March 1, 2018

Fad diets don’t work… but here’s what does.

What always shocks and frustrates me as a practicing cardiologist is that if all the peer-reviewed medical and nutritional data that’s become available over the last two decades were accurately relayed by the mainstream media, it would spell the end of the fad diet craze.

Why?

Because fad diets don’t work. You might lose a little—or even a lot—of weight. But only for a short time.

The weight almost always comes back.

(As evidence for this claim, see this article in Scientific American that compares a number of studies that show this is true. I don’t agree with all of the conclusions made by the “expert opinions” contained in the article, but the results of the studies themselves are telling.)

Instead, the media takes a snippet of information from a study, blows it entirely out of proportion, bends it into whatever shape is going to get the most eyeballs on it, and spreads the confusion far and wide.

But even beyond that, “skinny” doesn’t equal “healthy.” You can be as thin and trim as physically possible and still have incredibly serious medical issues that aren’t outwardly visible.

How to be Healthy

As a medical professional, I can personally attest to this fact; I see it all the time in my office.

The only way to truly get healthy is to focus on your overall health. When you do that, weight loss just happens.

We say it all the time: The only way to get healthy is to swap out your bad, unhealthy habits for new, healthy ones. The problem with this universal law is that we as impatient Americans don’t want to believe it. We want instant results.

Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. But this inaccurate way of looking at our health isn’t your fault. Not at all. We’ve been sold this lie for our entire lives.

The truth is that when you’ve spent decades building unhealthy habits, they’re not going to disappear overnight. It takes time. It takes effort.

And most importantly?

You need a plan.

That’s why I created the Wellness Training Institute back in 2009. I would see patient after patient come through my cardiology practice and 99% of them had serious conditions that shouldn’t have been inevitable. Their conditions were all a result of lifestyle choices.

And I wanted to do something about it. I wanted to help them beyond just handing out pills or putting in stints. I didn’t want to just manage their conditions anymore. I wanted them to find true and lasting health.

Healthful Evolutions

Our Healthful Evolutions program is designed to do just that.

We provide a plan and process that takes you from wherever you are now in your health journey and move you, step-by-step, toward health… more health… and even MORE health!

When I’m asked how exactly the process works, I can describe the process. I can give you the bullet-points. (I can even point them to this post by our Wellness Director Nicole where she lays it all out in detail.)

But here’s the thing…

We know what works. We know what steps to take to get you healthy and live your best life.

But, after having thousands of members pass through our Healthful Evolutions program, we know that no two experiences are going to be the same. You are unique. You might need to focus on one area of your health far more than someone else, even if your conditions are virtually the same.

Because of that, I suppose you could refer to Healthful Evolutions as “the program-less program.” Don’t get me wrong, there is a definite structure to our programs, but we get great results because every part of our program is tailored specifically to you.

It’s also a program you can go through while you live your life. Again, it’s all about habits, and those new healthy habits need to happen within the scope of your day-to-day existence. It also needs to happen within a supportive community.

So, What Does This Mean for You?

Now, let me ask you a question:

Why wouldn’t you want to go all in on your health?

You only have one life, and you are worth it to live that life to its fullest.

There’s a TED talk from last year by a guy named Jon Bowers who makes a compelling argument for why we should strive for perfection in our lives. He manages a delivery truck service and gives this example: What happens when his drivers only give 99% effort? Someone dies.

So, take stock of where you are in your healthy journey and decide today to take the dive. Go all in on your health.

On your happiness.

And ultimately?

Your one and only life.

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