You met Doug and Amy last week and heard their story. I will refresh your memory a bit and then pick up where we left off.
As you might recall Doug was having severe health problems, he had been diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome, a cluster of conditions increased blood pressure, high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Doug had already had a severe heart attack a few years back and a change of lifestyle was mandatory.
After the initial shock of the heart attack wore off Amy noticed that Dougs lifestyle was not where it should be to keep him healthy. Out of her deep love for Doug, Amy respectfully approached him one day and said: Doug I love you dearly and my desire is to grow old with you. I want you to look at something. I did some research and this is how much funerals cost (she called the funeral home to get an estimate)and here is how much it will cost for you to get up off the couch and go the Pritikin Center, a health and wellness center in Florida. After more conversation Doug decided that Pritikin was a good choice, he packed his bags and headed to Florida; now the rest of the story.
Before Doug went to the Pritikin Center his blood pressure was bouncing between 140-175 systolic and 105-120 diastolic for several months. He had been on blood pressure medicine for years but it did not seem to be working anymore. He was actually on four different blood pressure meds which were causing several side effects including lots of joint pain and muscular fatigue. His energy level was so low he could hardly function. Doug was at the Pritikin Center for only a short time before he started seeing great results. After only six days at the Pritikin Center Dougs blood pressure had dropped from the high range to a low range of 120/70 and at times during his exercise classes, his blood pressure dropped to a low of 106/60. Doug told me that at times they had to give him Gatorade (contains sodium) to raise his pressure.
At the Pritikin Center, which promotes a holistic approach to wellness, lifestyle, change for Doug meant that he exercised five days a week. He did 45 minutes of cardio in the morning, 45 minutes of weight training in the evening and 45 minutes of yoga during the day. His diet consisted of all the fruit and veggies he wanted to eat, fish and small portions of lean beef and chicken. Sodium (salt), sugars and bad fats were avoided, except naturally occurring sugar in fruit and naturally occurring sodium in food. His liquids consisted of water and tea. As only Doug could say it, I was full as a tick the whole time I was there. In other words Doug was not at all hungry. He mentioned that they used the word satiety several times, which simple means the feeling of being satisfied and full after a meal. If foods are high in fiber, nutritionally dense, low in sugars and non-processed whole grains, they will satisfy and give a feeling of fullness. This is a key to weight loss.
Now that Doug is back to the real world, he continues to exercise five days a week for about an hour alternating days of cardio and resistance training. He keeps his diet as clean as possible, concentrating on what he learned at the center. Doug will tell you that wellness has become a lifestyle for him. He is so motivated by the fact that he has lost 20 pounds, lost three inches around his waist, his triglycerides have dropped to normal range, his A1C (average blood sugar level over three months) has dropped to 5.5 which is a great healthy range. Not to mention the fact that he has more energy, more stamina and less medicine.
Not everyone can go to Pritikin but we can all make healthier lifestyle choices. That is Doug and Amys story. The ending could have been a lot different if Doug had chosen a different path. Thank the Lord that he did not! We are all blessed by his story.
Linda Stollings is a wellness consultant in Bristol, Tenn. Email her at lstollings@fitprescriptions.com[1].
References
- ^ lstollings@fitprescriptions.com (www.tricities.com)
Resources:
Be Well On Your Way: Journey to a More Authentic You (Paperback) tagged “healthy lifestyle” 88 times
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Be Well On Your Way: Journey to a More Authentic You (Paperback)By Maiysha T Clairborne MD Click for more info Customer Rating:
Be Well On Your Way: Journey to a More Authentic You (Paperback)By Maiysha T Clairborne MD Click for more info Customer Rating: 
Customer tags: mind body spirit(90), self-help(90), empowerment(89), personal growth(88), healthy lifestyle(88), health(88), healthy living(85), healthy life(85), personal development(81), relationships(79), self esteem(35), self-improvement(35) Life On Your Terms: 7 Steps To a More Empowered You (Paperback) tagged “healthy lifestyle” 88 times
Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:27:19 GMT
Life On Your Terms: 7 Steps To a More Empowered You (Paperback)By Maiysha T Clairborne MD Click for more info Customer Rating: 
Customer tags: self-help(91), empowerment(89), health(89), healthy living(88), healthy lifestyle(88), healthy life(87), personal development(86), mind body spirit(86), personal growth(84), relationships(81), self-improvement(41), self esteem(40) Healthy Lifestyle May Offset Job Stress, Study Finds WebMD
Risk for heart disease rises when workers drink, smoke or overeat. http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20130513/healthy-lifestyle-may-offset-job-stress-study-finds
Healthy lifestyle mitigates negative effects of job stress on heart …
Who doesn't feel stressed out at work these days?Indeed, according to a national survey taken earlier this year, 83 percent of Americans say their jobs are stressful up from 73 percent in 2012. http://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2013/05/healthy-lifestyle-mitigates-negative-effects-job-stress-heart-study-suggests
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Why Is A Healthy Lifestyle Important In School? I need some ideas about Why a healthy lifestyle is important in school. I have to have an answer in less than 1000 words. Applying for college scholarship. Thanks in advance!
You need a healthy lifestyle in school to concentrate on your studies. You need to be able to focus for one thing. You also need to plenty of rest, and a good diet.
How Can I Keep Up My Healthy Lifestyle Over Easter? I have been trying to keep a healthy lifestyle, build fitness and lose a little fat. But I am surrounded by Easter treats, mum has been baking loads, have Easter eggs from family and my bf wants to get me an Easter egg too. Don’t get me wrong, I love how sweet everyone is being, but all of this will just make me I’ll. What should I do?
If you’d like me to be honest, I think that the healthiest lifestyles include enjoying things. So every now and then, let go of the fact that “something will make me fat” and enjoy it. I think that often as people we give up a large part of living just to stay skinny. I used to be that way, and as much as I told myself it was worth it, it really wasn’t. Enjoy it, and don’t go on a guilt trip over it.
That being said, there are several things you can do to avoid extra treats. Stay away from the kitchen as much as possible, as well as where things are being served. When you get things, get just a small bit. I’ve noticed that with a lot of sweetbreads and cakes and such, a very thin slice takes just as long to eat as a thick one and is usually just as satisfying. If not, you can even get a second (which, sliced thinly enough, is still smaller than the thick slices would be). Another trick I’ve learned is “sharing”–if it is a roll or whatever, just eat half of it and “share” the other half with someone else (maybe someone else who either just wants half, or someone who wants more than one).
Enjoy Easter!
What Are Some Healthy Lifestyle Changes To Make? So I’ve started drinking more water. I drink Green, White, and Chai tea. I also bought the stainless steel water bottle, and I bike for about 20-30 minutes a day. I consider these healthy lifestyle changes. I was wondering if you could provide more suggestions along these lines.
There are 5 elements in a healthy lifestyle.
1. food
2. exercise
3. sleep
4. happiness
5. extra healthy things
1. Food, we don’t really know that much about nutrition, we do know a blanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is good for you. Meat is pretty good, if it is lean and not eaten too often….ideally I might eat meat once or twice a week. A good healthy diet can include some indulgences.
2. Exercise, you should do some. Though I don’t recommend routine exercise, cycle 2 or 3 times a week, join a social sports club, eg, tennis, go hiking on weekends, swimming is one of the best exercises for the whole body. If you vary your exercise, then you will enjoy it more and do more.
3. Sleep. A lot of evidence says if you don’t get enough sleep you will have problems, eat more, metabolise your food differently and die young.
4. Be happy, enjoy your life. Drink dance, eat chocolate, but not all day, everyday.
5. Then there are all the little extras. eg, green tea (there is no such things as Chai tea….chai means tea, it is an indian word derived from the chinese word Cha, meaning tea), red wine, brocollie and beetroot, lots of things than can boost your body, ginger, garlice and hundreds of other things that you can add to your diet to make things a little better.
Don’t obsess, don’t live by a book or a routine, just be healthy.
What Exactly Is A Healthy Lifestyle And Is It The Same For Everyone? Does a healthy lifestyle depends on a person’s age, religion, etc?
How Will You Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle In The Future? Imagine yourself after college. You’re married with a few kids. You’re gaining a few pounds every now and then. How will you get yourself back on track into a healthy lifestyle?
Minus the after college part, but I have 2 kids and am expecting the third one in a few weeks. We maintain healthy lifestyles by eating nutritious foods, lots of whole grains, fruits, veggies, and milk. We also get a lot of exercise in. Although my kids are still toddlers and I’m big as a house, everyday as a family my husband and I walk with the kids up and down the road, then when we get home my husband stays outside with the kids and plays with them while I get supper fixed. We don’t turn the TV on until after baths, forcing us to get up off the couch. Hopefully that will encourage our kids to maintain healthy lifestyles after they’re all grown up.