Secrets even the scientists don’t know.

Did you see that newspaper article that reviewed a research project done at Stanford University that was set up to determine which diet was the most effective?  The diets included the famous Atkins diet, the Zone diet, Dr. Dean Ornish’s diet, and the US government’s national guidelines plan.

The women in the study were to stay on their respective eating plans for one whole year. Unfortunately they tended to go off their plans before the year was over. (So what’s new? That happens on most “diets”.)

This controversy is so old! 25 years ago when I first got into nutrition the controversy was going on as to whether Atkins or Pritikin was the best eating plan. Dr. Atkins diet has always been high-protein high-fat and low carbohydrate. Whereas the Pritikin diet was just the opposite with low protein, very low-fat and high carbohydrate. Apparently Dr. Ornish’s diet has replaced the Pritikin diet with some modifications. Have you stewed over the decision about which way to eat? So did I until…

I found out the truth.

And now you can know the truth too.

But 25 years later the scientists and researchers still haven’t figured out which diet is really the best! That’s because none of them work the best for everyone.

The headline in that newspaper article was touting the fact that people on the Atkins diet lost the most weight, up to 13 pounds in the first six months. However, by the end of the 12 month period they had already gained back 3 of the pounds. On the Ornish diet, which is high carb, low-fat, the average weight loss was about 5 pounds in the year. And those on the national guidelines plan lost about 6 pounds. The women on the Zone diet lost only 3.5 pounds average in 12 months.

Are you impressed by the amount of weight lost on any of these diets?

I had to chuckle when I read this article. Here they are still trying to prove which diet is the best. Do they still not understand the basic physiology of each person’s body? Every individual body is unique. Each one of us is biologically individual. Therefore lumping all these individuals into a group and trying to find a diet that works best for everyone of them is a ridiculous concept in my opinion.

Finding out how you need to eat to feel good and energetic and to achieve a healthy body weight is really very simple. But even the scientists and the doctors don’t know about this simple principle.

You can get in on the secret that settles the question for you about how you should eat. Because feeling good and achieving a healthy body weight is not about diets. If you’ve been reading my newsletter for any time you know that diets don’t work. They yo-yo your weight up and down and make it harder for you to lose weight because you lose muscle mass on low-calorie diets. Since the muscles burn most of the calories, if you lose muscle mass you will nosedive into slow metabolism.

So what can you do?

Find out what your metabolic profile is. You’re eating plan should match the way your body handles food. That’s determined by your genetics and how the energy systems in your body work. These energy systems are very much controlled by your glands and your nervous system. Everyone’s glands and nervous system are set a little bit differently.

Determining your metabolic profile might sound a little complicated. But it’s really very easy. You can get a pretty good idea of what your metabolic profile is by taking a simple little quiz.

Your eating plan needs to match your metabolic profile. When you know your metabolic profile then you’ll know whether your body responds best to a higher protein eating plan or a higher carbohydrate eating plan with optimal fat intake.

Then you’ll know how to eat in a way that will serve your body well and will help you achieve or maintain a healthy body weight.

By now you’re wondering where you can get a copy of the metabolic profiling quiz.

Good question. I’m so glad you asked.

The only place you can find the metabolic profiling quiz is the audio CD Set, Practical Nutrition. It contains 11 CDs chock full of information that most scientists, researchers and doctors have never addressed.  

Now you can get smart, smarter than all those researchers and scientists who are still trying to figure out which diet is best.

But the CDs are about much more than just which eating plan is best for you. It’s more about what works for your body. What’s healthy for your body. How you can fine tune the information that I teach to develop a lifestyle that keeps you healthy and happy. Even if you already have a degenerative process developing in your body you can reverse its ravages by applying what I teach in this CD course, Practical Nutrition.

As an added benefit, along with the Practical Nutrition CDs I’ve included a Practical Nutrition Manual that’s a book in itself, 78 pages long. It contains the notes that go with each of the presentations on the CDs plus reference material that you will be looking back at for years to come. And it contains that metabolic profiling quiz that you’ve been looking for.

To honor you, my loyal readers, please enjoy this special offer for Dr. Jo’s Practical Nutrition Course , 11 CDs and the manual . I’m offering it to you for only $44.95 until November 13, 2010. After November 13^th, 2010 you may purchase Dr. Jo’s Practical Nutrition Course for $ 74.95, the regular price.

So enter this code when you fill out your order form to get this special offer, $30 of the regular price (that’s a 40% discount). It’s only good until November 13, 2010.

Discount Code to enter

PN111310

Please note: the page that will come up when you click on Dr. Jo’s Practical Nutrition Course will quote the regular price of $74.95. So remember to enter this discount code PN111310 to get your special sale price of $44.95.

Grab your chance

…to join the fun. I know you’ll experience great enjoyment joining us as you listen to Dr. Jo’s Practical Nutrition Course on audio CDs and refer to the manual.

May you be blessed with optimal health,

Dr. Jo

P.S. You would spend hundreds of dollars and never get all of this information in multiple appointments with a holistic health care practitioner. Don’t miss out. Grab your set of Dr. Jo’s Practical Nutrition Course and manual at this low special price of $44.95 before November 13, 2010. Use your discount code

PN111310

P.S.S. If you were ever a patient of mine, you still never received all of this practical do-able information. It’s impossible to cover all of this material in 30 to 60 minute appointments. Do yourself a favor and order Dr. Jo’s Practical Nutrition Course now. As you listen, it’s like having me right beside you, coaching you.

Does it say, “no way” or “yes, I love to set goals?”

I must admit that my mind balks at goal setting right now because I have been an over-achiever in my past. I’m enjoying a more relaxed approach to living now.

But I do have goals that I enjoy, like improving my level of fitness so I can continue to participate in the annual Labor Day triathlon. These goals seem to fit in naturally and without pressure in my lifestyle.

Goals serve us the best when they help us stay mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually balanced.

Let’s see how we can incorporate goals in a healthy and enjoyable way so our minds will receive and implement them well. Then weight loss comes as a nice side effect of having health building goals.

The media shouts “weight loss” as your ultimate goal. Let’s get rid of that idea. The need to lose weight comes out of something unhealthy going on in your mind, emotions, body or spirit. So overweight is a symptom, not the cause of your weight loss problem.

Instead make your primary goal a healthy you.

Then look at the steps you need to take to get you to that goal.

Review these problems that keep you from losing weight:

                Upset glandular (endocrine) balance

                Food allergies

                Sweets

                Toxins

Trying to tackle all of those problems at once will overwhelm your brain and it will screech on the brakes and derail all your plans to be the healthiest you can be.

So let’s just take one small step at a time. As the first small step becomes a habit (subconscious and a natural part of your routine), then go to the next small step. You’ll just sneak all of these great habits past your brain to avoid getting it all flustered.

Begin making your changes in small easy do-able steps in a sequence that your brain and busy schedule can handle.

Implementing these health building measures will help take the stress off of your glands and help nourish and rebuild them and the rest of your tissues and organs. Health begins at the cell level. Refurbish, detoxify and nourish your cells properly. Cells make up tissues. Tissues make up organs. Organs function in systems. When all systems are “go”, you are healthy and living comfortably and joyously at your healthy body weight.

These are the foundations for detoxifying and rebuilding your cells:

• Healthy eating – you will need Dr. Jo’s Natural Healing Cookbook to get you started.
• Detoxification – take a look at chelation
• Exercise – just have fun, take a walk.

You can do this. You have a great mind set. Your enthusiasm will propel you forward into your healthy svelte future. You focus on the positive in your thoughts, words and actions. You have a buddy to support and encourage you. Enjoy your journey to health.

Blessings,

Dr. Jo

These habits become so automatic that your mind never clicks in. And it likes it that way. It can be lazy.

Then you present that word “change” to your brain and it freaks out.

“What? I can’t change. That’s too hard. I don’t have time. I’m too busy.”

Whoa, did you see your brain put on the brakes? Why would it do that?

First of all, a process that you go through regularly becomes a habit when you no longer have to think about each step of the process. The steps are in your subconscious and you can do them and be thinking about something else. So this habit seems very easy.

As an example, the process of driving a stick shift car becomes a habit. I could easily drive a manual transmission car but when it came to teaching our daughter to drive one, I gave her the wrong instructions. I told her to let out on the clutch, give it some goes and go. The car died every time she tried that.

So I switched places with her and analyzed what I actually did to drive this car. I gave it some gas, then let out on the clutch and it drove along just fine. Do you see where my instructions were wrong? I had to give it some gas before letting out on the clutch. When our daughter performed the process with the correct instructions, she could drive this manual transmission car just fine.

Driving this car had become so automatic to me, so in my subconscious, that I had forgotten the steps in my conscious mind.

Therefore, to establish a new habit you have to consciously think about each step along the way. Your lazy brain has to wake up and think for awhile. But not for long.

Simply practice the new steps regularly for 3 weeks and all the thinking will go subconscious again. The new healthy habit will now seem easy because you can perform it and think about something else. Your brain can be lazy again.

Remember, it only takes 3 weeks to establish a new habit.

Three weeks goes by really fast. That investment of time in building healthy habits will pay great dividends in your future. You will stay productive and be able to avoid wasting a lot of your time at home sick in bed or sitting in doctor’s or dentist’s offices, or worse yet in hospitals.

So brain there goes the excuse, “I don’t have time”.

For awhile you will need to consciously plan ahead. For example, prepare extra food when you fix your evening meal. Then pack it in a cool pack to take your healthy breakfast, lunch and snack with you the next day. After your morning workout at the gym, eat your healthy breakfast. Those death food snacks on the table at work won’t even tempt you because you have healthy food to eat that really satisfies you. And you’re feeling so comfortable in those new smaller dress sizes.

Although preparing your meals ahead may seem like it will add to your busy schedule, you will probably find your day going more smoothly partly because you feel better and can be more productive. But also you don’t have to spend time running to the store or restaurant or fast food place to buy something. You’re making more efficient use of your time.

Ok brain, we’ve exploded that myth about being too busy. Besides “too busy” can be the fast track to degeneration and death. Get off of that track now.

Before long you automatically plan ahead to carry these healthy meals and snacks with you. Your brain stops complaining because it can be lazy again. You have established a new healthy habit.

Who said change was hard? Shut up brain.

“I don’t have enough will power to:

                Eat vegetables

                Find out if I have food allergies

                Walk around the block every day

                Take a few supplements twice per day

                Do whatever it takes to convert my body from a toxic waste dump to a clean, lean machine

                Or whatever it is that involves change.”

Let’s get rid of that defeating mind set right now!

You are in charge of your will. Period.

So take charge right now by erasing that negative self talk! Speak what is true and valuable for you.

You want health don’t you? You want to be lean don’t you?

Then speak health:

                I will eat healthy food because I enjoy it.

                I will enjoy walking around the block every day as a starting point. Then I am eager to increase the distance I walk. I love setting new attainable goals and achieving them on a regular basis.

                I will take supplements twice a day to rebuild my tissues and my glands because that makes me feel so much better and rebuilds my body. Then weight loss becomes an automatic side effect of all my great healthy habits.

                I will do what it takes to rid myself of this toxic waste that I’m carrying around. It never belonged to my body and it’s got to go. I want to feel clean and to think clearly and positively. This toxic junk is defeated right now.

Yeah for you. That’s the right attitude.

And I will tell you some secrets right now.

Secret #1:

After you’ve incorporated healthy life-giving food into your eating plan, your desire for that old junk death food will go away.

Honestly, I was a sugarholic. But I stopped eating sweets years ago. Now my mind thinks of sweets as poisons (which they are). I cringe when I see people eating sweets because I know how they slowly, subtly, and deceivingly destroy their bodies.

And I love eating fresh whole raw colorful vegetables with every meal. In fact, I would rather not eat out at breakfast time because most restaurants do not serve vegetables for breakfast.

That’s what you can look forward to. Your mind comes under discipline and conviction when it realizes how rotten that old junk death food makes you feel. Then it cooperates in your health-building journey by recognizing that whole healthy food is so delicious and nutritious. And it makes you feel alive, clean and ready to really enjoy your life.

Do the healthy things and the cravings that drag you down and defeat you will go away.

Secret #2:

Exercise becomes fun too. You may have to use your will power (remember – you’re in charge) for the first few months to stick with your program.

After that your muscles will crave exercise if you slack off. Once again your mind will become cooperative and say, “Let’s get out there and move. I love the way I feel when we’re moving! It’s like a self-massage.”

Yeah! Now your body and your mind are working together.

Good for you. You are an overcomer! You can do this.

Blessings,

Dr. Jo

Now wrap your mind around that truth.

How wonderful that you are eager to walk out that purpose. How wonderful that you want to be healthy and strong so you can fulfill your purpose.

Your purpose may seem menial to the eyes of the world, but it’s important and you are needed to accomplish it. Without you we all will be deprived of something very valuable. We all need you to be healthy and strong. We want everything that you have to offer.

As you embark on this great adventure of restoring your health to an optimal level (that includes weight loss), recognize that your body chemistry is unique for you. That recognition is very important to help your mind take the right attitude.

For instance, a “diet” that works wonders for someone else may not work at all for you. So tell your mind to shut up when you envy someone else who is losing weight on a certain program and you are not. You simply need to find the lifelong healthy eating plan that works for your uniquely-you metabolism.

We’ll help you discover the eating plan that serves your body well.

There, that should make your mind feel better and restore an optimistic outlook on weight loss.

Keep the concept of your uniqueness throughout this whole program. Besides discovering your special eating plan needs, you may also require a specific nutritional supplement program that rebuilds your unique body tissues because you are unique in every way.

The same goes for exercise. What appeals to you and works well for your body probably doesn’t appeal to a lot of other folks. So if you start biking and you just don’t like it, don’t let your mind grouse about it, just try something else until you find an activity you can be really excited about (or at least enjoy).

On the other hand, don’t let your mind trip you up too soon in regard to your exercise program. When you first start exercising you may experience some muscle discomfort. That’s pretty normal. If you stick with your program, your muscles will get stronger and burn more fat for you. That makes your body and your mind feel better.

Once I stuck with a regular exercise program for several months, my muscles would tell me if I slacked off too long because they really wanted to move. They liked exercising. And that made my mind really want to get out there and exercise.

Actually exercise helps the mind be more optimistic by releasing feel good endorphins.

Your unique body also accumulates toxins from our polluted environment. Because we’re unique in our abilities to detoxify and excrete substances that enter our bodies, you may hold your own unique set of toxic metals or chemicals in your tissues.

So your program for getting rid of toxins may not be the same as another person’s. Again, just recognize these differences so you can recognize any discouragement or disappointment that crops up in your mind.

Those toxins definitely can affect your brain. For right now just keep a close check on what your mind tells you. You want it to take you down the right paths and actions. Sometimes it may want to take you down a dead-end detour. Say no to that and get back on the right path.

What you think precedes your actions. So keep those thoughts positive and forward thinking. Keep saying;

“I am a model of health and fitness.”

“I am unique and will joyously fulfill my purpose on earth.”

Because you are and you will.

There’s just something so satisfactory about seeing the number of pounds decrease on that dial, like the scales don’t lie.

But do the scales tell the whole truth?

No they don’t.

And aren’t you glad to hear that. Especially when you step on the scales and the number of pounds has remained the same, or heaven forbid, they’ve gone up.

Then you say, “But I’ve been eating from Dr. Jo’s Get Healthy Eating Plan and exercising faithfully every day. Why am I weighing more on the scales?”

Congratulations! You’ve been faithful to the plan and you’re reaping the benefits of gaining more muscle. That’s a good thing. The more muscle you have, the more calories and fat you will burn. Our muscles are the body’s main fat burner.

So when you initially start an exercise program with a healthy diet, the increase in muscle may register as a few pounds on the scale. And that’s a good investment that will pay off eventually with a loss of fat – which is exactly what you want.

Remember, we committed to being specific about what we want. We recognized that saying we want to lose weight is not specific enough. We want to lose fat.

Low calorie diet plans starve us so much that the body starts tearing down muscle to get the nutrients it needs to keep us alive. We may be excited about seeing the pounds go down on the scale, but this whole scenario sets us up for a lot of future disappointment.

As we lose the muscle, we lose the very tissue that burns the fat. So if we ever go back to a more reasonable diet there’s not enough muscle to burn the fat, so it gets stored as flab on our bodies. And that depressing number on the scale goes back up!

So, we go back to the low calorie diet which spirals us into that whole depressing scenario again of losing more muscle mass and decreasing our metabolism.

It’s called yo-yo dieting and that’s not for us! We’re too smart for that.

There is a neat advantage to gaining muscle though. Since muscle is more compact than fat, we start losing inches. Yeah! That was one of our specific goals wasn’t it, to go down 1 dress size at a time.

However, I would still encourage you not to totally focus on measuring yourself frequently. After all, losing inches takes some time too.

So just hang lose. Keep your focus on what great habits you’re developing that will keep you fit, active, alert, vivacious and healthy for the rest of your life. Have fun!

Then one morning you’ll wake up to find weight loss as one of the greatest side effects of your wonderful healthy habits.

So trash the scales and use the tape measure sparingly.

Blessings,

Dr. Jo

p.s. Start your healthy eating habits now. “The best side effect of eating according to Dr. Jo’s Natural Healing Cookbook is weight loss.”

Perhaps looking at the way the brain works will help make the conversion to positive, optimistic thinking because “weight loss” is as much a mind game as a physical one!

 Our brains work in funny ways and ‘negative’ statements cause some confusion in our minds.

 Need help in choosing positive statements? Try some of these:

                I am a model of health and fitness.

                I am eager and excited about implementing healthy habits in my life.

                I am committed to eating in a way that serves my body well.

                I will enjoy every beautiful meal.

                I have an optimistic outlook on the activities needed to achieve a healthy body weight.

                I will become fit and healthy one tiny step at a time.

                Each tiny step will establish new healthy habits in my daily routine.

                I look forward to being active in new ways.

                I love having a buddy to keep me accountable and have fun with me.

                Exercise is like a self-massage.

                I can hardly wait to dump these accumulated toxins out of my body.

                I will use non-toxic personal and cleaning products to keep my precious body free of poisons.

Every day in every way I’m getting healthier and stronger.

                Emphasize the positive things you do for yourself each day.

 Do you see how your mind can lead you down the path of success when you speak positively, when you have an optimistic outlook on becoming the model of health and fitness? You start having fun with it.

Throw that old negative mind talk in the garbage. Throw out the resentment at having to lose weight. Don’t even think about a “diet”. Instead feel great about the wonderful, colorful delicious meals that will save your life and vitality.

If you think about the weight loss plan as a “burden”, that’s exactly what it will be for you. And will you be successful?  Probably not. So dump that burden in the trash heap.

Make sure to tell your buddy to say, “Trash it” if any negative self talk slips out of your mouth.

And only you can guard your mind. You are in control of whether you allow it to criticize you and bring you down or applaud you and build you up.

Some people wear a rubber band around their wrist. When they recognize a negative thought, they snap that rubber band. A little pop now and then does wonders to extinguish negativity.

Have you noticed that our thoughts and feelings prompt us to take action. If we feel negative, like weight loss efforts are a burden and drudgery, will we be consistent in following healthy habits?

On the other hand positive thoughts make our eating plan, exercise program, and other healthy events fun and exciting. We look forward to implementing them and making them part of this great adventure in life.

Be very specific with your brain.

Saying, “My goal is weight loss” is not specific enough. (Some weight loss plans cause you to lose muscle along with the fat. You don’t want that!) Stated more positively and specifically:

“I want to wear size 14 or 16.” -or whatever is ONE size lower than you are wearing now. (Your brain loves those small steps.)

 “Getting rid of this excess body fat is my desire.” (And good riddance!)

“I am going to feel more comfortable in my clothes.” (That will even make your brain feel more comfortable.)

Our brains can feel overwhelmed.

As in, “just the thought of that makes me tired”.

Keep alert. When your brain feels overwhelmed, maybe you’ve taken on too much at one time. Step back and take a good look. Then choose some smaller steps that will fit nicely into your busy schedule. We’ll guide you in choosing small steps as you implement each module in your life.

You’re the greatest. You have a wonderful attitude and outlook. I’m so glad to be working with you.

Blessings,

Dr. Jo

It’s so much more fun to share the experience and keep one another accountable. You’ll recognize the false thinking in one another and help each other correct that with the truth. Make it a game. Every time your friend blows away a lie, she gets a point. When she gets 10 or 15 points you have to pay up.

But you get points when you recognize the lies she’s believing and then she has to pay up.

H-m-m-m. Now what could the payout be?

                She makes you a healthy lunch.

                You get to send her on an extra lap walking around the block.

                Then there’s always the money thing.

                You can think up something fun and devious I’m sure.

Back in the 1980′s a group of us met every week for 8 weeks for “Wellness in Action”. I would give a talk about some aspect of healthy living each time. But we had the most fun preparing and eating a healthy meal together. That meal together taught us more than any lecture could.

We were a support group for each other. Someone would always have a tip for whoever was struggling with some aspect of making healthy lifestyle changes. And the cooking tips were great. Many of them wound up in my cookbook, Dr. Jo’s Natural Healing Cookbook.

But you don’t need a big group to give you encouragement and support. One person who’s eager to join you will make all the difference in the world.

Maybe a long time friend will want to join you. Or perhaps you will find a new friend. You might even find a family member who is ready to make the plunge.

But beware. Most of the time family members don’t want to hear about things that mean they will have to change their habits. We generally have to be patient and subtle with them. So simply start making the changes in your life with a happy heart and quiet, non-judgmental spirit.

Hopefully when they see the new you; vivacious, alert, enjoying life at your healthy life time weight, they’ll get jealous. They’ll want to know what you’ve been doing. (Don’t expect them to figure out what you’ve been doing by observing your actions. Their minds have been sabotaging that.)

When they start asking questions, bring them along gently with little steps at a time.

In the meantime have fun with your supportive friend(s). You undoubtedly will fall into a pit along the way. Hopefully you will be in the pit at different times, so you can rescue each other.

You know what “the pits” are.

                When your mind says, “I can’t do this anymore! Life is getting in the way.” Do you recognize that lie? You are actually choosing life by making healthy changes. But the deceiving side of your mind is lying. It’s saying that doing what you’ve always done because it’s your habit is “life”. But actually it may be a bad habit that’s the path to disability and death.

                OK, buddy what do you say when she’s in the pits? “Choose life. Choose health.” So you ate some junk “death” food. It’s no big deal. Just flush it down the toilet and eat healthy again.

I’m not going to mention any other lies for now because we want to focus on the truth, on the positive. If you run up against some lies that keep holding you back, let us know and we’ll ask the others on this journey how they dealt with those lies.

Just make your mind and your buddy aware of the fact that you will occasionally run into the pits. But there’s always a way out because you have a trustworthy buddy who is going through this great adventure with you.

 Do you want to change something in your life for the better?

 Have you wanted to make that change for a long time?

 What’s stopping you?

 Most likely it’s what’s between your ears that keeps you stalemated. Thoughts always precede actions. So if your actions don’t match your desires, the road block is in your mind.

 Whoa, let’s get our minds on our side!

 In the next several posts of Be Wise-Health Wise we’ll look at just how to do that – get our minds on our side. The mind is a powerful thing. We don’t want to waste it.

 These articles on “Mind Set” can apply to anything that you want to change, such as:

                Eating better for a life-long healthy body

                Becoming more active

                Getting more restful sleep

                Losing weight

                Decreasing or stopping your caffeine intake

In this series, we’re using changing our mind set to achieve “healthy weight loss” as the example. But just substitute whatever you want to change where you read “healthy weight loss” because the principles are the same for any change you want to make.

 Please share your experiences with us in making healthy mind set changes.

 Have fun. Here’s the first post.

 1 Change Your Focus

 Let’s face it. Everything we do starts in the mind. Your mind can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Let’s make it your best friend.

 You are your best friend. We’re supposed to love others as we love ourselves. So loving yourself is important. I want the best for you. May you truly want the very best for yourself.

 So what does a real honest loyal friend do? A friend tells you the truth with love. A friend encourages you at all times. A friend helps you overcome obstacles in your life. A friend supports you in your endeavors. A friend recognizes lies about your self-image and helps you understand the truth instead.

 To make your mind your best friend, start honestly analyzing what it says to you. Start recognizing the lies it may tell you and replace them with the truth.

 Do you hear your mind saying, “Weight loss is impossible for me.”

 What is the truth? What can you say to counteract that lie? How can you turn your mind into a positive force in your life?

 How about changing your focus? Instead of always thinking of how you can’t lose weight, see yourself embarking on a wonderful new adventure.

 You now have a whole new way of looking at your life. It’s not about what you have to give up. It’s not about deprivation.

It’s all about what you gain. It’s all about how great you feel and how healthy you can be to do the things you want to do, to fulfill your purposes on earth.

 Attaining weight loss has become the main goal in most people’s minds. Let’s change that right now to focusing on a “healthy weight” for your uniquely-you body. Let’s have fun doing the healthy things that will have the wonderful side effect of you achieving your healthy life long weight.

As an example, let me share with you the things that happened to shift me into choosing to eat healthier food. In the early 1980′s my gut was a mess. It hurt and felt bloated. There were so many foods that I could not eat. And other parts of my anatomy were a mess too.

 So I started looking for help. As a physician I knew that I wouldn’t find it in the conventional type of medicine in which I had been trained. Fortunately, a doctor who was treating patients with nutrition and alternative allergy care kindly allowed me to observe his practice.

 I liked the results he was getting with his patients and asked him to treat me. When he said, “Jo, you need to stop eating sugar and other sweets”, I thought, “Oh I can stop for a month and then it will be ok to go back to eating sweets.” That thought was a sure sign of a sugar addict.

 But stopping the sweets showed me how much better I felt when I left them out of my meals and how much worse I felt when I ate them. I distinctly remember the dinner cruise my husband and I were enjoying when at the end of the meal the waiter set a piece of apple pie in front of me.

 I thought, “Do I want to enjoy the taste of this pie for 5 minutes and then feel rotten and miserable for the 5 days it will take to get this stuff out of my system or do I want to continue feeling great right now?” I chose health at that very moment. And I have never regretted it.

 You see, healthy food eventually helped me feel cleaner, more alert, and more vivacious with more energy and stamina to do the things I love. Now almost thirty years later in my mid-sixties I’m participating in events that I didn’t have time for in my younger years.

 On Labor Day every year for the past 11 years I’ve enjoyed completing a sprint triathlon, swimming almost ½ mile in a lake, followed by biking 10 miles in the mountains and finishing with a 4 ½ mile mountainous run. The rest of the year I keep up those sports to stay in shape for the next triathlon.

That’s just an example of how well you can feel and what you can do when you choose a healthy lifestyle and a positive mind set. You most likely will choose other activities, things that appeal to you.

 But here’s the main point:

Let’s focus on doing what’s healthy and fun. Weight loss will be a good side effect.

 Blessings,

Dr. Jo