So here is the gist of my program. There are four primary areas of physical health that need to be regulated and balanced in order to bring about healing and permanent weight loss. They are Sleep, Exercise, Diet/Nutrition and Hormone Balancing. Each area affects the other in both positive and negative ways. A car is the perfect analogy for how our bodies work and these four major areas are the wheels. If one tire is not properly inflated the ride is affected, the gas mileage is affected and overall performance of the car is affected. It may not be as dramatic as a flat, which will virtually incapacitate the car but over time your mechanic will give you bad news about the damage that has been done. So too, chronic sleep deprivation may not keep you from getting up in the morning and doing your life, but over time it will lead to depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, joint and muscle pain, headaches and a myriad of other issues. Not exercising or inappropriate exercise will affect your heart, circulation, energy and hormone levels. It's like driving a Porche in the city. They aren't designed for slow traffic, you will ruin the engine and no longer have a high performance machine. Poor diet and/or lack of nutrition will leave you with no material to function or repair with. Your car needs gas, oil, water, lubricants and other fluids and each of the right kind for your car. Since when does not eating equal healthy weight loss? How far will you get in a car with no gas? How well will it run without oil? Balancing our hormones - all of them - is also very critical. They work together to regulate our metabolisms and keep us functioning physically and emotionally. There are three major sets to consider - sex, stress and blood sugar hormones. What is most important about hormones? Levels - just like your car you need to check the levels of fluids to make sure you have the proper amounts for optimum performance.
Take this week to look at where you are in relation to these areas of you life. Rate yourself from 1-10 in each area and then ask why you are where you are. Next time I'll begin to break down each section and provide you with action steps.

World Debut

How exciting is this?!?!?! I have been laboring for months (more like years) about getting my website up and after one phone conversation with my best friend, voila, here I am!

This blog is all about creating a network of people who know they need to make changes in their lives and health but are unmotivated to do so. As a licensed health care provider, I see people (mostly women) everyday who know they need to take better care of themselves but can't seem to find it within themselves to do it. This is where we will explore together how to get off our butts and get about the business of living.

I am writing, of course, from personal experience. My life looks much like those of my patients. Mid-40's, just overweight enough to feel uncomfortable with myself (and let me tell you it has nothing to do with not loving myself, it's all about feeling like a sausage in my clothes), still raising kids, keeping a husband happy and running a business in a major metropolitan city. Traffic, smog, bad food, cranky people, too much to do in too little time, you know what I mean. My quality of life is not what I had hoped for by this point in my life.

But there is great news! I have been blessed with knowledge and understanding not only of the delicate intricacies of the human body but also with the ability to communicate those processes in a way that gets people moving. I have found my purpose in life - to educate. So right here, right now I formally begin my journey into the depths of who I was born to be, your teacher and coach to motivate you to find the best of who you are.

I know there is a ton of health information out there claiming to be the key to a perfect body and long life. But let's face it, the changes you make may or may not produce those results but they will certainly add quality to you life. It's one of my favorite sayings - I have no problem getting old, it's getting decrepit I have a problem with!

So, I welcome you and leave you with this thought:

There is no such thing as staying the same. You are either striving to make yourself better or allowing yourself to get worse.

I don't know who said that but it was on the back of my shirt when I was an aerobics instructor for Holiday Spa in the 80's. That saying has stuck with me over the years. Ponder the words carefully. Think about what side of the equation you are on and the truth about which one or the other is happening in your life. Put pen to paper and journal about how this applies to your life, health, finances, family, faith and relationships. Although the focus of this blog will be physical health, as an acupuncturist I deal with the integrated body. That means it's ultimatly all connected and all areas affect all parts. As we go on, you will see the connections and come to understand that your body and your life are not a collection of separate things arbitrarily trying to fit together but a beautiful symphony designed to play in harmony and express it's beauty to the the world around you.