I was scanning through my local newspaper yesterday when I found an article that disturbed me greatly.  Reporters had been checking with local health care providers to see how the current economic crisis that our country is facing has affected their practices.  The comments from these healthcare providers were less than empowering.

Apparently due to the economic crunch many people are putting off seeing their doctors, often at the expense of their health.  The physicians interviewed stated that people were often waiting longer in seeking out care and where sicker when they did come in.  This was across the board for medical doctors and dentists alike.  One Dentist actually stated that he has a patient with a sore tooth who waited to come in until he had pain and swelling around his eye.  It does not take a physician to realize that is a serious infection that might even be life threatening.  The article also stated that many people were avoiding the doctor, but presenting to the ER when things turned for the worse. All because of the cost.

This type of health care avoidance makes me shudder.  Avoidance and constriction when it comes to your health can have devastating consequences.  I do however understand and sympathize when finances dictate that you either buy groceries or go to the doctor.  More Americans than ever before are finding themselves in just such a position.

The question we must all ask ourselves is what is our health worth to us.  For me, I decided long ago that my good health was priceless.  That does not mean that I am willing to spend all my money paying for doctors and medical procedures.  In fact I have often been overheard saying that so much of the mainstream medical establishment is bunk.  If we don’t have as much to spend for medical care but are concerned about our health the question becomes now what?  How do we turn the tide and focus on the law of abundance especially health abundance? By shifting our core beliefs about health.   By having a proactive plan for maintaining or improving our health.  By accepting the personal responsibility of making good choices for diet and exercise.  By embarking on a weight loss program or a quit smoking program if we need too.  By being diligent with health concerns like heart disease or diabetes that already exist and by making choices everyday that further the improvement of our health.  Abundance is expansive!  Health Abundance is expansive!  So expand your view of health. health is all about the little choices that we make every day!

If you want to know more about expanding your health and learning some great strategies for regaining and maintaining your health, tune into my next post.

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach.  Dr Laurie has maintained a private practice since 1995 and has assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health.  Coaching individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise, and stress management as well as the more complex issues of hormonal imbalance, heart disease, diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and more.   If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs or Personal Health Coaching please contact her at drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

Part II of Cravings, Sugar Sensitivity, and Weight Loss

Tips for The Sugar Sensitive

Being sugar sensitive gives us the opportunity to make different choices to support our bodies.  We can use activities in life to produce the brain chemical changes necessary to reduce the use of sugar.  It is a far healthier choice to produce beta-endorphins and seratonin naturally through activity than to stimulate the production with a legal drug…sugar.

 Here are some of my favorite ways to curb the need for sugar, gain energy, gain mental clarity and feel great!

1. Do something physical like dancing or taking a walk this will boost your bodies production of beta endorphins and seratonin (the feel good chemicals)
2. Have a massage or rub some lotion into your hands and feet.  This stimulates the feel good chemicals too!
3. Do some deep breathing.  In through the nose for a slow count of 5, then out through the mouth for a slow count of 5.  Repeat the process for about 5 minutes.
4. Seek some support.  Phone a friend.
5. Get out into the sun for 15 minutes.  This is an awesome way to stimulate your body’s production of seratonin.
6. If you are going to indulge always include some protein with your treat.  The protein will help to offset the rapid rise and fall of your blood sugar.

Ninety percent of people who create new habits and do these things will see rapid changes in how there body is feeling.  Cravings will go away.  A meal will satisfy your body’s need for energy and you will feel satisfied.  Your energy level will go through the roof.  For the few however, these steps might only start moving you in the right direction.  Some will requires specific nutritional supplements to assist in getting you over the hump and others may be dealing with greater levels of imbalance in their metabolic systems.  So what is the answer… reach for the support that you need. Support and assistance is available.  It is the Key to Your Success!

Need more assistance with managing cravings, sugar addiction or weight loss?  Get the support, find solutions and get results by taking action today. Email me at drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com or give a call to 801 638-4378 and schedule your complementary health strategy session.

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach.  Dr Laurie has maintained a private practice since 1995 and has assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health.  Coaching individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise and stress management as well as the more complex issues of dealing with specific illness or health concerns.  If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs or Personal Health Coaching please contact her at drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

Sugar sensitivity is a common and powerful mechanisms affecting weight.  Sugar, especially the carbohydrate forms, react very strongly in our bodies.  When we consume simple sugars like crackers, white bread, bagels, pasta, candies, cakes, cookies or alcohol the effects are startling.  These types of foods are quickly and easily digestible. They act to raise your blood sugar levels quickly.  This rapid rise in blood sugar levels gives you the almost immediate payoff of increased energy and focus.  A good example of this is when we are tired in the mid afternoon and reach for a candy bar.  We eat it and quickly feel a lift.  But what goes up always comes down and we are left with our blood sugar plummeting.  We quickly go from energized to tired, restless and irritable.

Sugar does not affect everyone in the same way.  If you are sugar sensitive is determined in large part by the way your particular body burns food for energy (The function of your metabolism).  For some small amounts of simple carbohydrates has little to no affect on their energy level. These folks have a slow burning metabolism.  For others their metabolism burns hot and fast leading to the rapid rise and crashing fall when even small amounts of simple carbohydrates are consumed.  Then to manage the crash we reach for more sugars.  It becomes an endless cycle of craving more and more sugar.

It is also important to realize that the sugar sensitive are not wired in the same way as others.  There is a difference in brain chemistry between the sugar sensitive and the non-sugar sensitive people.  For the sugar sensitive the intake of sugars triggers the brain and acts like a drug.  Sugar can become an addictive substance. 

So are you among the sugar sensitive?  Ask yourself the following questions.

Do you crave or frequently desire sweet foods?

Do you currently eat a lot of sweets?

Are foods like breads, cereals, popcorn or pasta among your favorites?

Do you or have you had problems with alcohol or drugs?

Are/ were one or both of your parents alcoholic?

Do you have parents that crave or consume a lot of sweets?

Are you overweight and have difficulty shedding extra pounds?

Are you depressed and can’t seem to shake it?

Do you often overreact to stress?

Do you have a history of anger or surprising bursts of anger?

How often did you answer yes?  The more yes answers increase the likelihood that you are among the sugar sensitive.

Watch for my next bolg where I will give you ” Tips for the Sugar Sensitive”

If you would like more information on Sugar Sensitivity or Weight Loss please email drlaurie@yourhealthempowered .com or phone 801 638-4378.  Access your complimentary health strategy session today!

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach.  Dr Laurie has maintained a private practice since 1995 and has assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health.  Coaching individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise and stress management as well as the more complex issues of dealing with specific illness or health concerns.  If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs or Personal Health Coaching please contact her at drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com or phone her at 801 638-4378.

As I was journaling today I was doing a little bit of exploring about my warts.  Not literal wart, but those things about myself and my body that I don’t like very much.  For me that has always centered around my weight. 

Ever since I was a young lady I have struggled with weight.  It goes up and down like the proverbial yo-yo.  At times I have worked really hard eating only the “right foods” or consuming the “right number of calories”  to get to the “right weight”.  In fact I can say that I have made Dieting an art form.  But the question always comes down to if I am doing all the “right” things why does the weight keep coming back? 

So I turned on my coaching mode and went into my self-exploration tool box to look for my answers. In my reflections it became very clear to me that this weight issue of mine has very little to do with foods or calories.  It has everything to do to the emotional responses to life events that I have.  My heart gets hurt by one person or another and my weight reacts by going up.  I can see a consistent pattern repeated over and over again.  So my question became what is it about the emotion or hurt (pain) that triggers my weight gain.  I was looking at things like not letting others close enough to hurt me and using my body for making a physical form of protection.  None of those really rang true.  Then came the aha moment. I was not forgiving myself for letting others hurt me.  I was turning my body into a giant (literally) sabotage machine to prove that I was unlovable.

So what was my answer to stopping this type of creative self-destruction?  It is learning to totally and completely love myself.  It is learning how to forgive, sometimes others but most often myself.  Wahoo!  Now that I know what I am dealing with I return to my tool box and I pull out the tools I need for experiencing my emotions, for affirming who and what I am, and for working through the process of forgiveness.  All I can say is what a relief.  I think I dropped at least 20 pounds just getting all that emotional junk off my chest and out of my body. 

Are you struggling to lose weight?  Do you suffer from feeling not good enough or like a failure because the weight comes back?  Do you need a personal tool box to unravel the mystery and move you to success?   Health coaching may be for you.  Learn to Identify what is really keeping you overweight.  Learn self love and acceptance.  Enjoy the relationship of a mentor to push you past your limitations, and create the you of your dreams.  For more information or to schedule a complimentary weight loss strategy session email drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com. 

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach.  Dr Laurie has maintained a private practice since 1995 and has assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health.  Coaching individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise and stress management as well as the more complex issues of dealing with specific illness or health concerns.  If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs or Personal Health Coaching please contact her at drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

I got an email from a friend of mine today that both gave me a laugh and got me thinking.  It spoke to me so strongly that I would like to share it with you. So here goes……..

  After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.   ‘I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.’  The old woman smiled, ‘Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?’
  ’That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.’  ’For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.   Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.’
 
 Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.  You’ve just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.  SO, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!
 

What a great message! So many times in life we choose to struggle in our self-image.  We are so often our harshest judges.  We look at our flaws and imperfections and tell ourselves “I’m not good enough.  I’m too fat and need to lose weight.  I don’t exercise enough…..” The list could go on forever and I am sure you have many of your own you could add.  The lesson though is in looking at the value others find in us even with our flaws and imperfections.

So If your struggle is with weight loss, exercise, or just in feeling good about your own body look for the flowers you create!  Not the cracks in your life!  It is focusing on the flowers that allow us to make major shifts in our self-image and major change in our bodies.

If you would like to join the ranks of a crackpot friend then email me today at drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com  

If you are already a crackpot friend then thanks for being a wonderful part of my life!

Dr. Laurie Patterson Chiropractor, and Personal Health Coach.  Dr Laurie has maintained a private practice since 1995 and has assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health.  Coaching individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise and stress management as well as the more complex issues of dealing with specific illness or health concerns.  If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs or Personal Health Coaching please contact her at drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

There are always certain things to look at when considering the foundation of great health.  I like to use the analogy of balanced health looking like a wheel.  When all of the spokes of the wheel are in place and balanced the wheel will turn smoothly.  Right?  But it is so easy to become sidetracked with the latest fad or to focus on only one aspect of health and that leaves us feeling unbalanced and sets us up for a bumpy ride. 

 The best place to start is to look at where you are currently.  So ask yourself some questions and rate each one from 1 to 10: 

1. How am I doing with my daily living?  10 = I love and enjoy using my body in many ways every day and my body supports me.  0 = my body has betrayed me I can’t do the things I want and need to do.
2. How is my nutrition?   10 = I have an individualized plan that works for me I stick with it all the time and I feel great.  0 = I eat only junk, my body is rebelling by being severely overweight and completely under nourished.
3. How is my energy?   10 = I feel at the top of my game.  0 = What energy I just kind of drag through life
4. How are my thoughts?  10 = I think positive affirming thoughts 100% of the time and I have a wonderful self image.  0 = Just call me negative Nellie and I certainly don’t like myself very much.
5. How much support do I have?  10 = I have support all around me whenever I need it.  0 = Support what is that.

Now that you have rated yourself put your answers to each question on the wheel.  The center is zero (0) and the outside edge is ten (10).  Connect the dots and see how smooth your overall health journey is running at this moment.

Does your wheel need some maintenance so it will travel a smooth journey?  Do you know what to do to improve your personal performance or could you use a plan?  look to each area to create your plan and get ready for the ride of a lifetime!

Dr. Laurie Patterson  Chiropractor, and Personal Health Mentor-Coach.  Dr Laurie has maintain a private practice since 1995 and has assisted hundreds of individuals to make significant and dramatic changes to their health.  Coaching individuals with daily living issues of weight, exercise and stress management as well as the more complex issues of dealing with specific illness or health concerns.  If you would like more information about this post, Your Health Empowered Programs or Personal Health Coaching please contact her at drlaurie@yourhealthempowered.com

Dorland’s Medical dictionary defines health as “optimum physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.”  Empowered is powerful and strong.  So what is empowered health? Empowered health is true health.  It is the most powerful state of optimum physical, mental and emotional function. It is the health perspective that we are each in charge of our health and we live our health destiny by choice not chance.

So many people seem to live the victim side of their health.  They truly believe that they become prey to disease or sickness. They harbor beliefs that health comes from the outside.   An example would be “I caught a cold.”  Did your really catch something?  Is catching a cold the equivalent of playing baseball with germs being the ball that was caught in your mitt?  Are we willing to become conscious of what our body is telling us?  I am here to propose a new view of health.  An empowered view.  Empowered health is an inside job.

An empowered view lets us know that with each choice we are either making our bodies stronger or weaker.  Perhaps our cold is really our body’s way of communicating that we have been doing too much and our systems need time to rest and strengthen.  The beauty of taking self-responsibility for health is that with it comes power and freedom.  If we are powerful enough to create sickness and disease then the opposite is also true. We are powerful enough to create health. In creating health we become limitless to create our health destiny.

Empowered health knows that optimum physical, mental and emotional well-being is a choice.  So choose wisely.

Tune in to this blog spot to find out all about health and how you can empower yours.