I’m wondering, how are you doing?

I mean how are you REALLY doing?

Are you taking the steps that mean your health will be better next year than it is today?

Unfortunately, in this country, people often wait till a crisis happens to change. 

Crises that are often indicated ahead of time by our diet, our lifestyle and the medications we take if we are honest enough to look at it.

So, today I want to talk about someone who decided NOT to wait for a crisis.

Lorna W. is a client that’s unlike most for many reasons.

She had polio as a young child and it left her partially paralyzed. She walks with crutches. This means she can’t exercise very much, making it that much harder to maintain her weight. (And, at the same time, she is starting to exercise a little more. That’s what true commitment will do.)

So, additional weight for her is not about looks. It’s about mobility and longevity.

Together, we tweaked Lorna’s diet enough that she lost the few pounds she wanted to.

But it was more than that.

Lorna’s new plan brought about a change she had never seen before. You see, Lorna always had a sweet tooth. To make matters worse, her husband would often bring home tasty temptations she knew she was better off without.  Previously, she would eat them.

And Lorna had another issue too. . .Her husband does a lot of the cooking. And he is a traditional American eater who cooks what he likes.

When she took on this new commitment, it was about weight and mobility at first. Then we dug deeper and discerned it was more than that. It was about being well and relatively pain-free. It was about the self-assurance that the changes she was making now would keep her in sound body & mind; able to do the things she wants for the foreseeable future. At her age, that means a lot.

This newfound commitment to wellness gave her the edge she needed to start saying “no” to all the things that were not investing in her wellness.

The sweets. . .”No thanks.”

The meat on the plate. “I’ll take ⅓ to ½ of that. And none of the creamy sauce.
No, I don’t want the white bread.
No butter on my baked potato, Thank You. But a little salsa would be good.”

She started adding simply prepared veggies, salads, and healthy starches like beans and squash.

Then, several weeks into our working together she said this during one of our sessions: 

“. . . I feel empowered to make (food) choices that serve me. I really don’t want to eat the things that aren’t good for me (anymore).”

Then, moving forward through the holiday season she posted on my Vibrant Health Over 40 Facebook Page: (click the link to join the free group)

“I’m excited. I happily got through the holidays. I made lots of good and better choices and didn’t feel like I was missing out.
This is BIG for me. I’ve always struggled with sugar.
Holiday goodies just made it worse.

This year was different. I’ve been using the whole food, plant-based approach to wellness with Dr. Leslie’s guidance for 4 months and found I wasn’t even interested in most of goodies and when I was, I ate VERY moderately.”

So, all this is to say that change doesn’t necessarily need to be radical . . . IF. . .

If you do it before the crisis hits.

If it’s time for you to make that commitment, maybe I can help.

I have a few openings in my schedule for no-cost consultations to help you discern your goals & how to move forward.

The post Waiting for a Crisis Before You Change? appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

Well, today, I’m giving you the 5 essential steps to make your efforts count.

Have you gained weight or been diagnosed with a chronic disease like diabetes,  high blood pressure, an auto-immune disorder or cancer?

Have you tried to make changes on your own but you can’t seem to get the traction to stick with it? Have you thought, ”It’s age, my metabolism, hormones, or (lack of) willpower.”?

While that last statement is partially true, it‘s almost like the opposite side of the “rose colored glasses” syndrome.
It’s that pessimistic view like waiting for the other shoe to drop. When that’s where you are, you can’t clearly see to discern what to do next.

And you’re likely not doing what you know (if you’re being really honest) works consistently or monitoring your actions here and now.

Recently, my client, Suzy (not her real name) shared her breakthrough:

“It wasn’t until I figured out that it was about (what) wellness (really meant to me) that I recommitted to change.” She told me.

She is now eating more whole food consistently and has lost 7 lbs after not being able to lose any weight for many months.

With this in mind, here are the 5 steps that can help you begin your journey:

1. Discern your goal:

What is the end-game? It needs to be bigger than fitting into the size 6 jeans sitting in the closet.
It needs to be more meaningful than what you will look like at the reunion.

What is that thing that you enjoy doing that you want to STILL be able to do . . . at age 80?!

Now I know I’m talking to some people that are only half that age. I’m asking anyway!

Expand your horizons and think about it.
Stark reality flash: You don’t get to choose when or how you’ll leave this earth.

Far too many people spend the last 5-15 years of life in pain and disabled. That could mean your kids changing your diapers or feeding you! How embarrassing!

But if you keep fit, eat right and exercise your brain, you’ll likely evade disability.
If you don’t want to think about life at 80 (or even 90!) that’s all the more reason to do it.

2. Discern your bigger why:

This is tied into but may not be directly related to #1 above.
Do you want to be able to go places & do things with the grandkids or great grandkids you don’t have yet?
What is that thing that, if you could do it then, would make the difference to you? Is it really about leaving ‘a legacy’ (money) to the kids & grandkids?

Or is it more about doing something meaningful while you’re still here? Travel? A humanitarian project? Something meaningful you could do WITH the grandkids or other family members? What is it that would speak to you on the deepest level?

You may need help to dig deep to discern these things. The answers to these questions don’t come easy. Continue to ponder these questions and expand your mind. The answers will come as you engage and define the questions better. A coaching conversation can help you discern your deepest desires.

Now that these first 2 questions are at least out there. . . you can look at some of the physical things that can begin to shift things.
The 3 things I’m going to mention are only a very basic starting point.

They each require long-term effort with constant monitoring to discern what’s working and what’s not. Then tweaking  and re-tweaking  to perfect the changes and keep progress going in the right direction. Again, where coaching can come in in a meaningful way.

3. Begin eating more whole food:

Fruits, veggies, grains, legumes. Whole food is the one thing that seems to be the common factor in areas of the world where people continue to live vibrantly as they age.

Whole food feeds both OUR bodies and our gut microbiome that makes most of the chemicals and hormones we need to thrive. Find some recipes here

4. Begin eating less animal products and processed foods:

How much change you have to make or how little you can get away with depends on many factors:
your age, current health status, genetics and more.

Often, if you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic condition, this change requires that you be extremely strict with it until you give your body a good chance to work at healing the problem.

You may be able to be less strict at some point in the future.

But you may need to look at it like dialing in the numbers of combination lock; (requiring that you be very exacting and strict) at least for now. Constant upgrading & tweaking to dial that last number in takes some work.

5. Move more:

With over 600 muscles in your body, it is designed for movement.

There is evidence to suggest that our hunter-gatherer ancestors spent as much as 16-20 hours per day hunting and gathering. They may have used up to 5,000 calories per day in the process. Compare this to your current lifestyle and you’ll see pretty plainly why we are so overweight.

But like everything else in life: recognize WHERE you are, SET your goal, and MOVE FORWARD each & every day.

Note that due to injuries and other issues you may have to adopt modified fitness goals, but you likely can do more than you think you can. (Be sure to check with your healthcare provider before starting).

So here you have a basic prescription for beginning to put some changes in place.

Keep asking the questions and keep digging to get to the important stuff.

It’s especially difficult to do this digging on your own. Until you discern the correct answers for you, you’re likely to continue to struggle.

Need some assistance? Set up a time to talk.

The post Wellness: The 5 Essential Steps to Make Your Efforts Count appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

“Given the current trajectory of your health and your habits, what do you think your life will be like in 30 years if you don’t change anything?”

It was not uncommon for a 50 year old to look me square in the eye and say, “I don’t want to live that long, Doc.”

My response: “Do you get the choice?”

“Unless you’re going to ‘off yourself,’ you will live however long you live. You may be able to have an idea of your genetic tendency but that’s about it. The difference you can make with your habits is how much you will suffer in the last 10 years of life.”

“You need only look at medical stats and the older folks you know to understand this.”

Here’s the thing:

Most of us live our lives on autopilot.

Not only do we not think about the future, we live as though we think we can get a ‘do-over’ when things start to go sour. Intellectually, we know that’s not true but it doesn’t change our behavior.

Then, when things start to go awry, it’s often too late to reverse the damage.

My goal as a health coach is to help you to be able to do the things you love till the day you die. And of course, defying the odds!

With that in mind, here are my 5 not-so-secret secrets for defying the odds:

1. Eat mostly plants. It’s not necessary to be vegan but the healthiest cultures in the world (like the Okinawans, 7th Day Adventists and other Blue Zone cultures) eat diets that are about 90% plant-based whole food: fruit, vegetables, legumes and some grains. Statistically, 7th Day Adventists represent the largest group of independently living Centenarians. Doesn’t it just make inherent sense to do what others have done that works?
2. If it comes in a prepared package, for the most part, leave it on the shelf. Sure, there are times when we need convenience. I’m not saying don’t ever buy anything in a package. But DO be more discerning. Look at the ingredients. Do you know what they all are? There’s a tremendous difference between a frozen dinner made mostly with whole food and one that has an ingredient list that takes up the entire side of the package. I often refer to these as “food-like substance.” You know the difference between chemicals and food. Eat FOOD!
3. Rebuild your gut. We now know that our gut bacteria (AKA our microbiome) makes about 80% of our hormones. But it can’t make the right things when it’s been damaged. Have you eaten animal food almost daily, eaten processed foods regularly, been on antibiotics and more like most Americans? Then your gut needs help. More help than just eating some fermented foods. This is easy when you know how. Let’s talk today.
4. Get some exercise. Let’s remember: the human body has over 600 muscles. It was made for movement. There are estimates that our hunter-gatherer cave dwelling ancestors moved up to 20 hours per day & used as much as 5000 calories daily just gathering & hunting for survival! THIS is the life your body was designed to lead. The more active you are, the better it works. PERIOD. FULL STOP.
5. Pay attention to your mental-emotional well-being. Put the distracting electronics down & communicate with real people. Spend time in nature. Stop listening to the mass media mellow-drama. I’m not advocating that you live in a cave; only that you turn the dinge off long enough to remember what is really important to you; your friends & family and your primary relationships. Ask yourself if watching another 30 minutes of pre-digested news is helping anyone? Take that time & spend it doing something meaningful for yourself or others.

So there you have it.

A few simple things you can begin today to increase the odds that you can live a healthier life & defying the odds.

Need more or more specific help? Let’s set up a time to talk.

The post Aging & Longevity: Defying the Odds appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

Then comes the question: How do you allow the struggle to be real, accept it but not go down the tunnel and become anxious or depressed about the things you can’t control?

It’s all about choosing your thoughts which, by its very nature, is a lesson in mindfulness.

Recently I fell & broke my wrist. As in broke my radius (forearm bone) into 4 pieces, necessitating surgery; three screws and a plate!
For a couple of weeks I couldn’t do ANYTHING with that arm or hand (fortunately it was my left hand and I’m right-handed).
But… can’t cut food to cook it.
Ever try to cut a root veggie or peel an orange with one hand? It doesn’t work!
Can’t open a jar, a bottle, or a can.

Now when you live alone and you don’t eat the things most other people do, it makes things even more difficult.
I do have one friend that made me (cheeseless) veggie enchiladas. Thanks, Gina!

Not only that, I can’t do the one thing that helps keep me centered… Ride my bicycle. AND I have to postpone the European bicycle trip I was in the process of planning!
And have you ever tried getting dressed with one hand?
So, I took on the attitude that it was ok to struggle.

• It was ok to go anywhere I needed to in sweats or leggings with no make-up (or bra!… layers!)
• I could read more and take time to watch some of the Olympics.
• It was even ok to eat a little (more) chocolate and less veggies.
• And It was ok to do less work or no work.

Thus this is the first blog I’ve written in over a month.

But within the struggle, I found some victories.

Victories that looked like acceptable alternatives allowed me to stay out of the tunnel.
So, the aerobic exercise isn’t as great but I’ve been walking the beach instead of riding my bike.
And I’ve been preparing more smoothies and eating more apples, carrots, and bananas; things I can manage.

I’ve also been buying a lot more prepared foods. I’m becoming more of an expert on the acceptable frozen foods list available at Trader Joe’s, California Fresh, Lassen’s, and Sunshine Health Foods. (You’ll notice the corporate ‘health food store’ that isn’t mentioned here because I don’t shop at it.)

My dog has also had far more attention than she’s used to.
And I did allow myself to just ‘be’ when I started feeling overwhelmed.

So what’s the point here?

Just to say that self-acceptance and allowing are the first steps.
A few days after my injury, I had surgery and I mostly slept for about 4 days.
But after that, my desire to feel better kicked in.

For me, feeling better emotionally is tied to being better physically.
I’m not one for covering up the pain with drugs. That only makes me feel worse.
So I started doing some stretching & got on the bicycle that now sits on a trainer in my living room. I’m not riding it much. But anything is better than nothing.

And at this point, I’m back to doing most of my stretches and the core work I can do that doesn’t involve my hands or arms.
Now, a month after my injury and 3 weeks after surgery, I’m feeling more resilient. I know that rehabilitating my arm and my upper body will take some time but I’m strong in my conviction that I will be able to continue to do the things I love.
And I’m beginning to re-plan that bicycling trip.
Stay tuned!

The post Resiliency and Recovery appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

• If you have 40 (or especially if you have 100 pounds to lose), you certainly don’t want a healthy weight coach telling you to eat carrots and go for a 6-mile run! 
• If you’re taking meds for a condition and just having an awful time with the side effects, you certainly don’t want someone telling you it’s easy to change your life, become a whole food plant-eater and get off all your meds in 6 weeks!
• And if you’re in throws of peri-menopause, you don’t want someone who is already beyond that telling you how easy it is to get through because it’s not. (You also don’t have to “just live with it.” But that’s another conversation for another time.)

So today I want to talk about some simple routines that can easily become habits. Routines that will benefit your overall wellness whether you’re in the prime of life, you’re 90, or anywhere in between.

Now whether you adopt these simple routines or others is on you. I’ll tell you why I’ve adopted them and that may spur you on.

These are 5 simple routines, parts of my morning ritual. I adopted them because they give me a routine in the morning that I can easily knock out without even thinking about it. A routine that isn’t difficult or long. It gets me up and moving, just a little. So, no matter how sedentary the rest of the day turns out, I’ve gotten in both some stretching and some strengthening.

It gets some important nutrients & anti-inflammatory foods into me. So it starts my day out right before I can ruin it by deciding to eat something I’d be better off without. 

So what are these 5 simple routines? And more importantly, how do I adopt into my day in a way that’s simple and effective at making them routine?

1. Water: More than any other habit, drinking enough water is one that I’ve always struggled with. Lately, I’ve adopted the routine suggested by a friend (who is NOT a health care person, go figure!) that really works for me.
   In the evening before bed every night, I fill a jar (mine is 1.5 quarts but if you’re buying one, I suggest 2 quarts) with water & I throw in a lemon sliced up. And it goes in the frig. In the morning, the first thing I do when I go to the kitchen pulls that out of the frig., pour a full glass & down it. Then I leave the jar on the counter. My “job” is to finish that by 3 pm. And preferably refill it & continue drinking.
2. Maca: Maca is a root plant, native to the Andes Mountains, that has some adaptogenic properties to it. An adaptogen is a naturally occurring substance that provides a wide array of nutrients that help your body’s overall balance. Maca is thought to help the reproductive organs of older people balance. After my water, I add 2 teaspoons of maca powder to a small amount of diluted pomegranate juice (it has additional nutrients) along with #3 below.
3. Ginger & turmeric: These are both anti-inflammatory & have an array of antioxidants & other nutrients. I keep a container mixed 50:50 of these powders on the counter. Everyday, I add a ½ teaspoon to my juice/water/maca mix & whisk it to dissolve. I drink this & take my other morning supplements with it.
4. Stretching: I have a routine that involves 4 different hip stretches (all directions to get all muscles) and a couple of torso stretches. These, when done daily, really help me feel like I am much more youthful, limber, and energetic than what my chronological age would usually indicate.
5. Strengthening: Now I don’t do a lot of strengthening! Most who know me know I HATE exercising indoors. I don’t have a gym membership. But I know core strength is one key to balance. And I know that balance becomes an issue as we age. (though the truth is, most often seniors fall because the drugs they are on affect their balance) So, I do 25 crutches and am starting to add other core work to that. I also do some push-ups. I literally started with 10; on my knees; not even full push-ups. I tell you this because the point is you start with what you can do. Can’t do crunches? Start by just lifting your head & shoulders as high as you can & doing 10-15 of them. It’s still engaging your core. Then build from there.

The point here is simple:

Whether it’s with your diet, exercise, or any other aspect of your well-being, simply begin by doing a little better each day.

Thinking that someone to guide you & hold you accountable might be helpful?
You can take the first small step with 30 days of my inspirational texting service for FREE!

Simply text the word “wellness” to 41259 from your phone and follow the prompts.

Or if you know you need more, set up a time to talk.

The post Simple Routines to Promote Wellness appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

You know, one of THOSE birthdays where you look back & wonder, “How did I get here?” Where you look ahead and wonder, “What does the future hold in store?” and “What do I have left that I’m still committed to doing?”

Those who know me well know I’m not slowing down any time soon.

I did a 620 mile un-assisted bicycle tour this summer.

I’m still running a health coaching practice & contributing to the world that way.

I’m still an active member of Rotary International; giving back to the world in other ways.

I’m a Board Member of our local NAWBO (National Association of Woman Business Owners); giving back to women in business both locally and nationally.

And more.

All of that is to point out that life is what you make of it.

When you take good care of yourself, you have the energy and the audacity to continue to look ahead with anticipation.

So, for me, I still anticipate my long delayed European Bicycle Tour.

I still plan many firsts & I’m still adding items to my bucket list.

So, how does one take care of themselves in order to live healthfully till the end?

Here are a few ideas:

1. Remember that it’s a marathon. Actually it’s an Ultra! (Me… I’m committed to another 40 years!)
2. Take care of your emotional wellbeing: relax, play, meditiate, love, do meaningful things.
3. Remember there are 4 kinds of exercise: strength, endurance (aerobic), flexibility (stretching) and balance. Be sure to work ALL of these multiple times per week. You need to keep flexible, balanced and stong. 
4. Eat a predominantly whole food plant-based diet.
5. Remember that God (or Nature) made FOOD for nutrition, not pills.

Understand that the body is self-healing and self-correcting. If you’re not well, find the source of the dis-ease and correct it so you can heal. (The source of the problem is never a shortage of medication!) 

Be cautious about allowing doctors to do standard tests on you solely because you are a certain age or certain gender (or combination). Sometimes these tests can cause complications or injury and not yield valuable data. 

Continue to contribute to others and society.

Set and achieve new goals until the day you die.

You can, indeed, continue to live powerfully throughout life. However, like everything else, it only happens with intention and planning.

If you have concerns that your health & your body won’t support you to get there, let’s talk.

The post Live Fully Till the Day You Die appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

Today I’m going to address the parallels between your health and running your business.

My hope is that seeing the parallels here will help you begin to take better control of your health.

Broadly speaking, the two main things in both areas are to know where you’re starting and know where you’re going.

Yeah, pretty simple, in principle.

As I write this, I recognize the health realm is much easier for me than the business. Ha, that’s why I’m the health coach and there are several business coaches reading this. But I digress.

Know where you’re starting from. . . 
This requires measurement. Surprise, Surprise.

Measurements like: your weight (use a bathroom scale), your BMI (body mass index), or your percentage body fat. You’ll need your waist circumference for the body-fat calculator; another valuable parameter.

Other easy-to-do measurements include your resting heart rate and blood pressure.

Measure your heart rate before you get out of bed in the morning. Measure blood pressure after resting 10 minutes. Support your arm and keep it at heart height for the blood pressure measurement.

More measurements may include: fasting blood sugar, Hgb.A1C, Cholesterol and inflammatory markers. (A healthcare provider like myself or your primary care physician can help you determine and order the most appropriate tests.)

If you’re a business owner, you might liken these numbers to understanding your bottom line, both for your business and for your personal needs.

Further, as a business owner, you recognize the basic difference between (a) “I’m not losing money.” vs. (b) “I have breathing room, I can pay myself and am moving forward.”  

Determine where you are for your health: (a) or (b) above. Where are you within normal range? How do you feel? How much energy do you have? How are you sleeping?

If these are positive consider yourself at the (b) level. Simple enough. Does this make sense?

Know your goals:

Just like in business, you can and should have both short and long-term goals. 

. . .again, the parellels between your health and running your business.

What are yours?

Personally, my current short term (within 6 months) health goals are (1) to be below 20% body fat and (2) to increase my endurance enough to be ready for the long distance bicycling tour I plan to do in Europe when I can safely travel again.

As to ‘why’ below 20% body fat. . .if you’re wondering.
That’s simple. . .I’d rather carry things I need (like my laptop, so I can continue to run my coaching business!)  on my tour with the additional 5-8lbs. rather than carrying it on my body!

My long term goal is to remain mentally and physically fit till the day I die!

I say this recognizing that I may not be able to do long-distance bike touring at age 100. But I totally intend to be able to walk my dog on the beach or go for a 20-mile bike ride.
I also intend to have the mental and physical capability to cook for myself and those I love at 100.

I have my plan for the short term chunked down to daily and weekly activities and I know that these will continue to set me up for the long term. 

So what about you? Is it time to start thinking about both your short and long-term health goals?

Let me help you determine those short and long-term goals. Focus on the parallels between your health and running your business by setting up a (free) consultation today.

The post Your Health: Where Are You? Love Where You’re Going? appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

What if it was 680,000? Would that make you even MORE scared?

Here’s the thing: there’s a PREVENTABLE disease that kills 680,000 Americans. . .EVERY. . . SINGLE. . .YEAR! And has for many years.

Why are we not up in arms about that?

Let’s prevent THAT! (Along WITH doing what we can to prevent CoVID.)

Oh, yeah, and by the way, preventing it will also make it LESS LIKELY that you’ll get a SERIOUS CASE of CoVID!

A good Win-Win; no?

So what IS this disease? It’s heart disease! 

Yes, the most common preventable disease of the Western World. More than one person every. . .single . . .minute succumbs to this disease in the United States! 

It killed more people last year than CoVID did (though we don’t have the exact numbers yet.)

As someone living in this society, it’s highly likely you already have it without knowing or are well on your way to developing it.

“Who me?” I can hear you asking? 

Yes, you! The one with high blood pressure, who conveniently forgets that your dad died of a stroke, just like my dad did or your mom died of heart failure when she was only 70, or any of the other ways it can display that we just avoid thinking about.

What about your heart and properly placed fear?

Yes, you! Sitting there eating your cheese and crackers and your burgers! 

Yes, you! Who’s stressed about the kids, the job . . .and . . .and . . .and. . .

So, how do you prevent it? 

It’s not like you don’t know this: it mostly comes down to what’s on the end of your fork.

Doctors who work to prevent and reverse heart disease agree on the basics:

A whole food plant-based diet  with no added oil.

Keeping nuts & seeds to a minimum (2 ounces or less per day). Oh, yeah, and skip the avocados and coconut too. 

To become what they term ‘heart-attack proof’ you want to get to and maintain a total blood cholesterol of under 150. 

Once you cut out animal products, added oil, and most nuts, that’s really not hard. (Truth be told, if you don’t already have heart disease, you can eat a little animal food on occasion IF you can still keep your cholesterol below 150.)

Where do you begin?

How about by getting rid of the junk food and restocking with healthier whole food?

If that seems like a reasonable place to start, 

Let me help you by starting with a Zoom Pantry Clean-out. 

Once you’ve done that, the rest is SO much easier. Just like anything else you want to accomplish in life: you just need to make the ‘doing’ more effortless; putting systems and habits in place to get started and keep going in the right direction.

So let’s agree: what’s happening with CoVID19 is heart-breaking and what’s literally without hearts is heart-breaking as well. Let put the pieces in place to prevent ALL of it. NOW! Let’s concentrate on your heart and properly placed fear and appropriate prevention.

I know this has been harsh, but it all comes from love and compassion and from being sick and tired of remaining silent while people suffer.

You can schedule your pantry clean-out here:

The post CoVID19, Your Heart, and Properly Placed Fear appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

My purpose with this blog article is simple: Asking, what you can do to minimize the risk for both yourself and your family?

I don’t necessarily mean the risk of CONTRACTING CoVid19 but the risk of getting a serious case of it.

After all, we know that this disease can be so mild as to be asymptomatic for many (perhaps the vast majority). Yet it can kill.

The more data we see, the more conclusions we can draw. Recent journal articles discuss that there is essentially a dose-dependent risk for a serious case of CoVid19.

But this dose is NOT how much of the virus you are exposed to (though that also does matter).

The dose I’m speaking of has to do with the dosage of poor lifestyle habits.

A study of over 387,000 people in the UK showed that the number of adverse lifestyle habits and risk factors a person had was directly proportional to the severity of the illness in those who acquired it.

So, this is going to be harsh for some of you, but if you’re obese, your risk factor is higher than if you’re (just) overweight. If you have diabetes, your risk factor is higher than if you don’t. The same can be said for high blood pressure, lack of physical exercise, chronic inflammation, and more. If you have more than one risk factor, your risk of a serious case is proportionately higher. Actually, there is about a 4-fold increase for those most at risk compared to those least at risk.

Similarly, U.S. physicians and scholars have used data out of Wuhan and other areas to extrapolate to the U.S. population and estimate that 45.1% of those under 65 in the States are at increased risk for a serious case of CoVid19 due to diet and lifestyle factors!

But there’s a huge silver lining in this evaluation and that’s what I want to talk about. . . your ability to control all of this!

Here’s the amazing thing about it:

As I said: Your ability to change your risk with CoVid19 is on the end of your fork and in your feet!

Most importantly, you can improve it in a single day!

Science shows us that decreasing inflammation can begin with a single healthy meal.

-EAT YOUR VEGGIES!!! Get out and start walking or getting some other form of exercise and tie that single meal to MORE healthy meals and you can make a substantial difference in just days.

CoVid19 has brought our chronic health problems to the forefront and now is the time to address them.

That’s why I’ve chosen now to start my group health coaching program “Journey to Wellness.” By expanding my coaching to a group format, I’m making it more accessible for a more reasonable fee so more people can take advantage of it during this time.

The Beta-Launch of this program will begin on June 24, 2020, and will go for 8 sessions over Zoom.

It will include group coaching on diet, lifestyle, exercise, hormone balance, your gut microbiome, environmental factors and more. I’ll even help you do a pantry clean-out over Zoom!

You can find a full description & registration info here. You can get $100 off the fee by registering with the code “EarlyBird” by Sunday June 24^th at midnight.

I’m also opening up a couple of limited scholarships for those whose financial situation has been majorly impacted by CoVid19. Email me to set up a call regarding this if appropriate.

I look forward to serving you and helping you succeed on this journey.

The post CoVid19 Risk: On Your Fork and In Your Feet appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

Would you like some quick, succinct no-nonsense tips that can decrease the likelihood of you or a loved one getting a serious case of CoVid19?

Let’s lay a basic foundation here:

The good news: I’ve spent some time reading journal articles and listening to people who are apolitical. People like John Ioannidis, Stanford epidemiologist, and researcher. People like David Katz MD, Epidemiologist, Preventative Medicine Specialist & author of over 200 peer-reviewed Journal articles. Both are using data to suggest that the fatality rate is significantly lower than what we originally thought.

In addition, other data has also revealed that there is a definite pattern that can be discerned about who is more likely to have a significant case of this disease. And here is more good news:

Most of the conditions that leave people more susceptible are conditions that we can control and even reverse through diet and lifestyle changes! More health, more wealth.

So, what conditions are we talking about? Most people who come down with a more serious case have Type 2 diabetes, are overweight or obese, have cardiovascular disease, or have asthma or COPD. The unfortunate thing is that because our country is so over-fed, this represents about 45% of the general public under 65 years old!

So losing weight and eating more healthfully can literally save your life!

To help address this issue, I will be starting a group coaching program soon.

Watch for my upcoming announcements about my program “Journey to Wellness.”

The post Your Health is Your Wealth: Controlling What You Can in Uncertain Times appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.