[Testimonial] Yes, it's possible for you too

Laura Clark

I love to share client’s stories for many reasons:

• I always get so inspired by their willingness to share their struggles and their commitment to making positive changes
• Their stories allow others who may be weighing in on their own health to hear what’s possible and understand that they’re not alone;
• The results are often far more than they bargain for;
• And finally, their experience helps them to see the big picture with their health and motivates them to continue.

This is true for one of my recent clients and I want to share her story with you:

Before working with Linda, I was in need of a complete remake of my nutritional habits. I was lethargic and felt like an uber-blob. I felt bloated in my face and my abdomen all the time.

I chose to work with Linda’s detox program at first to plunge into a better way of eating. What I didn’t know is that I would get so much more than just how to eat better. Her program allowed me to take a long, hard look at my emotions around eating and address these at the same time.

The three most significant improvements I experienced during Linda’s detox program were:

~Weight loss & healthier looking skin

~Much more energy

~Improved self-care both nutritionally and emotionally

I feel lighter from a physical standpoint and that transcends into an emotional one because of the content of this program. I was able to get rid of a lot of weight (water weight, poundage AND emotional garbage).

Linda’s program is not only a program of information and tasty ideas ~ which it is. But, it is also filled with empathy, compassion and understanding. You can feel it every time you read something from her. She has a wealth of knowledge and understanding that is both supportive and inspiring. Her kindness has helped me make some changes that my body and spirit have long been waiting for and I’m certain will be long lasting.

~Laura Clark, Hope Valley, Rhode Island

What I’m most thrilled about for Laura is that she continues to practice healthier eating habits and continues to lose weight ~ as a beneficial side effect.  To me, weight loss is not the main objective I would like to see my clients achieve–better health is what I want for them; and if they do lose weight on their journey–which they often do as a result of their healthier habits, then I’m super thrilled for them. 

For Laura, she told me that she is far more aware and mindful of what’s she’s eating.  In addition, she’s simply making wiser choices across the board.  For example, she’s now eating more regularly, rather than concentrating most of her food later in the day.  While she would typically have a cup of coffee for breakfast, she now chooses a warm bowl of oatmeal.  And when she eats out, she also makes healthier choices without sacrificing what she likes.  The other night, for her birthday dinner out, rather than a stuffed lobster, she ordered a steamed lobster and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Improving your health doesn’t mean a future of deprivation.   We all know this doesn’t work.  The key is to develop your own personal relationship with food that satisfies your body, mind, and spirit.  If you’d like support in this area, contact me today - I’d love to help!

A Testimonial of Hope

While I’m always talking about the benefits of a health coaching program, I thought I would let you hear from one of my clients what working with me has done for her.  Laura is someone who decided that she was ready to make a commitment to her health, for herself as well as for her family.  In a little over three months, her transformation has been remarkable and she shares her story below:

Four months ago, I decided I was sick and tired of being sick and tired (and 30 pounds overweight).   I had swung back and forth between utilizing a lemon-maple syrup detox to the Atkins diet, always reverting back to eating the things I shouldn’t because it was a holiday, or someone’s birthday, or a wedding, or the Fall (who doesn’t like comfort foods in the Fall!), or the sky was blue today or it was raining.  I always found a reason for comforting myself with food – and knew without a doubt that one bite would lead to weeks of bad habits…I would refer to sugar being like crack to me (no – I never did crack!)  I would always justify what I was doing to myself and decide that “It’s the weekend – I might as well enjoy it and start over on Monday”.  So many Mondays came and went, and the result was my deteriorating health, confidence, and well-being.

I changed myself over to a more “whole foods / organic / no preservative” way of eating and lost 7 pounds, but I still wasn’t feeling good and was very frustrated with the amount of arthritic pain I was experiencing at only 46 years of age.  I felt like I was 86!  This was keeping me from fully enjoying life, including what one would consider normal activities with my husband, children, and grandchildren.  Climbing a flight of stairs winded me.  My legs would ache and my heart would pound. I woke each morning with pain in my back (inherited degenerative spine) and significant pain in my hips and ankles.  I would literally shuffle to the bathroom like someone twice my age.  Everything hurt – and I was tired of it.  If this was how I felt at 46 – what would the next 30-40 years bring?  Would I even be here in 30-40 years?  I honestly wondered (and worried).

I was on the phone one day, complaining about the things that were getting in the way of my getting in better shape.  My friend mentioned that she had a friend who was a nutritionist, and that she had done a detoxification program with her that she thought might be beneficial to me.  My friend gave me Linda’s contact information, and that was the beginning of a real transformation in my life.  Truly, working with Linda and utilizing the guidance she provided has most certainly added years to my life, and more importantly, life to my years.

After speaking with Linda for my one hour consultation, I knew I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I felt my health was worth the investment, and I owed it to myself and my family to give it a try. 

Within the first two months of working with Linda, I had dropped an additional 15 pounds and no longer required blood pressure medication.  I believe this to be far more important than the weight loss. I noticed that, despite still hurting in the morning, I awoke looking forward to my day.  More of the clothes in my closet were fitting, and people were noticing not just the weight loss, but that I looked healthy and had more energy.

While I was feeling better, had lost some weight and gotten off the blood pressure medication, I was still dealing with the issues of the arthritis, and this was frustrating to me.  Talking through this with Linda, we decided that it could be beneficial for me to go through her detoxification program. While I was no longer taking narcotic pain medication, I’d been on a lot of narcotic pain medications over the years for Fibromyalgia and following several difficult surgeries (spinal fusion and two shoulder surgeries).  Years of being in pain and on medication could not have been good for my liver, and Linda explained that sometimes our bodies hold onto this, causing a myriad of health issues.  If the detoxification program could be helpful in dealing with the arthritis, I was willing to try anything and signed up for the 28 day detox.

I am in week three of the detox as I write this testimonial.  I have lost a total of 27 pounds (20 since starting with Linda).  What is most significant about the detox is that I have absolutely no joint or muscle pain.  Funny – it suddenly struck me in the middle of week two that my pain was completely gone.  I could get up in the morning and walk down the stairs normally (not sideways to ease the hip pain like before the detox) and get the coffee instead of having to shower first just to limber up my joints.  I no longer shuffle, my ankles do not hurt and I wake up each morning pain-free.

I am completely gluten free – and I believe this to be the largest contributor to the change in my health.  While I was not having any stomach issues relating to gluten, it was most definitely responsible for the inflammatory response in my body, resulting in significant pain. Once I stopped putting all of the garbage in, my palate became much more sensitive and I could taste the natural sweetness of whole foods!

I believe I have found the way my body wants me to eat.  I can’t even imagine going back to my old habits and ways of eating.  I really appreciate that I am no longer living to eat, but eating to live.  There is a very big difference. Food no longer consumes my thinking.

I am now 47 years old.  My husband and I have thirteen very energetic grandchildren, whom I want to be around to enjoy for years to come.  The pictures included with this testimonial say it all. There’s one from last Fall on a motorcycle ride to Lake George.  You can see the weight I was holding onto.  I felt even worse than I looked.  The other pictures are recent…with a couple of my grandchildren, of course.  I no longer look tired and worn out – nor do I feel it!

It’s my hope in writing this testimonial that others will have hope and that you will realize your health is worth it.  Three months is not an exorbitant amount of time.  You can do anything for three months.  I say three months because I knew that was enough time for me to determine whether or not the program was having an impact on me and then make an educated decision about moving forward.  I’ve since decided to continue with Linda for a bit while I finish out the detox program.  It has been worth every moment and every cent. 

While everyone’s story is different, Laura’s demonstrates that with determination, it is possible to turn around your physical health.  If poor health is preventing you from doing the things you want to do, please make a commitment to yourself to change that.   I can help you get on a path to healthier eating and lifestyle habits that will increase your energy, help you shed unwanted weight, reverse the effects of lifestyle diseases, and improve your mood.  It will change your life…

Digest for Week-endng 11 June 2011

This week, I take you on my journey through a 10-day Metabolic Detoxification designed by Metagenics® that is intended to cleanse the body at the cellular level. I decided to undergo this process for that very reason, because I understand what we are exposed to everyday.

And instead of letting unknown levels of environmental toxins accumulate to the point where they could lead to weight gain, disease, or accelerated aging, I chose to eliminate what I could and begin fresh.

Cleansing at the Cellular Level

Besides pesticides, GMOs, antibiotics and chemicals in our food, there are lots of reasons to want to detoxify the body.

The Beginning

The first two days of this cleanse eliminate the biggest offenders. The cleaner your diet is, the easier it is to begin the process.

The Elimination Process

As the process of eliminating foods continues, the signs that the detox process is working begin to emerge.

The Height of the Cleanse

The most restrictive part of the journey lasts three days. If you can get through them, the rest is easy…

Over the Hump

As you begin to add back in food groups, you may notice that you are not thinking about or even craving any of the foods you were eating prior to the detox.

The Finale

The detox ends with the freedom to eat unrestricted. As you continue to add in foods, you will realize how enhanced your taste has become and that your palate has changed for the better.

10-Day Detox - The Finale

Yay, my last two days of my 10-day detox came and went and in some funny way, I didn’t want to go back to eating “normal” even though I was happy with my diet overall. The last two days were devoted to continuing to slowly introduce more foods back into my diet. For 10 days, I adopted a very simple way of eating, which made the diet easier to follow and gave my system a break from complexity.

Interestingly, I was surprised to discover how my palate had changed over the cleanse, because on day 9, I sprinkled a sea vegetable called dulse on my lunch and the saltiness shocked my tongue. I normally eat dulse quite often and I have never had this reaction. On the night of day 10, I also had a piece of a very ripe banana and it tasted sweet like candy. Wouldn’t it be great if we could turn to these foods for our saltiness and sweet rather than the overly sweet and salty foods on the market today? I found that by using other herbs and spices, I was able to satisfy my taste buds.

If you are trying to lose weight, I would recommend this detox as a primer for establishing healthy eating habits. Not only will it get you accustomed to eating the right foods that will naturally keep you satisfied and help you reach your ideal weight, but by unloading the toxicity from your cells, your fat will more easily give up some of its baggage. You may also feel clearer, calmer, and see improvements in your skin, which are all results I’ve noticed.

In my practice, I offer the 10-day detox, which includes an initial health consultation, the Metagenics® UltraClear® powder, a detox guide that includes the 10-day eating plan, recipes, tips to ensure success, phone or email support throughout the cleanse, and a follow-up meeting to discuss the results. If you’re interested, please contact me.

To your Health and Happiness…

10-Day Detox - Over the Hump

If you’ve been reading my posts this week, then you know that I‘ve been following a 10-day detox that includes an elimination diet as well as a powdered drink to support the actual biochemical processes of the cleanse.

Day 7 is the third day of the most restrictive portion of this cleanse and I have to admit that I was hungry today. This stomach growling hunger began late last night and seemed to overpower any meal that I fed my stomach. The interesting part was that I didn’t necessarily want to eat more nor did I crave anything, so I simply let myself experience the hunger.

You may be thinking, “I’m not sure I could do that!” but relaxation or keeping busy helped to take my mind off of it and often alleviated the feeling too. You may also be wondering about a couple of things at this point. Number one, have I lost any weight? The answer to that is not really. I say this instead of no because the scale says I’ve lost about one pound, but one pound could be fluids or simply less food in my system, so I don’t consider it true weight loss. That being said, I have been consistently at this one-pound-lighter weight for several days, so maybe it’s true weight loss.

Since I didn’t undergo this detox to lose weight, and because my diet before beginning this cleanse was already good, I wasn’t trying or expecting to lose weight. If your diet is normally high in fast or processed foods, then I would predict that you’ll lose more weight than this during the ten days.

Second, and maybe you have not been wondering about this, but I just wanted to mention that my digestion has been remarkably normal and regular. This is good news if you’re worried about whether you can go to work everyday or fit this into your busy schedule. It hasn’t disrupted me going about my days at all.

On day 8, I began adding back in some of the last foods that I had removed and I experienced no hunger at all today. If you’re wondering if I’m craving foods like sugar or pizza or ice cream, the answer is no. The wonderful thing about not eating addictive foods is that you lose the taste and the desire for them.

My main objective going forward is to add back in healthy foods and to continue with a clean diet. I already know how it makes me feel and I want to keep feeling that way…

10-Day Detox - The Height of the Cleanse

I’m now into the most restrictive part of my 10-day cleanse, where for three days, I’ll only be eating a subset of fruits and vegetables and drinking the Metagenics powdered drink.

My body has been primed over the last several days by slowly eliminating foods and food groups so this phase is a natural progression into the cleansing process.

I decided to ease into and through this day by giving my body a rest. No Bikram yoga today, and instead I did some simple stretching to stimulate the lymphatic system. I also wanted to see where my body was at with such a restrictive diet, although, again, I skipped a shake today because it seemed like too much for me. It’s always best to listen to your body and use any eating or cleansing plan as a guideline and this was the main rule that I followed for myself.

Seeing that I felt fine, I went back to yoga the next day. I was astonished at the amount of energy I had in class. Even more interesting was that it was a calm, even energy that I was able to maintain throughout the entire class. My balance and focus were better than normal as well. In the evening, I got hungry after dinner, which didn’t surprise me since the day, in general, was much busier than the previous day. I had a mild headache in the afternoon of these two days as well. I never get headaches, thankfully, and I'm also grateful that the headaches I've experienced this week have been mild.

One more day of limited food choices and then I slowly begin to reintroduce foods back in to my diet. You would be surprised by how quickly this six days can go by…

10-Day Detox - The Elimination Process

Onto day three and four of my 10-day detox. Each day means eliminating additional foods and at the same time, increasing consumption of a Metagenics powdered drink designed to support the detoxification process. From my perspective, by easing into the detox, we’re not bombarding the body by releasing a flood of toxins all at once, which will help our organs better deal with the job of eliminating them.

Even by day three, I was not feeling deprived and I didn’t drink all the suggested shakes. It just felt like too much for me. Day three also included a long and relaxing Thai-Swedish massage. Any additional self-care activities that promote relaxation are helpful during the detoxification process, since stress in itself is a toxin and is best eliminated during this time. Massage also helps the fat cells give up their bad stuff and stimulates the lymphatic system which is important for the cleanse to work efficiently.

I also realized how deceiving this plan can be at first, because although I didn’t feel deprived at this point (maybe I’m a little unusual : )), I did experience a slight, dull headache that night, which was an indication that my body was detoxing. This could have also had something to do with the massage. If you are used to eating a heavier diet, you may feel a little differently about the eating plan at this point and may experience detox symptoms earlier.

I eliminated an additional group of foods on day four and OK, finally, I’m noticing the difference in diet, mostly because it takes more planning to come up with meals. Surprisingly, the thought of sugar or sweets has not even entered my mind. I’m not a sweet-a-holic, but I wondered about the reduction in food groups and if I would start to experience cravings. None so far. I think part of the reason for this is the supplemental drink that is giving the body everything it needs and part of it is simply eliminating the foods that lead to an unending cascade of cravings.

Another thing I‘ve noticed. I had a spot about the size of a quarter of what looked like poison ivy on my left forearm that was stubbornly sticking around. Since going on this detox, it has begun to rapidly heal and is nearly gone! In general, my skin is one area where I’m seeing a big difference. It’s cleaner and clearer. Just think, if you begin to notice positive changes in the biggest organ of your body (your skin), just imagine what’s going on inside : )

10-Day Detox - The Beginning

Yesterday, I mentioned that I’m on a 10-day detox to clean the cells in my body of all the environmental compounds that we’re exposed to everyday. There a lot of detox programs to try and I chose a program by Metagenics, which includes an eating plan with guidelines and recipes, and a powdered drink that supports the detoxification process in two ways: it provides the necessary nutrients required by the liver detoxification enzymes to actually work during this time of limited food intake, and its formula helps prevent the toxins that are being stirred up from doing damage before they are removed from the body.

On the first two days of the cleanse, I was required to eliminate several foods from my diet that are likely sources of toxins or that are somewhat difficult to digest. This was not so hard to do considering my diet was already very much like the meal plan for these two days, so these days turned out to be somewhat easy to follow and I felt fine. On day two, I also began taking the powdered drink, which, by the way, mixes easily in water and doesn’t require a blender unless you’re adding fruit or vegetables.

One of the primary reasons I started The Daily Detox was to help people make small changes in their diets and lifestyle that over time would greatly improve the quality of their health. When following a clean lifestyle, this sort of gentle detox doesn’t have to be painful or require you to stay home for several days. It can be easily incorporated into your daily life without too much disruption.

More tomorrow….

Cleansing at the Cellular Level

I have embarked on a 10-day Metabolic Detoxification designed by Metagenics. Although I’m not trying to lose weight, this program is a good precursor to losing weight because it can assist the body in removing the build-up of toxins from the fat cells that are holding onto them. It removes them from the brain and nervous system as well, which are also high in fat. This is important since toxin accumulation has been linked to a number of neurological issues, including depression, headaches, autism, and even Parkinson’s Disease or Parkinson’s-like symptoms.

So, why am I doing this? I’m giving my body this detox because I know that despite my relatively clean diet, I’m still exposed to any number of harmful chemicals everyday. According to the CDC, there are 80,000 chemicals in use in industry and commerce and several thousands of these have the potential to enter our bodies. In their most recent National Exposure Report, they tested 212 chemicals that include:

• Acrylamide
• Insecticides/Pesticides
• Metals (such as arsenic, lead, mercury)
• Parabens
• Phthalates
• Phytoestrogens
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Remarkably, all 212 chemicals were found in the blood of individuals tested, suggesting that there are likely many more finding their way into our systems. And while many of these compounds are being implicated in disease, it is still unclear what sort of threat, if any, may of them pose. However, with the shear number of chemicals we're exposed to, it's easy to imagine how, at some point, our livers would become overwhelmed in their ability to neutralize and remove toxins, and thus these chemicals would begin to accumulate. So I've decided to do this detox to clean my body at the cellular level and to give my liver a fresh restart. I'll be letting you know how it goes throughout the week.

Have you ever done a detox/cleanse and how did it go?