on Jun 27, 2019 in Fitness, General Wellness, Inspiration, Patient Testimonials, Weight Loss
Like so many of us, Jim’s weight crept up over the years. His first serious attempt at weight loss was in a Fasting Program at the Positive Choice Integrative Wellness Center. He lost the excess weight quickly but went back to old habits and re-gained. Feeling frustrated, he decided fasting wasn’t for him, so he joined a Healthy Balance full-food program. It was in this program he started building a practice of eating healthy foods. His counselor Kay started every class with exercise and 10 minutes of meditation; and it was Kay’s introduction to the benefits of meditation that Jim credits with his continued meditation practice. Since his class with Kay, he has logged in over 1349 days straight of meditation on his mobile app called Calm. As long as Jim was participating in a Healthy Balance class he did well, but over time the demands of his work life took over and the long hours made it impossible for him to attend class. A busy teacher, baseball, and football coach meant 12 to 14-hour days and a lot of stress. He let go of his Healthy Balance program and the healthy habits and started to rely on the convenience of processed meals and fast food. His blood sugars crept up as did his cholesterol and blood pressure. One summer, Jim’s work load increased significantly as he was assigned a major project designing a county-wide High School field trip for the National Park Service at Cabrillo National Monument. His thoughts we’re “I’ll get back to eating right, exercising, and stress management when this project is done.” Sadly, just as Jim was completing the project he suffered a major stroke at the age of 61. Jim was forced into retirement before he was ready and the sudden loss of work, being home, and the demands physically of recovering from a stroke left Jim feeling depressed and anxious. His weight crept up, he couldn’t exercise, his health issues worsened. Jim decided to get back into another Healthy Balance program. He had to wait a month to get into a group, but he was so motivated he started on his own practicing the many things he had learned from Kay. In this new...
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on Jun 18, 2019 in Fitness, General Wellness, Weight Loss
Exercise can help boost your mood. Getting regular exercise is important for not only good physical health, but it can provide benefits for mental health. It promotes the release of feel-good brain chemicals. The first thing you might think of when it comes to exercise and feeling good is what is commonly known as runner’s high. This describes the release of endorphins that your brain experiences when you physically exert yourself. Endorphins are a type of neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger. They help relieve pain and stress and are only one of many neurotransmitters released when you exercise. Physical activity also stimulates the release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These brain chemicals play an important part in regulating your mood. For example, regular exercise can positively impact serotonin levels in your brain. Raising your levels of serotonin boosts your mood and overall sense of well-being. It can also help improve your appetite and sleep...
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on May 14, 2019 in General Wellness, Inspiration, Nutrition, Patient Testimonials, Weight Loss
May 17, 2019 at 5:30 pm Positive Choice Integrative Wellness Center Come listen to Esther Loveridge’s inspiring story of losing over 100 pounds in less than 2 years on a whole food, plant-based diet. In pain and diagnosed with bone on bone in her knees, Esther was overwhelmed when her physician said she had to lose 70 pounds to have knee surgery. She wasn’t sure she could accomplish it, but then a friend gave her a book on a whole food, plant-based diet that changed her life. Come hear how Esther lost the weight, went from size 24 to a size 6, avoided knee surgery and healed her thyroid eating so many of the foods, that we are often told will cause weight gain. Click here to Register for...
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on May 6, 2019 in General Wellness, Nutrition
After a review of more than 800 studies, The International Agency of Cancer Research concluded processed meat is a “definite cause” of colorectal cancer — making processed meats equal in risk for colorectal cancer as tobacco is a risk for lung cancer. The World Health Organization classified smoked, cured, salted, and canned meats and meat with added sodium nitrite as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning the scientific evidence firmly links it to cancer. That includes common meats like sausages, hot dogs, salami, bacon, ham, corned beef, smoked meat, beef jerky, luncheon meats, and canned meat. According to the research, as little as 1 ounce of processed meat per day – one hot dog or about six pieces of bacon – raises the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. Unfortunately, the risk of other cancers were elevated as well. Red and processed meats increase the risk for stomach, prostate and pancreatic cancers, but the risk for colorectal cancer is the...
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on Mar 30, 2019 in Cancer prevention, General Wellness, Nutrition, Weight Loss
Made from Camellia Sinensis plant, green tea is not fermented like black teas. Instead it is produced by steaming fresh tea leaves at high temperatures. When tea leaves are steamed instead of fermented, many of important plant nutrients are protected. Green tea contains a high concentration of nutrients called polyphenols which play a role in decreasing inflammation and swelling. Polyphenols also help protect the cartilage between bones and lessens joint degeneration. Green tea contains only 2% to 4% caffeine and stimulates the nervous system, heart, and muscles by increasing the release of certain chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. Consuming green tea or taking green tea extract containing 150 to 2500 mg of green tea catechins, an antioxidant found in green tea, daily for up to 24 weeks has been found to reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in people with high levels of blood fats or cholesterol. Early research also suggests that green tea extract might reduce damage to vein and artery walls in people with high...
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on Mar 26, 2019 in General Wellness, Nutrition, Weight Loss
The Incredible Bulk 2019 Every year Americans spend 30 billion dollars on vitamin and herbal supplements hoping to boost their health, lose weight, and feel better. That comes to about $100 a year for every person including children in the United States for substances that are often of questionable value. Sadly, most do not gain their hoped for health benefits. Even sadder is the fact that so little focus is placed on the relatively inexpensive foods that add bulk to your diet and do provide clearly documented health benefits, as well as aid in weight loss. Colorful, high-fiber plant foods provide you with nutrients that curb appetite, lower inflammation, boost the healthy bacteria in your gut, and lower risk for disease. Unfortunately, people usually only give fiber consideration when they are constipated and then they supplement just enough to get the pipes unclogged. But plant fibers provide some of the most important nutrients you can ingest. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body doesn’t have the digestive enzymes to break down and absorb. Once consumed, fiber travels through the digestive track to the colon, where trillions of bacteria can, and do digest it. People who eat low-fiber diets are at increased risk for heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, arthritis, and possibly auto-immune disorders.1,2,3 In fact, low-fiber eaters have increased mortality rates for all causes.4 One reason for the increased mortality rate may be the protective anti-inflammatory affect of whole, natural fiber-rich plant foods. People who eat a diet high in meats, dairy, and eggs, and low in fibrous vegetables, fruits, beans and grains have increased blood levels of C-reactive protein, a known marker for inflammation. Inflammation around the major organs can be a trigger for the development of disease. In contrast, people who consume all or mostly plant-based diets (40 grams of fiber a day or more) have much lower levels of C-reactive protein and high levels of natural plant anti-inflammatories circulating in their blood.4 Fiber also provides health benefits for the gut. Bacteria in the lower GI tract digest fiber and produce short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids fuel the delicate cells that line your intestinal tract and have a tremendous impact on overall gut health....
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