As a vegan, I’m always getting asked how I’ve stuck to an entirely plant-based diet for all these years. Which is really just another way of asking, “How do you stick to a diet?”

The answer? It has a lot to do with detoxing. But, really, that’s just the beginning.

The better you treat your body, the more you feed it real food, the stuff that’s bad for you slowly becomes less and less appetizing.

And it’s not a mental thing. It’s a real physical change.

Before I describe what I mean, though, let’s do a quick refresher on what a detox actually is.

What’s a Detox?

You hear a lot of detoxes these days (mostly in the form of expensive powders and juices designed to shed pounds quickly and easily, all with virtually no effort on your part). But, a detox is really much simpler.

A detox is, at its essence, a process of cleansing your body and bloodstream of the toxins that we’re surrounded by each day.

Here are some of a detox’s benefits:

1. Your body’s natural detoxification systems are reset
2. Free radicals, which contribute to premature aging and other bad things, are eliminated from your body.
3. Your immune system gets a big boost.
4. Your organs get happy and start working better.
5. Your overall health and life improve.
6. You get rid of some of your old bad habits and start with a clean slate to begin building newer, better ones.

So, as number 6 above shows, when you’ve done a detox, you’re primed to build healthy habits. And part of that process also includes the fact that you’ve essentially gotten rid of all the junk in your system and your body feels good. From there, because the detox has shown your body what it’s supposed to feel like, your body will naturally take over from there. Feed it good food and it will let you know. Feed it garbage, and it will let you know that you shouldn’t have done that.

Listening and the Physical

I used to love french fries. But after detoxing often and sticking to a plant-based diet, if I eat a french fry now, my body will let me know. Loudly.

And that’s the key to maintaining a healthy diet. Staying in tune with your body. Feeding it what it needs. And, when you screw up, it will let you know.

And, again, it’s not purely a mental shift. No, it’s a physical one. An honest-to-gosh gut reaction in the most literal sense.

It’s an amazing transformation, one that you definitely deserve to experience, no matter where you are in your health journey!

The post Why Detox Has to be Part of Your Diet appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

Most everyone wants to lose at least a little weight. But fad “diets” aren’t the answer. Instead, you have to start in a completely different—and deeper—place to find real health.

I recently had a woman come to one of our Wellness Dinner Seminars. She’d been struggling with her weight and some other serious health concerns for a number of years. She was skeptical if anything would ever work for her, but she was desperate for a change. When she left the seminar, she was excited and ready to enter our Healthful Evolutions program.

But a few minutes after walking out of our office, she walked back in with a worried expression on her face.

When I asked her what was wrong, she said that she thought we had a great program but she was going to try to solve her health issues in another way. When I asked what she meant, she said that she’d talked to some people outside (who had just come to our seminar for the first time as well) and they had convinced her to try a diet they’d just read about. I didn’t press her very hard… but I did want to know what she was going to try. And honestly, I was worried she was heading down a path that would not get her to her goals.

“It’s called the Plant Paradox Diet,” she said. “My friends said it’s supposed to work.” I wished her luck and told her she was always welcome back.

That encounter has stuck with me. Honestly, it makes me sad. Why? Because I know she’s not going to find success with that—or any other—”diet.” (As an aside, if you’re interested in Dr. Stephen Grundy’s Plant Paradox Diet, as well as all the various “lectin blockers” he sells at a premium on his site, watch this—and then read this—first.)

All fad “diets” promise only one thing. That you’ll lose weight. And, often, people do lose weight… but only for a little while.

But, let’s actually dig a little deeper here.

Can losing weight help you’re overall health? Sure, in certain situations. But, does just losing weight mean that you’re healthy?

Not at all.

And that’s what made me so sad about this interaction with this woman. She needed to lose weight, of course. But the weight was just a symptom of deeper issues. And the “diet” she chose to pursue isn’t going to help with any of those underlying issues. If anything, in her situation, that fad diet is probably going to only exacerbate her underlying problems.

When you’re looking to get healthy, to be around longer for your kids, to find happiness and live life to its fullest, weight loss can never be your primary goal.

Why?

For two main reasons. First, going on a fad diet doesn’t work to begin with. And second, that’s not how we’re built as humans.

Reason #1: fad diets don’t work

For evidence why this first reason is true, take a look at the following statistics (all pulled from here):

• The average adult American attempts a fad diet four times per year
• One in four Americans give up after less than two weeks
• More than 97% of people gain the weight back within three years
• 65% of people who even “finish” the diet end up regaining at least as much back

From all of these statistics, a couple things become clear. First, Americans go on fad “diets” a lot. Now, couple that information with the fact that we are only growing more and more obese. Add in the following statistic and you’ll begin to get an idea of why weight loss can’t be your only goal:

The diet industry pulls in $61 billion annually.

Why don’t fad “diets” work? Because they’re marketed to us constantly… and then designed to fail. Every time.

Because, what would happen if they worked?

For one, we wouldn’t be, on average, trying a new one every three months. And, what’s maybe even more telling, we certainly wouldn’t be spending tens of billions of dollars on them if the first one got the weight off and kept it off.

Reason #2: Here’s How we, As People, work

For the second reason as to why weight loss can’t be your main goal when considering your options, let’s just take a quick look at how we all tick.

First, know that I have been there… so no judgement! Newton’s first law of motion goes something like this: For people sitting on the couch dipping into a family size bag of Sour Cream and Cheddar Ruffles, something has to make them get up and decide not to live that way anymore.

(I’m paraphrasing the physics here, of course, but you get the point.)

Meaning: There needs to be a reason you want to lose the weight. We need to connect to a purpose to give up the chips. Otherwise, why not? They taste good!

Now, let’s take a look at some of those potential reasons. For one, maybe summer is coming up, and you want to go to the beach. Or two, maybe that 35th high school reunion is just around the corner, and you want to shed some of the extra pounds before you see your old classmates. Whatever it is, there are plenty of (perfectly legitimate!!!) reasons to want to lose a little weight. Nothing at all wrong with that.

But here’s the question: What happens when that event is over? Nine times out of ten the answer is that you regain all the weight you lost and you’re no better—or healthier—for it.

Why? Because your goal had both a time limit and an expiration date. Once both of those are exhausted? You have no reason left to keep the weight off.

By the way, that’s what the diet industry is counting on. They love the short term. The myopic makes them tens of billions of dollars each year.

Getting back to Newton, the way we as humans work is that to change, we need a reason. And for long-term, life-long change to happen? That reason needs to be a big one.

Going on vacation matters. I totally get that.

But it’s not your ultimate WHY.

WHAT WE DO AT THE WELLNESS TRAINING INSTITUTE

That’s really what separates what we do in our programs here at the Wellness Training Institute from every other program out there.

First, we find your WHY.

And second, we focus on every part of your health. Health is more than weight loss. In fact, weight loss is really just a tiny part of it. If you’re ready to make the changes you need to make, and you do the hard work of making the changes you need to make, of course you’re going to lose weight.

But that’s not ALL you’re going to get. That’s honestly just the start.

Instead, you’re going to take a journey that will change you forever. And along the way, you’ll find happiness, life, health, and community.

Going on vacation matters. I totally get that.

But it’s not your ultimate WHY.

You’ll get out of the dieting loop. You’ll have the freedom to know what your body needs—and why.

All without depriving yourself of anything. All without having to starve yourself.

And all without having to finish your next fad diet only to have to start the cycle once again—and feel the shame the diet industry knows will bring you back, once more, with your wallet open.

You need a plan. You need support. You need a guide.

That’s how real change happens. And that’s what we offer.

The post Why Weight Loss Can’t be Your Only Goal appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

March 15, 2018

Have you found success in life… but not in health? Read on…

When I first met Bill, it was at one of our Wellness Dinner Seminars. He was an imposing figure. He was well-dressed and looked like someone who took his life and career very seriously. Dan exuded success. And he also spent the entire seminar with his arms crossed looking at us with skepticism.

He was with his wife, and it quickly became apparent their attendance that night was her idea.

A few days later, the couple came in for a consultation. Bill still seemed skeptical and asked a ton of questions. As we talked, it came to light that he was a smart, successful engineer. The couple had built a great life together. Their kids were successful. In every part of their lives, they were thriving.

Well, at least in everything except their health.

When he first came to us, he had a long list of health problems. He was on medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and multiple meds for a severe case of acid reflux.

In this regard, Bill isn’t unique. We’ve had many highly driven, highly successful people come through our programs. They’ve spent their lives building a legacy, but as with everything in life, it’s always at the cost of something.

And most of the time? That cost is their health.

So, Bill and his wife signed up for our Healthful Evolutions program (mostly at her urging)… but there was one condition.

If he didn’t see results quickly, he was out. Among other concerns, he hated vegetables and didn’t see that changing. His wife could continue, of course, but if he didn’t make significant progress toward achieving his health goals, he would quit.

I agreed to his conditions, but I knew he wouldn’t just stay in the program… he was going to hit every last health goal he’d set.

Why?

Because people like Bill—people who’ve spent their lives working hard to get what they want—thrive in an environment where there’s a clear path forward and concrete milestones along the way.

And Bill did exactly that.

He followed his program to a tee. He charted his success by tracking three main things: Weight loss, his pant size, and all of his blood work values.

By the end, he’d gotten off of his blood pressure, cholesterol, and acidic reflex meds, lost 30 pounds, and went down two pant sizes.

And now he loves vegetables!

He felt so good that at the end of the program, in fact, that he gave us a video testimonial…. which is a long way from the mega-skeptic he was when he started! (Watch his story here! )

The Executive Health Coaching Program

Out of Bill’s success—and that of others like him—we’ve created a new program: The Executive Health Coaching Program.

It takes the proven processes and strategies that have helped thousands of people regain their health and happiness in our Healthful Evolutions program and tailor-fits it to the fast-paced, high-pressure life that comes with success in the business world.

And that’s just one example…

Across the board, the results we’ve seen have been amazing!

And I am so passionate about The Executive Health Coaching Program because I love helping people get healthy and revolutionize their lives.

As a fellow Type-A personality, I understand that kind of life. You don’t have a thousand hours to spend trying to get healthy on your own. You’re too busy trying to build an empire, create something of lasting importance, do something amazing with your family… or maybe just planning for the next staff meeting.

I get it.

You need a plan that’s customized specifically to the high-pressure, fast-paced life you’re living. You need clear direction… and clear, measurable milestones to chart your progress.

That’s what this program does: It takes the success you’ve already achieved in life and leverages it in a way that will get you true, lasting health.

The Bottom Line

So, here’s the thing…

The Executive Health Coaching Program works.

It’s not easy. It takes work. But if you want to achieve the level of success in your health that you’re experiencing in all the other areas of your life, I challenge you to take the next step.

If you’re ready to push all in and regain your health, click here set up a free goal-setting session with me. 

Want to learn more? Awesome. Read this.

The post Introducing The Executive Health Coaching Program appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

March 8, 2018

Here’s why weight loss should never be your main goal when it comes to health…

When it comes to getting healthy, it seems like there are a lot of options out there. The diet industry itself, in fact, is worth over $60 billion according to the latest statistics. That’s $60 billion worth of potential answers to the question: “How do I lose the weight… and then keep it off?”

The important word in that last sentence, though, is “potential.”

Because, we all know two things.

First, “weight loss” doesn’t automatically mean “health.” There are plenty of wildly unhealthy skinny people out there. For a lot of people losing weight is going to help their overall health, but weight loss itself doesn’t equal health. As a practicing cardiologist, I see thin people with heart disease all the time.

Second, most “diets” fail. Sure, you may lose a little weight up front, but it doesn’t stay off. As long as you continue on the diet, you’ll drop the pounds. But the minute you go back to your real life, the habits you’ve built over the course of your lifetime, the weight is going to come back.

Repeat Customers

The companies selling you “diet” products know both of these things. And their marketing addresses both issues.

It attempts to deny the truth of the first part. They want the image of the skinny person in their ad to be what pops up in your head when you think “health.”

And as far as the second truth goes? They’ve pushed all their chips into the middle of the table counting on the fact that you’re going to have a tiny bit of success, ultimately fail, and then come back and buy their products or services again.

The diet industry is built on one thing: Repeat customers.

This fact alone has been the main driver for what we do here at the Wellness Training Institute.

Because here’s the deal…

We are not in the weight loss business.

We are in the business of health.

We know that nothing happens overnight, and we’ll never make promises to that effect.

We are in this for the long haul.

Our mission is to give you the knowledge, the training, the tools to create the habits that will get you healthy and… keep you that way for the rest of your life.

The Shame Loop

Every member we’ve ever had come through our Healthful Evolutions program has tried a ton of these solutions before they ever even hear about us.

The list is a long one:

Joining a gym.

One of the thousands of weight loss programs out there.

Fad diet after fad diet.

Anything they can do to lose weight…

But every time, they fail. And then they feel like failures.

But here’s the thing…

It’s not their fault. It’s not your fault. The failure lies squarely on the diet, or the surgery, or the gym membership, or the TV dinners in the frozen food section of the supermarket pretending to be at all nutritious.

The companies behind each of these things, again, aren’t looking for you to succeed. And they tend to make you feel like you will fail without sticking to their program.

They want you in a perpetual shame loop.

Here’s What We’re ABOUT

That’s exactly the opposite of what we’re all about. We think you’re worth too much. We think you deserve to be healthy and happy and whole.

We want to guide you through the process of getting healthy. We want you to succeed. We want you healthy.

And it’s our mission to be there every step along the way, giving you whatever you need, for as long as you need it.

Again, though, it’s all about what you’re willing to put into it. When it comes right down to it, your health is yours.

We’re just the guide… with a plan that works.

And we’d love to go on your health journey with you!

The post Cards on the Table: Here’s What We’re All About at the Wellness Training Institute appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

February 23, 2018

So, what’s the Healthful Evolutions Program? Here’s the gist…

One of the most common questions we get here at the Wellness Training Institute is how, exactly, our Healthful Evolutions Program works.

It’s a good question. Not because what we do is complicated, or even all that hard to describe. It’s actually pretty straightforward.

The question comes for another reason: Our Healthful Evolutions program isn’t like anything else most people would be familiar with.

Here’s How We’re Unique

It’s not a diet like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers or one of the million weight loss programs out there. There are no crazy, restrictive rules. It’s not something that promises overnight success. It’s not a gym. And we don’t believe supplements are the ultimate cure.

Instead, it’s a strategic, personalized plan that’s designed to replace all the bad habits you have—the habits that are slowly killing you—with good, life-affirming ones. It’s a tried and true process that gives you back everything you put into it—and more! And although it can be hard to shift away from the habits you’ve had for a big portion of your life and none of the benefits of these changes manifest overnight, Healthful Evolutions provides something that very few other “health programs” can offer. Which is: True and lasting change.

Our program is based on science, years of research, and experience working with people. We’ve learned what works—both in terms of short-term benefits as well as how to create changes that last for the rest of your life. We are constantly innovating and enhancing our program. When we learn something new, we want you to know it too! The world we live in is constantly changing— which means we need to learn how to respond to it. We need to learn how to face new challenges. The biggest advantage we have in getting people truly life-lasting results is that we set a foundation that allows people to face challenges that come up in life and give them the tools to choose health… even in the worst circumstances.

So, now that we’ve hit the 1,000-foot view, here’s how the program works…

How We Work

Most of our members come to the program through one of our free Wellness Dinner Seminars, where we eat a meal together and both Dr. Dangovian and I offer a ton of great information on how to get healthy… and stay that way for good.

The next step is to schedule a consultation. During the seminar, you get to know us. The goal of the consultation is for us to get to know you. We want to determine if we’re a good fit. We want to know if our program is right for you. Our program isn’t for everyone, so we also need to discuss if you’re ready to make the changes necessary for getting healthy.

Here we’ll sit down, learn about you—your goals, your challenges, and how you got to this current stage in your health, wherever that might be. We run you through a thorough Wellness Evaluation, where we’ll ask a lot of questions. Many of these questions are ones that you’ve never been asked—but should’ve been. We want to get a clear picture of who you are and what your body needs to be healthy. We’ll also have you bring any recent lab work.

If we find that we are a good fit for each other, we will talk about financing options at this stage. (Insurance doesn’t cover our program, but we haven’t had any problems helping our members with financing.)

From there we take our program and adapt it to you. There are five pillars of health — nutrition, fitness, detoxification, hormone testing and attention to reducing stress and supporting your nervous system—and our program focuses in on each. It’s a simple equation and I’ve seen it work a million times: Build up those pillars, and health just happens.

We’ll walk you through orientation, order blood work panels, and begin to talk about nutritional transitions.

We start with nutrition because it’s what the other four pillars primarily depend upon… you can’t, for example, start getting active without a good nutritional foundation. It’s like trying to run your car on an empty tank. So, we do a six-week pre-detox preparation followed by a 21-day detox. This process resets your body, allows it to heal, and eliminates all the toxic stuff our current American lifestyles expose us to on a daily basis.

The Name of the Game

Throughout all of this, support is the name of the game. The program lasts anywhere from three to nine months, and during that time, we offer tons of sessions designed to get you results.

We have five yoga classes per week. We have a recipe club. We also have group cooking days and an interactive Q and A called “What’s for Breakfast?”, both of which are designed to show you how to prepare great-tasting food that’s also great for you. Plugging into the community here at the Wellness Training Institute is probably the most rewarding part of the program for many of our members. So, you’ll be spending at least an hour every two weeks here building healthy habits and finding the support many wouldn’t otherwise have.

Some of our members have opted for our virtual program. Folks who travel for work, for example, can get the same level of support from us through email, training videos, bi-weekly check-ins over the phone. Plus, our whole team is available at any time, whether you’re physically here or not.

The goal of everything we do here is to get you well so that you can live a better life. We want this season of your life to be the best.

The process works. But, here’s the deal… it won’t work by itself.
Probably the most critical element of your success in our program is, well, YOU.

YOU are the one that does the work. YOU heal yourself. We are simply your guide.

You need a guide. You can’t get healthy alone. And you need someone who understands the overall strategy and can adapt the program to your specific needs.

Everyone is different. My experience going through the program is going to be wildly different than yours. Why? Because our bodies need different things. I can anticipate a lot, but not everything. Because of that, we usually try to keep our members in the program for a minimum of six months, because it usually takes that long to really figure out how to maximize your health. To find your lasting success.

Which, as I said before, is the whole point!

What You Deserve

You deserve to be healthy. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to live your life to its fullest.

And if you’re ready to take that next step? We’re ready and waiting… and super excited to walk alongside you on that journey!

The first step, as I mentioned before, is to come to dinner!

Have more questions? Visit our FAQ page here.

The post How the Healthful Evolutions Program Works appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

November 21, 2017

The holiday season is synonymous with food… and lots of it! So, with all the events you’ll be attending this season, how do you keep from destroying your health… and actually lose weight?

Whether you’ve been trying to take back your health for a while now, or are just starting out during the last months of this year, the holidays can be daunting. Food—most of it bad for you—can feel like it’s everywhere. Holiday parties, big family meals, all those extra boxes of calorie-packed treats Dorothy at the office keeps leaving in the break room… it can feel inescapable at times.
But, here’s the thing…

It’s not inescapable. The temptation to indulge—or, more likely, to overindulge—doesn’t have to be irresistible.

Here are five surefire strategies for tamping down the temptation and holding on to your health this holiday season.

1. Understand What You’re Up Against

Your health starts with one thing, and one thing only: Awareness.

When you understand where your bad habits have their roots, you can make healthy choices. You can say “no” to death and say “yes” to life.

It’s no different when it comes to your health this holiday season. Understanding what you’re up against will go a long way in allowing you to make the right choices for your health.

So, what exactly are you up against? What, exactly, do you need to be aware of?

First, understand that holiday overindulgence isn’t a real thing. Instead, it’s the primary message of a marketing campaign you’ve been subjected to for your entire life. The holidays can mean a lot of things, but NONE of those things are overeating.

We have this vision of huge, calorie-packed meals—and the lethargy that follows—because that’s what they’ve sold you. You hear a lot about the over-commercialization of the holidays when it comes to gifts. But it’s the same thing with food.

Notice the commercials on TV this time of year… In an attempt to sell you french-fried onions, for example, they’ll show those onions posed within a square acre of “holiday food.”

You won’t just see Acme Turkey gravy.

No, you’ll see it poured over a metric ton of meat, stuffing, potatoes, and who knows what else. Those big meals aren’t there by accident.

Toy companies target your kids. Food companies target everyone.

Second, you’re up against the idea that everyone eats terribly during the holidays. It’s social pressure 101. Because it’s “just a thing people do,” it makes it much easier to indulge yourself. Despite the fact that no, not everyone eats terribly during the holidays.

Third, know that eating is never an isolated activity. It’s rooted in emotion. Around the holidays, it’s also rooted in the feelings we have about traditions. Apple dump cake might be tempting. Grandma’s apple dump cake, though, is on a whole different level.

Traditions are powerful. So are emotions. Understanding those connections—and building awareness around their existence—can go a long way in keeping you healthy—and happy—during the holidays.

So, awareness is the starting point.

2. Don’t Look Forward to New Year’s

New Year’s is a tough animal to tackle. Because, while it’s good to feel like you have a fresh start, and equally good to set healthy goals for yourself, too often it tends to have the opposite effect.

It can be easy to overindulge during the holidays when you “know” that you’re going to get your health in order on January 1st. That day has become more of an excuse than anything else. It’s easy to see it as a chance for a do-over… even when you know, in the back of your mind, that most, if not all, of your resolutions will be broken and forgotten by the second week of January.

It’s human nature to want to improve yourself. It’s also a noble endeavor. But New Year’s Day isn’t the time to do that. For one, there’s a ton of added pressure. And secondly, just like a lot of people wrack up credit card debt buying gifts during the holidays, there’s also often a “health debt” that comes due once the holidays are over. Overindulge for the last two months of the year, and you’re setting yourself even further behind the eight ball, health-wise.

Also, look… The truth is, there’s no good time to start making healthy lifestyle changes. The fourth quarter of the year is problematic because of the holidays, right? But the first three months of the year are inconvenient because, well, it’s cold and no one wants to leave the house to go to the gym. The second quarter isn’t great because you’re busy and vacation is coming up. And the third quarter? It’s hot. You’re trying to pack in more summer fun before the leaves start turning brown, and honestly… after the holidays you’ll get things in order.

All of which combines to mean one thing: Because there’s no “good” time to start taking back your health, any time of the year is the best place to start.

Don’t let your excuses get in the way of everything you can accomplish.

If you’ve already started taking back your health by slowly replacing the bad habits with good ones, then take this holiday season as an opportunity to continue.

If you haven’t started making those changes, start today. Now is as good—or bad— a time as any.

Either way, let New Year’s Day be a celebration of everything you’ve accomplished so far instead of the starting point.

3. Have a Plan

No one’s ever done something good for themselves in a sustainable way without a plan. So, as you tiptoe through the minefield that is the holidays, go in with a plan.

This plan doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as making sure that you’ve filled up on a healthy meal or snack before you go to a holiday party. Or it could be just making a promise to yourself that you’ll drink water instead of punch, or pop, or eggnog.

You know yourself. And because you’ve built up that awareness about what your triggers are going to be back in step 1, you’ll be able to come up with a strategy that works for you.

4. Bring Your Own Food

Part of that strategy might be bringing your own food to meals and other events. Make something healthy… and make a lot of it to share!

Thanks to the internet, there are tons of super healthy holiday recipes right at your fingertips. Here are a few to get you started. 

Choose one, take it with you, and share it. You can even decide not to tell anyone it’s healthy. See how they feel about it before you tell them it’s the only dish on the table that won’t cause a coronary.

Be an inspiration to others.

5. Remember What the Holidays are Actually About

Finally, take a step back. Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly. And then think about what the holidays REALLY MEAN.

Your answer is going to be your own. The holidays mean as many different things as there are people who celebrate them. Family, faith, togetherness, joy, thanksgiving… for you it can be about any combination of these deeper meanings.

But what this time of year is NOT ABOUT holds true across the board.

The holidays are not about spending more money than you have on gifts that no one needs.

They aren’t about raiding the shopping mall at midnight on Black Friday.

They aren’t for stuffing yourself until you pass out on the couch in front of the football game.

So much of what is marketed AT you this time of year are lies, plain and simple. Those huge meals you see in the commercials? Most of the time, that’s not even food.

Everything you see is an idealized—and FALSE—expectation that you’re being psychologically manipulated to attempt to live up to.

Take this holiday season back for yourself. Build that awareness. Understand your own reason for the season.

And above all, choose your health. Choose your happiness.

Choose life.

Watch more below!

The post How to Actually Lose Weight During this Holiday Season appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

If you’ve checked the stats lately, you’ll already know how grim the obesity epidemic has gotten—even over the last decade.

And if you haven’t seen the numbers, you’re going to be shocked.

According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 70.2% of Americans are either overweight or obese. 37.7% of us are obese, including a whopping 40.4% of women. Almost 8% of the population is considered extremely obese. Even worse? One in six children ages two through nineteen are considered obese.

That’s bad, guys.

Like, really bad.

Because obesity leads to all sorts of major health problems. Heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, strokes—and hundreds of other maladies are direct consequences of obesity.

And, what’s worse, those stats aren’t trending down. Instead, it’s getting worse.

So, how did we get here?

Are diets not working for you? We have a weight loss plan designed just for you! Learn more at our next FREE Wellness Dinner Seminar by clicking here.

Well, while it’s easy to oversimplify the causes of obesity, here are some factors that, in combination, can lead to obesity.

Genetics

While your genes do play a part, they don’t play nearly as large a role as you might think.
Genes, according to a recent Harvard study, only influence who might become obese. Environment and lifestyle choices determine how many people actually become obese.
Yes, genes (by definition) run in the family. But so does diet.
Obese children come from obese parents mostly because they all sit around the same dinner table.

Habits are passed on far more readily than genetic coding.

On top of that, your genes aren’t your destiny. You can change your genetic pathways, which genes are “turned on” and which ones aren’t, by changes in lifestyle and diet.

Diet

Not surprisingly, diet is one of the biggest factors in obesity. Consuming large amounts of simple carbs like sugar, drinking sodas, and ingesting the massive amount of non-food chemicals and preservatives in processed food… All of these contribute to the obesity epidemic in profound ways.

We look back to our grandparents and what they ate for breakfast—thick cut back-strap bacon, eggs, and large amounts of heavy dairy products—and it’s a little confusing. All of those things are supposed to be bad for you, right? But time and time again you hear about grandpa eating that every day and living well into his nineties. Those foods are, of course, bad for you… But at least they are REAL FOOD.

Honestly, though, this isn’t your fault. You’ve been targeted since birth by the big food companies who, especially since the late 1970s have been waging a processed-food arms race against each other. And we’ve gotten caught in the crossfire.

That bag of Doritos in your cupboard? That’s less a bag of flavored corn chips than it is a scientifically engineered attack on your brain chemistry. They’re designed to be consumed, and consumed, and then consumed again.

(Lay’s doesn’t even hide this strategy.. their branding is essentially an overt, cynical shot over the bow signaling that they’ve cracked your taste buds’ code and are preparing to ruin you.)

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. TV commercials, billboards, internet pop-ups, and disgustingly blatant ad campaigns aimed specifically at children under ten… It’s a constant and strategically designed attack on your senses.

Find your energy to change your life right now… watch this!

Lifestyle

We work in offices. We spend the evening on the couch in front of multiple screens. We’ll wait for 15 minutes idling in the car for a parking space that won’t require us to take more than ten steps to get to the scooter-cart at the grocery store.

As humans, we evolved to move. To chase down our food. To escape lions.

Now that we no longer have to move, we don’t.

So our hormones slip out of balance. We don’t deal with stress in healthy ways. All our energy just gathers inside us. And with no outlet, all these things have no choice than to make more room for themselves.

In light of this current epidemic, we’re seeing the results of that strategy bare its massive teeth.

Lack of Community

I’ve seen this happen over and over. Without a healthy, supportive community, people can become isolated. Things build up inside them, and in their loneliness, despair sets in. Their health slips. And instead of living their lives, life just starts happening to them. Bad habits develop, and without that supportive community around them, it’s very easy to move down the path to obesity.

You can’t get healthy without a supportive community. But you can definitely get obese in its absence.

Lack of Knowledge

Perhaps the biggest cause of obesity on this list, lack of knowledge is a huge issue.

It’s not that we don’t know we should be eating healthier. We do. And it’s not that we don’t know that we should move every day. We know that too.

But I’m not sure it’s common knowledge how all those different pieces fit together. We have the abstract, thousand-foot view, but the details are blurry. We know we should exercise, but we might not know what kind of exercise we should be doing. We know we should eat healthily, but what makes something healthy? Sugar-packed yogurt is sold as “healthy,” but in reality, it’s one of the worst things you can eat. Diet pop is surely better than regular, right? It has “diet” right there in the name! (Answer: No. No it’s not.)

If you’re confused about what to eat, that’s by design. After all, it’s hard to make money shilling kale.

That knowledge gap also comes into play in when people aren’t in touch with what’s going on with their bodies. They don’t know what’s happening inside themselves because, to be honest, most of the time they don’t want to know.

It’s easier to stay distracted, to leave the issues that they sense might be worsening for their future-selves to deal with.

It’s a natural response, of course. We all do it.

But in this case, it can have deadly consequences.

The Skinny on Obesity

And maybe that’s the moral of the story here. The obesity epidemic isn’t going to go away on its own. Honestly, even trying to tackle the problem at a macro level is probably a fool’s errand.

But if you educate yourself, and then take action on that information, that’s how we’re going to reverse obesity.

Your health is yours. It all begins with you.

Watch more here:

Or listen here:

The post The Obesity Odds: What You Can Do Today to Avoid the Epidemic appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

September 7, 2017

Caught in the yo-yoing cycle of fad dieting? Here’s how to shed those pounds and keep them off!

Anyone can lose weight. It’s a simple process: Use up more calories than you take in.

But, ask anyone who’s tried out a fad diet, and they’ll all tell you the same thing. “Yeah, it works. But only for a little while.”

Yo-yoing is the term people use to describe the process of losing—and then regaining—weight. If fad diets have anything in common, it’s that most—if not all—result in this drop-and-gain cycle.

It’s a disappointing process, really. You work really hard at a diet, achieve your goals, and then… you go back to square.

So, why is it so hard to keep the weight off?

THE WHY

For a lot of people, it has a lot to do with their “Why.”

Why are you trying to lose weight to begin with? To look good in a bathing suit? To fit into a particular dress for a class or family reunion?

The problem here is that often those things have an expiration date. Once vacation is over, that motivating factor is no longer present. And with it goes the “Why.”

The other issue with fad diets is that even when they “work”—and by “work” I mean that you lose the weight, at least initially—most of them are so bad for you that yeah, that bathing suit might fight, but you’re unhealthier internally than you were before.

Along those same lines, belly fat isn’t just an outer, physical problem. It’s a sign of what’s going on inside you. It’s a symptom of an unhealthy lifestyle.

(For example, it’s not uncommon to find people who look “thin” on the outside but have all sorts of insulin resistance and belly fat issues inside their bodies.)

Here’s how it works.

When your body is working as it should, your gut microbiome—the hundreds of millions of microscopic plants, animals, bacteria, and other tiny critters that live in your gastrointestinal tract—produce chemicals that improve your bodily systems. They are nutrifying your body.

But, when they’re out of balance, the secretions lead to sickness. And why do they fall out of balance?

It’s all lifestyle. It’s what you put into your body, along with how you handle the inevitable stress in your life.

A lot of times, this imbalance is a major factor in belly fat accumulation.

So, how do you get the weight off and keep it off?

The first step is to find your “Why?”

Ask yourself, why do you want to lose the weight? What’s the primary reason for it?

Are you ready to lose weight… FOR GOOD? Register for our FREE Wellness Dinner Seminar and learn how here.

For a lot of our members at the Wellness Training Institute, the decision to lose the weight and get healthy happens after a major medical event. An accident, a heart attack, a cancer diagnosis—or worse.

For some, it’s realizing that your family, kids, or grandchildren want them to be around for longer than their current lifestyle choices would predict.

For others, it’s merely reaching the point where enough is enough. You have one life, this is it, and you deserve to be happy. But without your health, happiness just isn’t going to happen.

FIND YOUR WHY

So, no matter what your reason is, find it. The important thing to know as you search for it is that it’s there. Sure, you might want to fit into a smaller size, but that’s rarely the real reason. I mentioned symptoms earlier, and a lot our external, maybe shallower impulses, tend to have roots deep within our selves.

Finding yours might be just what you need to get rid of that belly fat, regain your health, and grab that happy life that’s waiting for you just beyond your choice to take that first step forward—and then keep going!

 Watch and listen to more below!

The post How to Keep the Belly Fat Away… For Good appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

A recent study out of Australia shows what those of us who’ve switched to a plant-based diet already know.

Eating more fruits and vegetables, according to the research, appears to make you happier.

Which makes sense, right?

We’re designed to be happy. To be fulfilled. To have a purpose and follow that purpose to the ends of the earth.

So it only makes sense that putting the maximum amount of whole, organic, nutrition into our bodies would make us feel good. It’s like putting the perfect fuel into your happiness engine!

But one thing I hear all the time as a criticism of a plant-based diet is this: “But if I’m not going to eat meat, how am I going to get any protein?”

While I’m not sure where this myth came from, it’s been pretty effective in becoming a widespread belief. Look at any ad for places like GNC, and it’s not unreasonable to think that the more protein you can ingest, the healthier you’ll be.

The research, though, shows that this just isn’t true.

The research, though, shows that this just isn’t true.

To be happy, you need to be healthy. Download our free step-by-step guide to getting healthy… and staying that way! Click to download The 7 Habits of Highly Healthful People NOW!

The Protein Myth

In fact, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Americans are consuming roughly double the recommended amount of protein daily. Men eat an average of 102 grams per day, while women eat 70 grams. The recommended daily allowance, though, is only 56 and 46 grams respectively.

So, yes, while we need protein to stay alive, the Standard American Diet delivers far too much.

But, that still doesn’t answer the question: How do you get enough protein from a plant-based diet?

Easy.

Have diabetes? Did you know it’s reversible? Learn more at our next FREE Wellness Dinner Seminar by clicking here.

You can get plenty of protein from plants. The myth that protein only comes from animals is patently false. Just take a look at this list:

To put these numbers in context, here’s the protein content for a few animal-based foods:

1 egg – 6g

whole chicken breast – 54g

cottage cheese (1 cup – 27g)

non-fat Greek yogurt (6 oz. – 17g)

Again, the recommended allowance for each person is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight, which amounts to 56 grams per day for the average sedentary man and 46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman. So, looking at the plants on the list, clearly, it’s not going to take much of any of those foods to get the protein you need.

Plus, if you’re consuming too much protein, you run the risk of some serious health issues.

Too Much Protein?

For one, packing in the protein also packs in dangerous levels of nitrogen. And long term over-consumption of nitrogen can, among a number of other nasty effects, cause your kidneys to shut down.
Secondly, too much protein is going to make you fat. On average your body can only process about 30 grams of protein per meal. The rest of it is stored as fat—mostly belly fat, in fact.

And thirdly, people who eat a diet high in animal proteins, according to several studies published in the last decade, are 4 times as likely to die from cancer. A few years ago, in fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) actually classified processed meats as a Group 1 carcinogen— which means that they’re “very likely” to cause cancer.

So, the takeaway here ought to be that switching to a plant-based diet is good for you. And you should do it.

Your health—and happiness—depend on it.

Literally!

[Here’s how to bust belly fat for GOOD. Watch how now right here.]

The post Plants, Protein, and Eternal Happiness appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

January 31, 2017
   

1. Research shows that a plant-based diet can prevent—and even reverse—the most prevalent and deadly diseases in the West.

Two decades ago Dr. Dean Ornish published a landmark study showing how a “near vegan” diet can reverse the effects of atherosclerosis. It can open up the arteries, melt away the plaque, and help the body heal the whole system. There’s growing evidence that at least some cancers can be treated with the same dietary changes.

2. Plants are better than drugs and medicine for treatment.

A lot of the drugs doctors prescribe you started out as certain chemicals in plants. The drug companies then take just that chemical—or their synthesis of it—and make (and market) the drug. What’s left, though is all the other stuff in the plant. And more and more research is showing that those whole plants are (usually) more effective than the drugs.

3. It prevents diabetes.

About 387 million people are living with diabetes. Which is sad, because Type 2 diabetes is entirely preventable. You just have to eat plants.

4. You’ll be skinnier.

Those on a plant-based diet statistically have a much lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than those who aren’t. And dropping down to a healthy weight takes a lot of stress off your internal systems. Which means less disease, and way more life.

Want more great information about the foundations of a healthy life? Download the first installment of our NEW 7-part eBook series The 7 Habits of Highly Healthful People for FREE right now, right HERE!

5. You’ll look better.

By which I mean, you’ll be able to look at things better. The lutein and zeaxanthin pigments in grapes, kiwis, spinach, and kale have been shown to prevent cataracts from forming.

6. You’ll look better.

Now, I mean you’ll actually look better. (See what I did there?) Vitamins, pigments, and phytochemicals in fruits and veggies are vital for healthy skin. Potato chips just make your face all greasy.

7. You’ll be RICH(er)!

There’s this myth out there that eating a plant-based diet is more expensive than the Standard American Diet (SAD). True, it’s more expensive to order a salad than, say, three McChicken sandwiches. But on the whole, meat is way more expensive than buying legumes and shopping at your local farmers market for your produce. It’s also true that the SAD diet leads to obesity, which means that you’ll be spending on average an extra $1,450 each year on health care costs.

Introducing our brand new YouTube Channel! Here’s a little taste:

The post 7 Facts About a Plant-Based Diet appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.