Quite frankly she wasn't totally clear as to what she had actually purchased. This story like many go to the heart of the flaw in our consciousness today in our appearance driven society. Please don't misunderstand the statements that follow. We do live in the most obese country on the planet. Obesity is at the heart (no pun intended) of most if not all of the current diseases (these are really disorders) with which our society is plagued today. The key to this concept, obviously being overlooked by this overweight patient as it is by many in our culture, is that Just Because You Are Thin Does NOT Mean That You Are HEALTHY! I treat plenty of patients, and have many friends and family members who are slender; they are at a perfect level on the height/weight charts however they are anything but healthy. I know many runners who are very thin but are not healthy. Look at Lance Armstrong, very thin and virile in appearance after the Tour de France, however suffering already at that time from prostate cancer.
      So what is the point of all of this? The point is this: "A thin body is not the focus of our endeavors.  If it is you will  generally fail and you may not become healthy. No my friends, a slender physique is the byproduct of Health and Wellness!" I can show you case after case in both of my practices of patients who had made Belief System and then Lifestyle Changes, and become Healthier. As a result of this they did in fact lose weight. You see the order of priority or syntax is wrong. It is flip flopped.
     Trust me on this one.  Change Your Belief System regarding what is actually food and what is a "product" from a factory. Practice what is good movement/exercise for your body, then begin to feed your mind/body good healthy positive thoughts. You will, in spite of every infomercial that you see on late night TV, become Healthy, and as a result of this I can guarantee (which the Telemarketers won't do) that you will lose weight!

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Eat Right: Which veggies are clean and which aren't

     We are coming into the time of year when all of those fresh fruits and veggies will be available for us to enjoy once again. Thanks to the Environmental Working Group here is a list of produce categorized by pesticide concentration. If you're going organic, start with those known to be higher in pesticides.

Lowest in Pesticides:

Onion
Avocado
Corn (high glycemic index)
Pineapple (high glycemic index)
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet peas (high glycemic index)
Kiwi
Cabbage (cruciferous, good for breast health)
Eggplant (nightshade, watch if you have any arthritic condition)
Papaya
Watermelon (higher glycemic index)
Broccoli
Tomato (great source of lycopene)
Sweet Potato

 
Highest in Pesticides:

Peach
Apple
Bell Pepper
Celery
Nectarine
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale (cruciferous, good for breast health)
Lettuce
Imported Grapes (high glycemic index)
Carrot
Pear

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Think Right:

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

Attributed to Frank Outlaw


Thought for the Day:
"Nobody really cares if you're miserable,
so you might as well be happy."

Cynthia Nelms

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Priorities

     Recently I had an experience with a patient which I have seen all too many times. This patient, we'll call him John, began care at the Center for Nutrition and Wellness™. As I have said before, the changes that a patient experiences at the Center can be dramatic and life changing. John went through his initial consultation and analysis, I had determined what nutritional support that he needed, as well as what life-style changes we would begin with. We were ready to go. John scheduled his next appointment where we would review our findings in his case and our plan for his case. John listened and appeared very excited to begin changing his bad health habits. He left the office after reviewing the information that I had provided to him again with Kerry, to assure that he didn't have any further questions, and was clear on every possible detail.
     Now this is where the plot thickens. John called the Center and spoke with Kerry. His concern/comments went something like this; "I can't continue my care in your office." When John was questioned further by Kerry as to why he felt that it was impossible for him to keep up with the program John stated that he "couldn't afford it."
     This one always gets me and this is why; first of all I have always worked hard to keep the fees in both of my practices reasonable and affordable, so that anyone can treat. If that's not enough and a patient qualifies I will let you know that for years in my Chiropractic practice I have even gone so far as to give a NO interest loan/credit for their care. I don't advertise that one because we can only do so much of that and keep our doors open. My philosophy has always been that "I don't want to see finances come between you and your care."
     So what really was the problem here? In my estimation there was one explanation for John's actions; PRIORITIES! His were skewed. You see John was DEPRIORITIZING his HEALTH! How do I know this you might ask? I know this for a fact since there is one important piece of this story that I didn't share with you. That is that John smoked and this was the number one thing that John and I were going to work on. I spoke with John after learning his decision and explained the math to him. You see once John was off the "cancer sticks", then the savings that he would have garnered on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis would have been enough to afford his care at the Center and also start a savings account with the remainder!
     So what is the moral of this story you might ask? This is it; "Never Deprioritize Your Health!" I see this done everyday. You know when I see it stop? When it is too late for prevention. When you are now in the DISEASE AND SICKNESS stage of life. This stage does not have to happen, but the PREVENTION PHASE needs to start NOW, because "once you got it, it's TOO LATE FOR PREVENTION!" Top of page

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Parting Thought

Please contemplate our parting thought this month particularly in light of the Priorities article that you just read.  Dr. P.

 
      "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least."
 
Goethe
 
Source: Good Stuff

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