Dr Mark Hyman

My Modified Detox Diet

January 10, 2016 by Lisa Lafave

I switched from functional medicine practioner, Dr Hyman to Dr Aunna Herbst and from nutritionist, Trisha Howell to dietician, Kylene Bogden. Trust me it’s traumatic enough to switch one, much less two at a time! I loved Dr Hyman, but left Dr Hyman, because my wallet was making complaints! Trisha Howell, on the other hand, left me, to move back home to Florida, after her husband was offered a promotion, so I had to move on to a new food advisor. I will clearly miss Dr Hyman and Trisha Howell. All I can say is onward and upward, the new team awaits me!

After the kidney stones, I was very afraid I would be told I could no longer be on the Detox Diet. Just not so. Dr Herbst was helpful and supportive. She modified my Detox Diet. Dr Herbst is pleased that I am eating a variety of raw nuts and seeds, including sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pecans, almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and cashews, but asked me to eat as few cashews as possible, and to keep the total amount of nuts that I eat daily extremely low, just a few, because nuts cause kidney stones! I told her I felt I was consuming too much flesh protein and probably needed to be on rice and beans, in addition to a largely reduced amount of animal protein. This is right on, because my research suggests that animal protein does cause kidney stones!

I have subsequently learned that too much salt causes kidney stones, so a reduction in salt is in order, as well. Avoiding caffeine, carbonated beverages, processed foods, sugar, artificial sugars, genetically modified foods (GMOs), like corn and soy, as well as, dairy is all part of the Detox Diet. Likewise, it is important to avoid these foods to prohibit the formation of kidney stones. Moreover, it is important to maintain appropriate levels of calcium in the diet or through supplements to avoid kidney stones.

I am now eating brown rice, mixed with black rice, and quinoa. I am also eating steel cut oats, or gluten free extra thick rolled oats by Bob’s Red Mill. I sprinkle a tablespoon or so of milled flaxseed on the steel cut oats, which are cooked with almond milk. I feel so entirely nourished as a result of eating this way.

So basically, I can now incorporate many of the tricks I learned, when I was vegan, with this modified Detox Diet. This was simply not possible before. You see, the vegan way and the Detox Diet are nearly in direct opposition with one another, save for the fact that they both encourage the consumption of non-processed foods, with heavy reliance on fruits and vegetables. That said, few green leafy vegetables like collard greens, kale, rhubarb, Swiss chard, or spinach for this girl, because these plants cause kidney stones! Beets, okra, chocolate, and tea should also be avoided to prevent kidney stone formation.

I spoke with Dr Herbst about how I can increase my HDL, or good cholesterol level. I have never had a high LDL (bad cholesterol) level, but I have struggled with the ratio between the two, owing to having a low HDL level. She recommended oatmeal or steel cut oats, coconut water, ground flaxseed, or flaxseed oil, avocados, walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, and fish. Although EPA & DHA or a fish oil supplement, are often recommended, to increase HDL, I have taken these for years.

All in all, I had a good first meeting with Dr Herbst. I am so happy to be on this modified Detox Diet. It makes great sense for me! I feel confident, with these adjustments, that I can lose the next thirty pounds, without too much trouble!

So what types of adjustments do you need to make, in your eating regimen? Have you scheduled your appointments with specialists, who can advise you on changes you want to make? Have you begun to do your own research, to see what makes best sense for you? If not, why not?

Now it’s simply time to embrace the new changes. Just dig in, to get to the next step of your journey! Best of luck to you!

Lisa J Lafave, PhD, MBA, ACC, BCC
CEO & Founder of Coaching Rocks, LLC
The Wellness Coach at Building Better Bodies Rocks
A Single Mom By Choice Raising Surrogacy Twin Boys
Written in My Little Brick in University Heights, Ohio

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A Curve Ball in the Form of Two Itsy Bitsy Kidney Stones!

January 5, 2016 by Lisa Lafave

The jury is still out on how I shall proceed, but it is pretty certain that I developed two kidney stones (one confirmed on cat scan and the other unconfirmed, i.e. I didn’t even bother going to the ER) as a result of following Mark Hyman’s Detox Diet. Can you believe it? Everything was going so well. The weight was coming off, I was in the groove, and then Bham! Kidney stone one arrived, and I felt like someone suddenly kicked me in the back. Flank pain, they call it. If that wasn’t enough, kidney stone two arrived at 4:35 AM, one week later, and was impossible to ignore, or even simply treat at home.

While at the hospital, I learned that there are more kidney stones, laying in wait in my kidneys, that will come out, at an undetermined time, in the future, if no corrective action is taken. Never fear, I am following up with my stone doctor, Dr Arthur Porter, a urologist, for further evaluation and treatment.

Luckily, prior to leaving the hospital, a minute or two after being given a screen to catch the stone with, by a nurse, I caught the darn thing for further analysis! Sometimes they take a week to pass. It would have been a real pain in the neck to carry that screen around with me everywhere I went to try and catch that stone! Once it took me 6 weeks to pass one. The pain was so bad, all I did was crawl around the bed in a circle, like a monkey chasing its tail.

This all caused me to remember the protein sparing fast I’d been on some twenty years ago to lose weight, which caused a whole rash of kidney stones (13 confirmed, and likely another 13 unconfirmed). At one point, I had 25 stones counted on scan in my kidneys.

According to my endocrinologist, Dr Robert Zimmerman, a protein sparing fast and Dr Hyman’s Detox Diet have quite a few commonalities. He further confirmed that both can cause kidney stones, and therefore require supplementing several electrolytes, while on these regimens.

Now, I am concerned about just what about this diet, and my consumption, while on the diet, caused the kidney stones to form. What do I need to do differently to be sure that I don’t form anymore kidney stones? Did I overdo the protein? Am I eating too many nuts? Is it due to one or more of the supplements I am taking? Is there a supplement or two, or three that I am missing, and need to take?

I have an appointment scheduled with the nutritionist, and a doctor, at the Center for Functional Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, in the next week. So what I need to do is figure out if there is a way that I can safely stay on the diet, or if some modifications must be made.

I actually asked not long ago, if I could resume eating rice and beans a few times a week, to reduce the amount of animal protein I was consuming. I safely added back in black beans and kidney beans. Unfortunately, I was told to hold off on adding the rice back into my diet. I wonder if rice and beans might be the ticket for me! However, I am willing to hear them out.

What I know for sure is that nothing in this Detox Diet is there by chance! Everything has been carefully thought out. There are reasons why certain foods are a no go and there are reasons why other foods are encouraged.

What I do know about myself, and my lab work is that I have no sensitivity to gluten, whatsoever. Consequently, I wonder if a little beans and rice might be okay, in my particular case.

However, it is all about the gut microbiome and what is healthy for the gut. This Detox Diet, at its essence, is about healing the gut microbiome. Thus, if rice is unhealthy, it’s just unhealthy for the gut microbiome. What do I know? I will have to rely on the experts!

When it’s all said and done, what I hope to do is go back on the diet to lose the next thirty pounds, and then revisit the question about whether or not I can safely stay on the diet.

I like the Detox Diet, because I can use it to drop weight, without being hungry. That right there is a big deal. In the past, in my case, dieting has always been about being fairly miserable, and sick with horrible migraines, while losing weight. Not so, with the Detox Diet. Until the kidney stones, I felt really well on the Detox Diet. The Detox Diet seemed to really agree with me. So I’ll fight a bit and try to work the kinks out for this diet.

Have any curve balls been thrown your way? What form have those curve balls taken? Have you come into any stumbling blocks on your diet? Has your body been knocking on your brain, and trying to get you to pay attention? Are there any modifications you need to make in your regimen? Is there any research, or investigative work, you need to do, to get some of your questions answered? What questions do you have? Be specific. Write those questions out, so you don’t forget what they are. Who could help answer your questions? Are you willing to take time out of your busy week to schedule an appointment with one or more of these people? How much are you willing to invest to get those questions answered?

Remember, Joshua Rosenthal, of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, preaches bio-individuality. He suggests, “One person’s food is another person’s poison.” No matter what regimen you are currently following, you will need to check in with your body regularly. You will need to be aware of how your body is responding to the regimen you are currently on, and then make adjustments accordingly, if you are having some difficulties.

Best of luck in tuning into the ongoing, and ever changing needs of your body! Never forget to be a scientist, about your own body’s response to the foods you are feeding it. Finally, if you have questions, either research the answers yourself, or find a specialist, who can help guide and direct you.

This is all about your quest for greater health, through the choices you make in nourishing yourself, with the food you choose to eat. You are worth the struggle, and you know it! Only beautiful things can arise, as a result of this journey! Are you ready to re-double your efforts?

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A Word of Caution About the Gut Micro-biome

December 17, 2015 by Lisa Lafave

Well, I successfully got back on Mark Hyman’s detox diet. Yea!
It wasn’t easy! It took a couple of weeks and several failed attempts. I have been back on for a week now and never gain weight when I was off the diet. I lost a pound during the last week! So it’s the real deal and I am primed to lose the next thirty pounds.

Interestingly, on this diet, going off the diet and back on is not a complete win win. It’s the gut micro-biota or micro-biome that loses out. The gut micro-biome refers to the totality of genetic information from the microorganisms in the gut. Did you know that 70% – 80% of your immune system is located in your gut? The way we eat, literally turns genes off and on, which then leads to the expression of wellness or disease. By following Mark Hyman’s detox diet, you can literally get healthy, due to the change you create in your gut micro-biome.

When you take antibiotics for an infection, you kill the good bacterial or micro-biota in your gut, which ironically leaves you vulnerable to further infection and disease. It is then necessary to build up those organisms again with a probiotic. Be wary of antibiotics and take them sparingly. When you can, it’s best to not interfere with Mother Nature’s plan. Simply said, we were clearly not meant to pop antibiotics at the first sign of illness. When possible, avoid the use of antibiotics and instead allow your body to handle the illness the old fashioned way. It just might save you further illness and disease in the future. Never forget that eating junk and taking antibiotics changes or body at the genetic level.

So now you know that Mom’s advice to eat more fruits and vegetables and stay away from processed foods can lead to having a more vibrant and healthy life. Now that is some serious food for thought! After you’ve chewed on that thought for awhile, I suggest you write out three ideas about changes in your eating regimen that you would like to commit to, in order to improve the overall quality of your life. Aren’t you worth it? Go ahead create that list!

While you are at it, consider hiring a health coach to help you through your journey. We all need a bit of help every now and then. It’s just too darn easy to give up when the going gets tough! People often try to make a change, but get lost along the way. Having a coach can make all the difference!

I find that having a coach at my side helps me to work more vigorously toward my goals. The coach helps me to stay committed to my goals for longer and ultimately realize my life objectives! Doesn’t everybody need a little accountability to keep them on the straight and narrow? That is one of the things a coach can do for you! If you want to progress at a faster rate, you know what to do. Pick up that phone, hire a coach and invest in yourself today! You deserve to be your very best!

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My Attempts To Go Back On My Diet Have Been Stymied

December 9, 2015 by Lisa Lafave

Getting back on my diet after a lapse has proven to be more difficult than I thought it would be! Yesterday, I had a great day and felt like I was on my way, until dessert for the boys, after dinner. A bit of strawberry shortcake left uneaten by both of my sons proved too great of a challenge, when they handed me their plates. Despite a great start, I gobbled them down! Today I started my day making cheesecake in an Oreo crust for the first time ever! Can’t eat the darn thing until tomorrow, once it has thoroughly chilled! I guess it will be Friday until I can get on my way again. In the meantime, I ate a fistful of Riesen caramels covered in dark chocolate in the late afternoon.

So how do you re-establish your convictions and reset your new habits? I guess I can ask what has happened that is good? So far as a result of Mark Hyman’s detox diet, I have lost 30 pounds and I am no longer pre-diabetic for the first time in at least 5 years, if not 8. In addition, I am walking again regularly, for the first time in 3 to 4 years. My blood pressure is somewhat better as a result. These are good things. I would like to maintain these changes.

If I don’t get back on track, I will lose these benefits and I am not about to do that. I want to do better than this. I am recovering from back surgery and looking at total knee replacement set for January 27th, 2016 and I am scared to death. I wonder what would happen if I lost another 30 pounds. How would my knee feel? Can I postpone this surgery a bit or even longer? The thing is with replacement of a joint you have to worry about infection for the rest of your life. The parts wear out after about 15 years. So at my age, 55, I am clearly looking at a second replacement around the age of 70. What I’ve learned is that your weight and activity level have something to do with how quickly the unit wears out. So maybe if I stretch that extra weight loss from 30 to 60 pounds or 90 in all, perhaps I can use that new knee for a longer period of time. Anyway you cut it, I’ll need new replacement at some point and it would need to be before I was too frail. But it all begs the question, how would my knee feel with 60 additional pounds off my knee? I hear each pound of weight is a 1 pound X 3 of pressure on your knee. So a weight loss of 90 pounds is like 180 pounds of pressure off the knee! Not to mention the fact that I’d love to spare the second knee and that just might be possible.

Before I get too far afield, I want to mention that I am concerned that I am not learning enough about food choices on this diet. I really need a new life style or eating style. I think I need to understand what else will be brought into the regimen over time, before I can adequately assess whether or not this is an eating plan I can maintain over the long haul. I would like it to be with some modifications.

First of all, I have learned I have no gluten sensitivities, which is rare, so when I move toward maintenance I would like gluten to be in my diet. I would also like to be able to eat grains, like rice, so I can eat rice and beans as a great complete protein. Black beans and kidney beans present no problem for me so I think I should eat them regularly. I don’t want to be completely reliant on meat, fish and fowl. I want to learn how to increase my good cholesterol (HDL) through what I eat, on a daily basis. Finally, I want to have a greater variety of fruits that I can eat.

Next, I need to remind myself why I am going to all of this bother in the first place! I want to live a healthier and more vibrant life with my children and my pets. Heck, I’ve got things to do and places to go! I need to build a better body in order to accomplish my dreams! I want to travel and walk in the woods. These dreams can’t be realized unless I am willing to give up a few incidentals along the way!

What kinks are you trying to work through in your eating regimen? Are you willing to write out a list that you can work on?

Are you on your diet or have you had a lapse? If you’ve had a lapse like I’ve had, don’t beat yourself up. Figure out where you want to go and what’s most important to you. Maybe it’s time to write a mission statement for your life! Once you figure out what you’re really all about and whether the diet thing is really important to your success, then you can answer, “What do you need to do to gear up and re-double your efforts toward your new eating regimen, so you can realize your dreams?”

Happy writing!

Leap Into Action!

The Non-Stress Stress Test was Normal

September 30, 2015 by Lisa Lafave

Yep, you heard that right! The non-stress stress test was normal! No chest pain or dyspnea were noted during the stress portion of the nuclear stress test. No arrhythmias were produced by the stress portion of the test. The blood pressure response to the pharmacological stress was normal. Normal! normal, normal! Yee-haw doggie!

Now I can stay on Dr Mark Hyman’s Detox Diet, which is fairly Paleo in nature, and not stress over the meat I might consume weekly. If I had substantial changes, I might be looking at Dr. Esselstyn’s No Oil, Plant Based Diet, which if done correctly, promises to prevent and reverse heart disease. Dr. Esselstyn’s approach goes quite a bit beyond simply being vegan.

I’ve been on Dr. Esselstyn’s diet and didn’t get very far, despite following it for 10 months. When I met Dr. Hyman, his comment about my having been vegan was “Hmmm, I’ve known a lot of fat vegans.” My guess is the vegans he knew were not Dr. Esselstyn’s protégés, or were and simply did not follow the instructions very well!

Dr Mark Hyman’s diet, despite its restrictions, is a better fit for my tastes and lifestyle, plus it produces much faster results, in the weight loss department. So for now, armed with my NORMAL nuclear stress test results, I have the green light to continue trekking on the Mark Hyman Detox Diet! Yippee! No interference in my plan!

Have you had any wins lately that are allowing you to pursue your chosen path? Why not jot them down and make a record of them.

Lisa J Lafave, PhD, MBA, ACC
The Wellness Coach from Building Better Bodies Rocks
CEO & Founder of Coaching Rocks, LLC
A Single Mom By Choice Raising Surrogacy Twin Boys
One Woman’s Experience Recovering From Medical Challenges
Written in My Little Brick in University Heights, Ohio

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Non-Stress Stress Test

September 23, 2015 by Lisa Lafave

Did you know that if you are unable to perform the stress part of a cardiac stress test, there is a non-stress stress test? Well there is! Instead of walking and then running on a treadmill, they give you medicine to invoke a state similar to that of exercise or stress and attach a nuclear tracer to it, so they can take images of your heart pre and post the stress produced by the medicine. I just learned this a month or so ago.

Today, I am finally completing my non-stress stress test at the Cleveland Clinic’s Cardiology and Nuclear Medicine departments. This stress test is also sometimes called a pharmacological stress test.

I tried to do the test last week, but it was a no go. While in the Nuclear Medicine Department, I was given radioactive Regadenoson, which is a vasodilator. This medicine dilates your blood vessels in a manner which occurs during exercise. Subsequently, images of my chest were taken by the gamma camera. I then went to Cardiologyy just to find out that my heart rate was 142, which was too high to perform the full test and cause further increases in my heart rate. Apparently, 140 is the heart rate they aim for on the traditional stress test with exercise, and without the vasodilator.

I had been asked to refrain from using caffeine, Acetominophen and Metoprolol, for 24 hours. I take the Metoprolol to minimize tachycardia, or high heart rate. I had stopped these drugs for 36 hours and that was just too long. Since the initial gamma images of the flow of blood through the heart are good for one week, I was able to reschedule within one week, and continue as usual. So here I am today, for the next two parts of the test.

I had the stress portion of the exam already today. Basically, they attach leads to monitor your heart, put the IV into your arm, put on a blood pressure cuff, inject the medicine, Regadenoson, for the test. They then monitor both your heart rate and blood pressure for 4 minutes, while you pump a soft ball and march your feet up and down, alternating left and right, to get the blood flowing through your veins.

Thank goodness the chemical stress test only lasts 4 minutes, because it made me feel really weird. First, I felt breathlessness, then dizziness, then I experienced distress in my stomach and lower abdomen.

Next up, will be the post gamma camera images of the blood coursing through my heart detected by the nuclear tracer, given to me earlier.

Tomorrow, I have a CT scan of my heart to rule out pulmonary embolism, as the cause of breathlessness, often referred to as dyspnea in the medical community.

So remember, if you are having trouble with your heart and having difficulty getting around, you can still have a stress test. It’s called a pharmological stress test or a chemical stress test or a non-stress stress test. Don’t be shy to call your doctor today, if you are experiencing breathlessness or chest pain.

If you feel really badly, do not hesitate to call an ambulance or go immediately to your local emergency room. It has been my experience, and I have more experience than I would care to share in these matters, that when you call an ambulance to go to the emergency room, you essentially jump the line in the waiting room, and receive more immediate attention. So if you think your need is urgent, for goodness sakes call 911, and have an ambulance, more safely, take you to the hospital.

I know I am out of shape owing to increasing back, knee, and hip pain, over the course of the last five years, with accompanying decrease in exercise. Prior to my boys being born, who are now 5, I used to walk 45 – 90 minutes, everyday for years, with my dogs, in the woods. During the last year, I have become woefully out of shape and have been hardly able to walk to the corner! No wonder I have been experiencing breathlessness.

This is really the story of on middle age woman’s journey from the brink of medical disaster, back to health. I am over weight, and at risk for diabetes. I have been fighting diabetes for some time, but now I am fighting off heart disease. I have a mandate from my rheumatologist to have total knee replacement in the spring.

After back surgery 4 months ago, I am now able the walk around the block! I can also swim for about 20 minutes.

I have a history of severe acid reflux and have experienced esphogeal spasm, which mimics heart attack. That could have been the cause of the chest pain I experienced last month.

After getting the results of the non-stress stress test and the CT of the chest, I will know if I am suffering from heart disease and what I have to do about it.

I hope it’s not heart disease for two reasons. First, I hope I haven’t gotten myself into that much of a health problem. I really don’t want to add heart disease to my list of health concerns. Secondly, I am on a roll with Dr Mark Hyman’s Detox Diet and don’t want to upset the apple cart. If I just have another 11 months to pursue this diet, unobstructed and as is, I think I can make some dramatic changes in my overall health.

I am wondering if this anti-inflammatory diet might be able to buy me some time with the total knee replacement. Technology improves with each passing year and I’d like to take advantage of that, as much as I can. Plus, it’s just a lot of stress on my boys to have their Mama in the hospital and then in rehab. After having gone through the back surgery this year, I surely would like to spare them the drama of having to go through it all again so soon. These things are especially challenging when you are a single parent!

What medical issues are you facing square in the eye? What can you do about them. Have you discussed these issues with your internist? Have you seen a specialist? Don’t bury your head in the sand and hope it will go away. There are things you can do about it to reduce the severity of your problems. Why not start by noodling it around with a trusted friend or family member. Ideas abound when your share your problems with others!

Why not take out a piece of paper or grab your cell phone or tablet and write a list of the three most urgent medical issues you have been sitting on. Below that list, write three names of people you would be willing to discuss it with. Then give yourself a reasonable time period to have that discussion. Actually write that date down. Next, stick with the plan! Then, write a similar list, after your discussion with each your trusted others, and put down another date. Follow through with this plan, as well!

Lisa J Lafave, PhD, MBA, ACC
The Wellness Coach at Building Better Bodies Rocks
CEO & Founder of Coaching Rocks
A Single Mom By Choice Raising Surrogacy Twin Boys
One Woman’s Experience Recovering After Near Medical Disaster
Written in the Nuclear Medicine Department @ Cleveland Clinic

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Those Supplements!

September 22, 2015 by Lisa Lafave

Dr Mark Hyman of The Center for Functional Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic recommends quite a few supplements for the Detox Diet. He may prescribe different supplements to different people, but I am sure a few of them are standard fare. Which are which are unknown to me.

The ones I take prescribed by Dr Hyman himself include: Ultra Flora Balance, which is kept in the fridge. You take 2 tabs twice daily of Ultra Flora Balance. One PureLean Pure Pack with a meal daily. Two large scoops of Mediclear Plus in cold water daily. Two packets of PGX in cold water daily. Two capsules 2 times daily of Meriva SR (curcumin phytosome). One tab 2 times daily of Alamax CR (controlled release alpha lipoic acid). One tab once daily of Vitamin D3 5000 iu. Two daily OmegaGenics EPA – DHA 720 with food. Two to four 2 times daily Magnesium (citrate) with food. Two capsules between meals of Quercetin (garlic) and two capsules two times daily between meals of NAC 600mg.

I point out this fairly exhaustive list by way to remind you that this is not simply an anti-inflammatory diet that encourages healthy food intake and crowds out artificial, chemicalized and processed foods found in the aisles of the grocery store.

Now I must admit it took me a few weeks to figure out how to take all of this stuff everyday! But after awhile you get used to the routine!

You might wonder where you can get all of these supplements. It’s actually easy. You can order it on line at ClevelandClinic.HealthyLivingShop.com or over the phone at 1-800-897-1722. Finally, if you want to email them you can at customerservice@healthylivingshop.com. Guess who owns the company. That’s right! Dr Mark Hyman! Here is a doctor who writes books, appears on TV, in the paper, and on the internet. He has his own newsletter and is willing to share his knowledge. Perhaps most importantly is his supplement distribution center. Although he is a busy man, he has clearly discovered how to get paid, while he is relaxing! I say good for him!

So are supplements for you? Seems to be working for me. But remember according to Joshua Rosenthal of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition one person’s food is another person’s poison. Please research what supplements might be best for you. You might look into this topic in one of Dr Hyman’s many publications. Better yet, hire a functional medicine doctor to look after your own individual needs. Then you would be sure you would be taking the right thing for your certain circumstances. Don’t forget, our needs change as we pass through various phases of our lives, so what might have made sense 5 to 10 years ago might not serve you best now. Is is always best to consult a doctor who knows about all of your medical needs and can look at the big picture before recommending the addition of any new supplements or medications.

Speaking of medications, Dr Hyman actually took me off several prescription medicines as he suggested a new eating program and simultaneously put me on the supplements mentioned above. In just one month, I have lost 20 pounds. All systems are go!

How about you? Have you chosen a new regimen? Crowding out processed foods which have few micronutrients and replacing them with whole foods is a great way to go. What is on the horizon for you concerning a new focus on your food intake or the prospect of coupling taking supplements as you change you eating style? Talk your ideas over with a trusted person in your life. You will need support from someone as you undergo your transformation!

Best of luck as you begin to build your better body today!

Lisa J Lafave, PhD, MBA, ACC
The Wellness Coach at Building Better Bodies Rocks
CEO & Founder of Coaching Rocks, LLC
A Single Mom By Choice Raising Surrogacy Twin Boys
written In My Little Brick in University Heights, Ohio

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Seventeen Pounds Down!

September 17, 2015 by Lisa Lafave

I started the Mark Hyman detox diet on August 20, 2015. It’s 25 days later and I have already lost 17 pounds! That is huge!

You might ask what made me choose this diet. The answer is simple. I have multiple chronic pain issues and I just want to feel better! This diet is an anti inflammatory diet, which helps people, who suffer from any of a variety of auto-immune disorders.

I briefly made a go of this diet in the past and I know it works. You can drop weight quickly, without starving. The diet is restrictive, but that just might make things easier at the present time, when there is so much weight to be lost and work to be done. The upside of the restrictive diet is that it’s less confusing and actually easier to stay on the straight and narrow! There are just less choices. If you are interested to learn more about it, you can buy Mark Hyman’s book “The 10 Day Detox Diet” on Amazon. It even has an accompanying cookbook.

Okay, so I am just at the very beginning of building a better me, but the point is, I chose a plan of action and I am following it. Now I just need to execute the same thing over the course of many months, if not a year! Then there will be one beautiful me staring back at me in the mirror! And better yet, I should feel a whole heck of a lot better!

To aid my ability to stick with the plan, I have a variety of different people that I will interface with every step of the way. I have appointments with my functional medicine doctor, Mark Hyman, at the Cleveland Clinic every 4 months or so and appointments with my nutritionist, Tricia Howell, every 2 months or as needed and weekly half hour calls with my health coach, Anna Cortes. In addition, I have appointments with my endocrinologist every 3 – 4 months. By the way, I think the coaching with my health coach is an extremely important part of this whole picture.

The health coaching gives me a chance to check in with someone weekly and discuss any concerns or difficulties that I may have. It also helps me to focus in on the new goal for the next week. This helps me to tighten up my game plan and be more successful.

I strongly recommend that you hire a health coach to help you through your process too. Research shows coaches help you get to where you are going faster!

So what is your game plan? Do you have one? Would you like to do some research? There are about 100 different diets out there, according to Joshua Rosenthal, the Founder of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Likely, any one that you choose will improve the current state of your food intake. Simply avoiding processed food would do you a world of good.

Most Americans eat far too much sugar, fried foods, and protein – animal or plant varieties. Our food is filled with chemicals and man made stuff we simply don’t want to be consuming.

Trying a whole food approach, without any additives could be revolutionary for you! Eating foods that are produced locally and organic, without any GMOs is also a very popular route. But these approaches may not be for you! Everybody is different. You will have to choose what is right for you. I suspect you know right now a few of the things you should put in place immediately!

So are you up to the challenge? Do you too want to start building a better body? Do you want to incorporate a health coach, who you work with over the phone as part of your process? Choose three things you are willing to commit to today. Set a start date. Clean out your pantry and your fridge to get started and then make a go of it. Then we can slide down the scale together!

Ready, set, go!

Lisa J Lafave, PhD, MBA, ACC
The Wellness Coach at Building Better Bodies Rocks
CEO & Founder of Coaching Rocks, LLC
A Single Mom By Choice of Surrogacy Twin Boys
Written in My Little Brick in University Hts, Ohio

Leap Into Action!