Overcoming Type 2 Diabetes – Part 1

Have you or someone you love recently been diagnosed with diabetes?

The question for many that first comes to mind is…What exactly does having diabetes mean?

A diagnosis of  type 2 Diabetes is one that becomes life altering for most people.  In a nutshell you have just been told that your body cannot process and utilize sugar in a proper fashion.  Your understanding that the metabolism and use of sugar is how our bodies gain the needed energy to fuel all of our bodily processes is very important. 

When you are  pre-diabetic or early type 2 diabetic your  body is breaking down sugars  from the food you eat to use for energy.  Your muscles have become in-sensitive to the sugars circulating through your blood.  So the natural occurance in this state is that your blood sugar levels elevate and remain in the general circulation.

So What is the conequence of this diabetic state?

First , you are tired.  fatigue is a result of the muscles being resistant to the sugar it needs for energy.  For many this is the first and very generalized symptom. When fatigue occurs it is often ignored and you manage it by changing your activity level, often unconsciously.  When activity  slows down then weight will being to rise.  All of this is usually occuring without you even being aware that the shifts are happening.

The next thing that happens is that your nerves become overstimulated with the circulating sugars.  Initally you might see this as an increase sensitivity to pain.  After a while your nerves become less able to function because they are not getting the energy containing sugars and reaction creating minerals needed for their proper function.  At this point a diabetic will start to experience neuropathy.  Neuropathy is pain, numbness or loss of  motor control of nerves.  

Another important factor for any diabetic to understand is that all of this metabolic imbalance also creates a pH imbalance in the body.  Normal body pH  should fall somewhere between 7.35 to 7.45.  Yes Just like in high school chemistry. When your body falls below 7.3pH, the body responds accordingly to correct this situation.  It looks for buffering agents within your body system to use to rebalance your internal chemistry.  The most common buffering agent your body will draw from is calcium.  Your body will use calcium and and other minerals to prevent the over acidification of your body system referred to as acidosis.  Acidosis is serious and when left uncontrolled can result in coma or even death. 

This information is not meant to scare you, however you should realize that diabetes is serious business!

When you understand the primary body changes that are occuring it is easier to make course corrections and work on regaining your health.  Physician work on rebalancing your system with medications and while for many this is a good short term solution. Long term solutions require real biochemical rebalancing.  This can only occur by changing the factors that bring diabetes into play.  Rebalancing your biological terrain is your best long term solution.
Look For My Up Coming Post on Managing Diabetes by Managing Your Terrain

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach

 I have maintained a private health and wellness practice since 1995 and have assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health.  I Coach individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise, and stress management as well as the more complex issues of hormonal imbalance, heart disease, diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and more.  
If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs, Personal Health Coaching or Liv Sxinney and Liv International health products please email me. drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

Hidden Danger In Weight Loss Products

What’s in your Weight Loss Supplement?

The FDA recently published a warning to consumers about dangerous extras that are hiding in many weight loss supplements. These tainted weight loss products contained undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients. http://tinyurl.com/cdk9fl

FDA analysis found that the undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients in some of these products include sibutramine (a controlled substance), rimonabant (a drug not approved for marketing in the United States), phenytoin (an anti-seizure medication), phenolphthalein (a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer causing agent) and bumetanide (a diuretic). Some of the amounts of active pharmaceutical ingredients far exceeded the FDA-recommended levels, putting consumers’ health at risk.

Let the Buyer Buyer Beware!

Know the source and manufacturing practices of the supplements you put in your body. Choosing wisely can provide you with great support to keep you feeling great while losing weight. But not knowing what you are putting in your body can have catastrophic concequences. The best choice for healthy weight loss is always lifestyle modification with the added support of solid vitamin and mineral supplements that are free from stimulants. 

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach
I have maintained a private health and wellness practice since 1995 and have assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health. I Coach individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise, and stress management as well as the more complex issues of hormonal imbalance, heart disease, diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and more.
If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs, Personal Health Coaching or Liv International health products please email me. drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

Economic Crisis…What Is Your Health Worth?

Due to the economic crunch many people are putting off seeing their doctors
The physicians interviewed recently in the Salt Lake Tribune stated that people were often waiting longer in seeking out medical care and where sicker when they did come in. This was for medical doctors and dentists alike. The article also stated that many people were avoiding the doctor, but presenting to the ER when things turned for the worse. All because of the cost.

In a separate article was the information that many americans are just one medical diagnosis away from bankrupsy. Because of the burden of the cost individuals are seeking treatment later and later.

Health care avoidance makes me shudder. Avoidance and constriction when it comes to your health can have devastating consequences. More Americans than ever before are finding themselves in just such a position.

What is Your Health Worth?

For me, I decided long ago that my good health was priceless. That does not mean that I am willing to spend all my money paying for doctors and medical procedures. So when faced with healthl issues I often ask myself and my patients “Now What?” What is it that you and I need to focus on to maximize and maintain our health?

Focus on the law of health abundance!
We focus on abundant health by shifting our core beliefs about health. By believing that you are utimately responsible for the state of your personal health. By believing that taking responsiblity and making empowered decisions will effect your health for a lifetime. By creating a proactive plan for maintaining or improving your health. By accepting the personal responsibility of taking action. Believing that you can have abundant health.

You must dilligently question daily if you are making good choices for diet and exercise. Are you exercising daily? Is your diet supporting you by being alkaline, full of lots of fresh fruits and vegetables? Are you getting needed minerals for optimum function? Are you getting enough fiber? If your Answer is no please check out about information in this Blog about the Liv Fit Lifestyle.

You must have the courage to embark on a weight loss program or a quit smoking program if you need too. The courage to proactively take steps to prevent health concerns like heart disease or diabetes. By taking dilligent action on reversing heart disease or diabetes if they already exist. By making good lifestyle choices everyday. When you do these things, you further the improvement of your health And you safeguard you own personal economic condition.

It has been said that we all live and die in the moment. Each moment is one of choice. We choose what we eat, activities, our thoughts. What we focus on expands.

Abundance is expansive!
Abundant Health is Expansive!

So expand your view of health. Focus on your health. It’ s all about the little choices that you make every day! By living a life of abundant health you are protecting your financial future and the Nations as well.

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach
I have maintained a private health and wellness practice since 1995 and have assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health. I Coach individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise, and stress management as well as the more complex issues of hormonal imbalance, heart disease, diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and more.
If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs, Personal Health Coaching or Liv International health products please email me. drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

The Truth about Diabetes and Weight loss

Have you Been told you are diabetic (or at risk for diabetes, have pre-diabetes or insulin resistance) and need to lose weight?  Given a diet and sent out to radically change your whole life with little instruction or support?  Told repeatedly by your doctor that you need to lose the weight but not had any success?

The truth is that you have been set up to fail!

One in four americans are sugar sensitive (insulin resistant) and many don’t even know it. An astounding 6 million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes and that number is growing exponetially each year. So many people are at risk for this life altering disease unecessarily. With a small amount of knowledge diabetes can be avoided all together.

You have the power to set up your body to be an unattractive environment for diabetes. This is often refered to as Biological Terrain Management. This means creating a favorable environment for your body so all your normal bodily functions canoccur easily, without stress and optimally function.

So what is the best terrain for a body?
An alkaline one!

As you proceed through life your body becomes a toxic dumping ground. Each time you are exposed to chemicals and toxins in the environment, additives in your foods, rub toxic chemicals on your skin, the toxic load of your body increases. This pushes your system to an acidic state.

Bodies, in their wonderful way, are designed to detoxify systems naturally through the liver, kidneys, and digestive track. Eventually though your body systems become overloaded. And as your systems overload then the pH (acid/alkaline) balance of your bodies becomes more acidic.

The acid environment prevents many normal chemical reactions from occuring or from occuring effectvely. Remember basic chemistry? The proper environment is necessary for chemical reactions to occur.

Bodies that are acidic often have depressed immune systems. Acidic environments lead to arthritic conditions and premature aging. For the diabetic an acidic body leads to the inablility to utilize insulin properly and maintain stable blood sugar levels.

What is the connection between diabetes and weight loss?

Simply this…an acidic biological environment is a body in stress. A body in stress will not let go of weight. The body will hold on to the weight for dear life. This sets many diabetics up for failure with weight loss and leaves you feeling discouraged at best but more often hopeless.

Now you know the secret with diabetes and weight loss!

Want to learn how to create your own balanced terrain? How to get rid of the internal stress that has created your weight loss failure? Tune in soon for more information.

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach
I have maintained a private health and wellness practice since 1995 and have assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health. I Coach individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise, and stress management as well as the more complex issues of hormonal imbalance, heart disease, diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and more.
If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs, Personal Health Coaching, Liv Sxinney or other Liv International health products please email me. drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

Curb Sugar, Gain Energy, Lose Weight and Feel Great!

Part II of Sugar Sensitivity and Weight Loss
Tips for The Sugar Sensitive
Being sugar sensitive gives us the opportunity to make different choices to support our bodies. Using activities to produce the brain chemical changes and lifestyle modifications to regulate blood sugar assist in reducing the need and desire for sugar. It is a far healthier choice to produce natural brain chemicals (beta-endorphins and serotonin) naturally through activity than to stimulate it’s production with a legal drug…sugar. It is also far healthier to regulate your blood sugar with good choices than suffer the effects of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome or diabetes

Here are some of my favorite ways to curb the need for sugar, gain energy, lose weight and feel great!

1. Eat five small meals a day. The more frequent smaller meals keep the blood sugar levels more stable.
2. Do something physical like dancing or taking a walk this will boost your bodies production of beta endorphins and seratonin (the feel good chemicals)
3. Include supplements in your diet that help to balance and maintain good stable blood sugar levels. Items like a full balanced Fulvic Mineral Supplement and a dietary fiber supplement that gives you 25 – 30 grams of fiber daily.
4. Have a massage or rub some lotion into your hands and feet. This stimulates the feel good chemicals too!
5. Do some deep breathing. In through the nose for a slow count of 5, then out through the mouth for a slow count of 5. Repeat the process for about 5 minutes.
6. Seek some support. Phone a friend.
7. Get out into the sun for 15 minutes. This is an awesome way to stimulate your body’s production of seratonin.
8. If you are going to indulge always include some protein with your treat. The protein will help to offset the rapid rise and fall of your blood sugar.

Ninety percent of people who create new habits and do these things will see rapid changes in how their body is feeling and how their body is managing weight. Cravings will go away and weight will often normalize. A meal will satisfy your body’s need for energy and you will feel satisfied. Your energy level will go through the roof.

For the few however, these steps might only start moving you in the right direction. Some will
requires specific nutritional supplements to assist in getting you over the hump and others may be dealing with greater levels of imbalance in their metabolic systems. So what is the answer… reach for the support that you need. Support and assistance is available. It is the Key to Your Success!

Need more assistance with managing cravings, sugar addiction or weight loss? Get the support, find solutions and get results by taking action today. email me at drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com and schedule your complementary health strategy session. Please put Free Strategy Session in the subject line of the email. This is a limited offer and available to the first 20 people who respond. Don’t wait! Request your Session Today!

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach
 I have maintained a private health and wellness practice since 1995 and have assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health.  I Coach individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise, and stress management as well as the more complex issues of hormonal imbalance, heart disease, diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and more.  
If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs or Personal Health Coaching or Liv International health products please email me. drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

Are You Sugar Sensitive?

Sugar sensitivity is a common and powerful problem affecting weight.

Sugar, especially the carbohydrate forms, react very strongly in our bodies. When we consume simple sugars like crackers, white bread, bagels, pasta, candies, cakes, cookies or alcohol the effects are startling. These types of foods are quickly and easily digestible. They act to raise your blood sugar levels quickly. This rapid rise in blood sugar levels gives you the almost immediate payoff of increased energy and focus. A good example of this is when we are tired in the mid afternoon and reach for a candy bar. We eat it and quickly feel a lift. But what goes up always comes down and we are left with our blood sugar plummeting. We quickly go from energized to tired, restless and irritable.

Sugar does not affect everyone in the same way.

If you are sugar sensitive is determined in large part by the way your particular body burns food for energy (The function of your metabolism). For some small amounts of simple carbohydrates has little to no affect on their energy level. These folks have a slow burning metabolism. For others their metabolism burns hot and fast leading to the rapid rise and crashing fall when even small amounts of simple carbohydrates are consumed. Then to manage the crash we reach for more sugars. It becomes an endless cycle of craving more and more sugar.

It is also important to realize that the sugar sensitive are not wired in the same way as others. There is a difference in brain chemistry between the sugar sensitive and the non-sugar sensitive people. For the sugar sensitive the intake of sugars triggers the brain and acts like a drug. Sugar can become an addictive substance.

So are you among the sugar sensitive?

Ask yourself the following questions.

Do you crave or frequently desire sweet foods?
Do you currently eat a lot of sweets?
Are foods like breads, cereals, popcorn or pasta among your favorites?
Do you or have you had problems with alcohol or drugs?
Are/ were one or both of your parents alcoholic?
Do you have parents that crave or consume a lot of sweets?
Are you overweight and have difficulty trying to lose weigh?
Are you depressed and can’t seem to shake it?
Do you often overreact to stress?
Do you have a history of anger or surprising bursts of anger?
How often did you answer yes? The more yes answers increase the likelihood that you are among the sugar sensitive.

Did you know that people who are sugar sensitive often are referred to as insulin resistant or pre-diabetic? And did you know that 1 in 4 Americans are insulin resistant?

Want to know more about Insulin Resistance and managing sugar sensitivity? Tune in again tomorrow.

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach
I have maintained a private health and wellness practice since 1995 and have assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health. I Coach individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise, and stress management as well as the more complex issues of hormonal imbalance, heart disease, diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and more.
If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs or Personal Health Coaching or Liv International health products please email me.  drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

Vegetables Aren’t as Good for You as They Used to Be

Here is a reprint of an interesting Article I read this morning on Mercola.com. Be sure not to miss my comments following the article

 

Vegetables Aren’t as Good for You as They Used to Be

According to new research, produce in the U.S. not only tastes worse than it did in your grandparents’ days, but also contains fewer nutrients. In fact, the average vegetable found in today’s supermarket is anywhere from 5 percent to 40 percent lower in minerals such as magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc than those harvested just 50 years ago.

Today’s vegetables are larger, but do not contain more nutrients. Jumbo-sized produce actually contains more “dry matter” than anything else, which dilutes mineral concentrations.

An additional problem is the “genetic dilution effect,” in which selective breeding to increase crop yield has led to declines in protein, amino acids, and minerals. Breeders select for high yield, effectively selecting mostly for high carbohydrate content.

And finally, as a result of the growing rise of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, modern crops are being harvested faster than ever before, meaning that produce has less time to absorb nutrients either from synthesis or the soil.

Sources:
  Time February 17, 2009,   The Journal of HortScience February 1, 2009

Dr Laurie’s Comments:

It is sad to think that the quality of most of the food that we purchase in the grocery store has such poor nutritional value.  The foods that we choose because we want to eat better and give our body what it needs really just does not do the job  any longer.  Here are some facts about why we need supplements to create and maintain a healthy body these days.

Our body needs minerals to carry out important chemical processes. The body’s weight related functions, like appetite, hunger, metabolic rate, metabolism of fats and sugars, blood-glucose levels, calorie-burning, and so on, operate more efficiently when we have an optimum intake of minerals. Liv SXinney is full of fulvic minerals which are harvested from ancient plant beds rich in the minerals we need. When you drink Liv SXinney all day long, you are flooding your body with a constant source of healthy minerals.

The decline in quality protein from these same food sources may be a large contributor to the steady decline of our nations health as a whole.  Protein in the form of amino acids are directly responsible for achieving and maintaining lean muscle in our bodies.  Muscle is an important factor in how our body uses the food it gets to create energy.  No wonder our country is suffering from epidemic levels of obesity, poor blood sugar regulation and diabetes, as well as heart disease (don’t forget your heart is a muscle).  The addition of quality protein supplements designed to enhance lean and efficent muscles is integral to our long term health.  The Liv International product “GO” is designed just for that purpose. 

The Truth is that getting our nutrients from food sources is no longer enough.  It is up to each of us to maximize the efficiency of our bodys. This is done through proper supplementation and choosing the highest quality food, locally grown and organic, we can afford.

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach.
 
I have maintained a private health and wellness practice since 1995 and have assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health.  I Coach individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise, and stress management as well as the more complex issues of hormonal imbalance, heart disease, diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and more.  
If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs or Personal Health Coaching or Liv International health products please email me. drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

Boost Your Metabolism and Lose Weight

Want to increase your metabolism? Having a high functioning metabolism enables you to burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of activity. Metabolism is the rate by which your body produces and consumes energy in the form of calories to support life.

There are several factors that affect your metabolism. They include the amount of muscle tissue you have, the frequency of the meals you consume, genetics, stress levels, the type of food you eat and your activity levels. Metabolism slows or speeds up as you change habits in your life. Metabolism will slow down in reponse to the following: loss of muscle because of too little physical activity or the decrease of physical activity that comes naturally with old age, High periods of stress, or consuming meals late at night.

Here are 10 ways to fire up your metabolism:

1. Build up your lean body mass.
The amount of muscle you have is a very strong determinant in your ability to burn calories and shed fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential. Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can really go along way in boosting your fitness level. Bue sure to match the amount you are eating to the amount of your activity. Add healthful supplements high in L-arginine such as “Go” by Liv International to help boost your lean muscle mass.

Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:

For strength training
lift weights increasing your repetitions and resistance levels as you train
Utilize advance exercise techniques under the supervision of a qualified personal trainer

For cardiovascular training
Utilize interval training (bursts of cardio with periodic calestenics)
Do cross-training and combine different types of exercise
Work on using variable resistance and speed in your training

2. Eat breakfast. A lot of people ignore the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, the ones who eat breakfast are thinner than the ones who do not. Your thyroid which is your major hormonal control of your metabolism is most active in the early part of the day. Waiting to eat until later in the day keeps you heavier because your body has fewer resources for burning the calories you take in.

3. Avoid sugar. Sugar is a stimulant to your body. It can serve you well if you need a quick burst of energy, but it does so at a cost. Sugar will drive your blood sugar high quickly and then it will just as quickly fall. This rapid rise and fall triggers your body to store fat. This respone also triggers mechanisms in the brain that drive food cravings.

3. Avoid sugar. 3. Avoid sugar. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. A majority of bodily functions involves water. Poor water consumption leads to dehydration that will lead to decreased perfomance of body system’s operations and produces unneeded stress. Your body views this stress as a threat to sustaining life and will transfer itself into a mode of preservation. It will conserve body water, slow the rate of energy consumption and much more. The result a body that has an slow metabolism

5.Get your vitamins and Minerals. Most people these days are deficient in essential minerals. It use to be that you could get enough from what you eat, but that is no longer true. Mineral deficient soils lead to mineral deficient crops. So what we eat no longer supplies the essential minerals that our bodies need. Adding a good source of vitamins and minerals, especially fulvic minerals because they absorb so well is a requirement.

6. Sleep more. Sleep is where your body regerates and restores. Muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of slumber. Muscles are a key component of high metabolism and blood sugar regulation.

7. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases your metabolism. Also, many people tend to eat excessively when stressed.

8. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. It is advisable to consume 4 to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart. Include more energy foods in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains. Never skip meals. People tend to skip meals in order to lose weight, which is a big mistake since it slows down metabolism.

9. Detoxify your body. A body that is clean on the inside functions more efficiently and lets your metabolism burn at a higher rate. The Chlorophyll and fulvic minerals found in Liv Sxinney are a perfect combination for gently detoxifying your system.

10. Plan meals in detail. Always prepare the right amount of food to be consumed each meal this cuts down on waste and the temptation to overeat.

Achieving your desired body weight is possible when you have the determination and patience needed to stabilize and energize your metabolism. And your metabolism plays an crutial role in your weight loss. You only need to realize that eating right and working out are more than just passing fancys, but a way of life. An intergral part of “Liv the SXinney Life”.

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach
I have maintained a private health and wellness practice since 1995 and have assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health. I Coach individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise, and stress management as well as the more complex issues of hormonal imbalance, heart disease, diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and more.
If you would like more information about this post, Your  Health Empowered Programs or Personal Health Coaching or Liv International health products please email me.  drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

Tips For Losing Weight The Healthy Way

Almost 108 million Americans were overweight or obese in 1999. Obesity continues to be a serious problem today and is predicted to reach epidemic levels by the year 2020.

One way to prevent this scenario is to make people aware of the risks of being overweight or obese.

Here are some diseases that you are putting yourself in risk of if you are carrying a lot of extra pounds:

1. heart disease
2. stroke
3. diabetes
4. cancer
5. arthritis
6. hypertension

Losing weight helps to prevent and control these diseases.

The quick weight loss methods which have spread like fire these days. But often do not provide lasting results. Dieting methods which involve dietary drinks, specialty foods or  pills do not work. When they do, the results are just temporary.

It is better to rely on a healthy weight loss option which will provide lifetime results. You have to set realistic goals and not expect to lose a lot of pounds in a short span of time. 

Here are some tips on how you can lose those unwanted pounds the healthy way:

1.   Do not starve yourself.

The key to a healthier way of losing weight is: Do not diet.

You may seem happy and feel that you are losing those unwanted flabs on your belly and thighs by skipping meals. But remember that this would not last long. Your body cannot tolerate having insufficient food to fuel the energy that you use up everyday.

If you get used to skipping one or two meals a day, your stored calories will be used up instead of the energy that should have been provided by your meals. Your body thinks it is starving and needs to replenish its storage so when you do eat you actually end up gaining more weight and trick your body into being resistant to weight loss.

2.  Start your day right.

Mothers always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Have a healthy meal in the morning to jump-start your metabolism.

Your food intake after you wake up will be used to burn fat all day long.

3.  Eat small, healthy meals frequently.

Five  small-serving snacks per day is better than three hearty meals. Eating more frequently, and in small servings, can prevent over-eating. This will also increase your metabolism and make calories burn faster.

4.  Decide on how much weight you want to lose.

Keep your goals realistic. In the long run, it is virtually impossible for you to lose 40 pounds in 2 weeks. Have a mindset that you want to eat healthy to stay healthy for the rest of your life.

Once you have decided on a weight loss plan or program, stick to it and make sure that you follow your own set of dieting rules. 

Having trouble sticking with your weight loss plan?  Get some support!  A qualified professional or a health coach is a good place to look for knowledgable support, but a good friend or a work out partner can work too.  Find what works for you.

5.  Drink lots of water.

Your body needs sufficient water  to burn fat and keep your cells hydrated and healthy. And make sure it is Liv Sxinney water.  The chlorophyll and the fulvic minerals act to nourish your body in a good way while assisting you in detoxifying the junk in your system that wants to hold onto weight.  This is also a much better choice than sugary sports drinks that are packed with calories and chemicals.

6.  Avoid too much sugar.

Plan your meals around lots of fruits and vegetables, some bread, rice or pasta for that carbo fix that you need, plus lean  meat and protein rich-foods. Sweets, sodas and pastries should be once-in-a-while indulgences only. 

7.  Watch your fat intake.

Choose good fats rather than the bad ones. Fat is not the culprit to being overweight and you need fats to keep your weight at the proper level.

There is such a thing as healthy fats. Olive, peanuts and canola oil have them. Tuna, salmon and mackerel have omega-3 fats which are good for the heart. 

8.  Exercise.

Leave your car if  you are only going a few blocks from home, take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog, cycle or  skate. Use these activites and other home chores if you are too lazy to go to the gym and take exercise classes. Make these a part of your regular activity.   If you do,  you will not even notice that you are exercising and  are  shedding pounds with these mundane activities.

The amount of weight you plan on losing or need to lose does not matter. What is important is that you set realistic goals for yourself and take consistant action toward your goals

Go slow. Set small goals of 5 or 6 pounds, give yourself a break then work on the next 5 pounds.

Eat healthy, drink lots of Liv Sxinney water, get plenty of sleep and exercise. These things will give you a higher success at losing weight and improving your health. The result is a new, healthier you. What do you have to lose?

Dr. Laurie Patterson, Chiropractor and Personal Health Coach. 

Dr Laurie has maintained a private practice since 1995 and has assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health.  Coaching individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise, and stress management as well as the more complex issues of hormonal imbalance, heart disease, diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and more.  

If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs, Personal Health Coaching or Liv SXinney please contact her at drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com